Sensation Beach Adventure

We passed lizards, emus and even a giant dead whale on our recent drive to Sensation Beach through Coffin Bay National Park.

The sun was rapidly dropping towards the horizon but we had invested so much time into this drive already, we were not about to turn back now.

The final leg of our drive was a huge sand dune that seemed to rise out of the road.  There was some evidence from tyre tracks that it was passable, so we accepted the challenge. I let the tires down in pressure, put the car in low range four-wheel drive and kept up the momentum. We made it to the top and stopped proudly briefly savouring the glow of our achievement.

All we could see was sand for miles and a distant view of the water at Sensation Beach. I was compelled to push on. We followed the direction markers across the long stretch of dunes and down the final steep dune to the beach. The ocean looked amazing. We decided to drive along the sand and find a good spot to stop for a quick fish and a play before it got dark.

As we began heading up the beach, I suddenly felt the car begin to labour and sink into the sand. There were pockets of water that we couldn’t see under the top dry sand. I was sure we were going to bog!

There were no other cars around, the sun was setting, the tide was rising and there was no phone reception. If the car was to bog down in the sand now, there was probably little hope of us digging it out before the tide rose and swallowed the car.

I started praying and kept praying! I watched for an opportunity to turn the car around and get back to the safety of higher, less boggy ground. 

Momentum is king when driving in the sand, so I tried to keep up a steady momentum as I retraced our steps back the way we had come.

Even though I could feel the car labouring, I kept my foot down on the accelerator and continued moving forward. We finally got back to the track that would take us off the beach.  We thanked God for His protection.

It reminded me of the Footprints poem where we only see one set of footprints in the sand during difficult times in our lives because that is when God carries us. God certainly did carry our car along Sensation Beach that day. He is always with us in every situation, and wherever we go.

*Next Connect 4 Event – Saturday 15^th May, 5.45pm – 7.30pm.

Family games night and free dinner in the hall next to PPN.  A link to the booking form will be sent out shortly. Look forward to seeing you there. (numbers limited)

Chaplain Phil