Imagine slamming a powerful quad bike through national parkland, past the odd sacred Aboriginal burial ground or two. It doesn't quite sound like culturally or ecologically sensitive tourism, right?

Yet these award-winning tours are sold as both. And this former quad-bike sceptic is now convinced that the four-wheel hoon mobile is definitely a worthwhile way to experience the stunning coastal stretches of northern NSW.

Sand Dune Adventures are hosted on conservation lands owned by the Worimi people, about half-an-hour north of the Newcastle CBD. Nine years ago, the traditional owners received native title over about 4200 hectares, which include the largest sand dunes in the southern hemisphere.

This seaside strip is starkly beautiful: scrub and clear white sands, in ever-moving folds, sweeping down to the cobalt-coloured waters of Stockton Bay.

Nonetheless, pretty beaches rarely translate to economic success for Aboriginal communities; just look to any of dozens of stalled ecotourism ventures across Australia.

Yet the Worimi people, through their local land council, have found something special that seems to work.

Council chief executive Andrew Smith says the business's early days were tough-going. "I'd have to go down to the main road for a few hours and hold up a sign as the cars drove past."

Now, the enterprise is growing steadily and providing jobs – in trades and as guides – for the Aboriginal community. Other Indigenous groups are turning to the Worimi for advice. "We're getting there," Smith says with understatement.

What makes these tours work is pretty simple: rip-roaring fun.

The quads are bigger than most (400cc engines), giving them the grunt needed to climb the towering dunes. There are also smaller vehicles for kids; no licence is required.

Every tour has a guide and some obvious rules that must be followed, for the sake of safety and to protect the flora and Worimi middens (ancient camp and burial grounds; weather-bleached skeletons are occasionally visible). The tyres are kept at a low pressure to minimise erosion, though the quads barely have an impact on the fast-shifting sands.

Yet there is still scope for exploring and for letting the throttle rip. And if you're a tad worried about hurting yourself, don't be: it's nigh impossible to upend these heavy machines, even when flying up and down the steepest dunes (trust me, I tried).

The quad tours last about an hour. An extra half-hour allows further exploring of the area's cultural sites as well as "sand boarding", a thrill akin to surfing down the big dunes.

The tours also allow explorers to finish a hot day's hooning by having a dip with dolphins in the Pacific. A perfect adventure for this culturally and ecologically sensitive bogan.

- Markus Mannheim

The writer was a guest of Mercure Hotels, which operates the nearby Mercure Newcastle Airport hotel.

Sand Dune Adventures offer tours from $55. Visit sandduneadventures.com.au for more details.