This weird-looking thing caught my eye. It looks like it might be a traction device of some sort. Sure enough, it is a MAXTRAX vehicle extrication mat. It's made in Australia and comes in numerous lovely colors. Retail cost in the USA is $300 a pair. The company's website has numerous photos of the thing being used in sand. In the photo above there are two, one nested inside the other.
John, I strive to educate and inform. I read somewhere that the name "doohickey" applies only in Australia and New Zealand. The American term is "whatchamacallit." Using the wrong nomenclature could negatively impact your social status.
