Cliff from Fish N Fin Charters & Tag Along Tours replied:

Hi Dennis,
We have just returned from the Starcke River and Lakefield N.P.
The road from the Starcke River to Cape Melville is rough and slow, approx 16 hours from the Starcke, and from the local info we obtained we opted not take this track due to the very possible damage to vechile and our campomatic (we`re the central Qld agent).
The best way is in over the Kalpower crossing to Bathurst Bay then up to Cape Melville.
We will be up there taking this track in 3 weeks.
Contact me mid May when we return and l will give you a detailed report if l forget to post a report on this great forum.

Tim Nivo replied:

Gday Dennis. I took the Starke track into Cape Melville NP last May in a Nissan coil cab and no trailer. About 12 hours driving from Cooktown. Some bogs, lots of erosion and the track was hard to follow in lots of places early in the season. Whilst you might get through with a trailer, what would make it most difficult would be the constant off-track detours winding through trees etc that a single vehicle has trouble fitting through. Not impossible, but you'd need a sense of humour.

Cashy replied:

Dennis, I was up there in July last year. It took us 13 hrs to get from Cooktown to Cape Melville Np via Starke (that involved 10hrs of driving as per GPS). The track from Cooktown to Starke was relatively easy. But from Starke Station on it became a slow crawl. Jeannie river was the worst river crossing on the track north. It would be easier going south. From Lakefield to Cape Melville via Kalpower was relatively easy in comparion. This howwever was still a 5 hour drive out. no one in our group was towing a trailer but it would have been longer if there was. Regards
Cashy