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Cape York is undoubtedly, every four-wheel-driver's ultimate destination. For some, one trip will turn into an annual event, with each year bringing unexpected pleasures, friends and difficulties. But its sometimes the difficulties that people are attracted to. Because of Cape York's location within the tropical zone, travel is restricted to the dry season.

There's one thing about Cape York - you and your vehicle will be put to the test! There's always bulldust, corrugations, deep river crossings, saltwater crocodiles, long distances between supplies and emergency help and always unpredictable road conditions. Trying to describe how good or bad a dirt road will be can be very misleading so don't expect us to comment on that here. You must understand that a section of dirt can be as smooth as a good bitumen highway one day and then a few days later, with some rain or road trains, that same section can be a nightmare.

 Interactive Route Map

Permits are required for all Aboriginal land, but these are mostly covered with your ferry fee to cross the Jardine River at Bamaga. Camping fees apply in National Park regions.

Reaching the northern most tip of Australia's mainland, exceptional 4WD, rugged camping, sensational remote beach and fishing opportunities, rock pools, rapids and waterfalls, varied terrain

For these reasons, a trip to Cape York must be carefully planned. You need to prepare for the worst and carry more than enough equipment and recovery gear to handle repairs and maintenance in the bush. We suggest that you look at our section of Trip Planning as a brief guide and if you haven't already, join a 4WD club or at the very least take a 4WD driving course before you set off. Most people travel in convoy throughout the Cape and there are many options, such as joining a tag-along tour or let someone else take you on a safari tour or even take a charter flight.

Fuel Supplies & Usage

	Cairns, Mossman, Wonga Beach, Wujal Wujal, Cooktown, Hope Vale, Musgrave Roadhouse, Coen, Archer River Roadhouse, Weipa, Bramwell Junction, Injinoo, Umagacio, Bamaga, Seisia	Diesel	4cyl 373 litres *	ULP	4cyl 479 litres	LPG	4cyl 596 litres
			6cyl 424 litres *		6cyl 448 litres *		6cyl 524 litres
			8cyl 508 litres		8cyl 494 litres

Best Time To Visit

Services & Supplies

The following locations have various services and supplies: Cairns, Mossman, Wonga Beach, Cape Tribulation, Daintree, Wujal Wujal, Rossville, Helenvale, Cooktown, Hope Vale, Musgrave Roadhouse, Coen, Archer River Roadhouse, Weipa, Bramwell Junction, Injinoo, Umagacio, Bamaga, Seisia

Serviced campgrounds and accommodation can be found at Seisia Holiday Park, Loyalty Beach Campground and Lodge, Punsand Bay Safari Lodge, and Umagico Campground. Bush Camping can also be undertaken at Somerset Beach (permit covered under Jardine Ferry ticket). Note - that North of the Jardine River, the Pajinka Wilderness Lodge no longer operates.

Cairns - Cooktown

An alternative to reaching Cooktown via Cape Tribulation is the little used CREB track through the Daintree rather than via Cape Tribulation. This is by far more challenging so if you're not up to it the alternative route to Cooktown is listed at the end of these notes. Do not attempt the CREB if there has been recent rain. This is a very steep and slippery, boggy route through the heart of the Daintree wilderness, following the line marked out for laying the power poles for the Cairns Regional Electricity Board and is little used.
Heading North out of Cairns head towards the Daintree Village. The first real test of driver and vehicle starts here - crossing the Daintree River. This river is unpredictable and contains crocodiles but you must walk it to test the depth and current. There are often cattle moving from bank to bank and you get a fair idea from their progress as to the river's suitability for crossing. Most times it should only reach to your knees but be sure to check for deeper holes.
The CREB track beings on the other side of the river and even in dry times can provide challenging bogs in the first few kilometres. There are many beautiful places along the CREB to stop for a camp, mostly around river crossings, otherwise the track is mostly tight and dense with jungle crowding in on both sides. For a full day's drive you might like to head all the way through to the south arm of the Bloomfield River otherwise known as Roaring Meg Falls. (GPS) The track off the main route is unmarked can be difficult to find and can be boggy. Roaring Meg Falls can also be reached via the alternative route via Cape Tribulation by detouring from near the Bloomfield River. Roaring Meg Falls is a sensational sight and there is camping by the banks of calm pools and is a delightful safe place for swimming and walking.
It's only about an hour's drive from Roaring Meg Falls to the Bloomfield River near Wujal Wujal on route to Helensvale and the The Lion's Den Hotel, most of the time is spent getting out of the Roaring Meg Falls track back onto the main CREB track.
Once off the CREB track the road surface improves and you pop out of the dense rainforest into open grazing land. The drive can be dusty and will test your lungs and air cleaner. Most people travel the Cape with the air conditioner turned on to reduce the amount of dust choking their lungs and spreading through their belongings packed in the cabin of the 4WD.
The Lion's den is unbelievable. In the middle of nowhere, other 4WD travellers can't help themselves but to stop and enjoy one of the few cold beers available on the Cape. Camping is available out the back on a quiet stretch of sloping green grass near a stream. But there's meals, a pool table and great atmosphere in the Lion's Den to enjoy.
It's just a 35km trip into Cooktown on more of the same easy firm but dusty roads. Along the way there's a worthwhile stop at Black Mountain, composed of enormous boulders that are in fact grey but appear black because of a covering of blue-green algae. The boulders are all piled upon one another in some precarious ways with some dauntingly large caves and cracks in between but its a worthwhile climb for great views (but we don't know anyone that's made it to the top).
Cooktown is worthy of a decent stay. Soak up your early Australian history with a visit to the museum, the lighthouse, the cemetery, the beach front, bays and the lookouts. There are many facilities for the traveller in Cooktown and it is a major centre for booking cruises and tours, hiring 4WDs, or arranging air charters, coaches and boats.

Cooktown - Bathurst Bay

From Cooktown there are a choice of routes. Either north to Hopevale and onto Lakefield NP or taking a detour to the coast at Cape Melville via Starke. The track beyond Hopevale deteriorates significantly especially beyond Starke Homestead. It takes around 8 - 9 hours to travel to Wakooka and another 3 or so to Cape Melville. Bathurst Bay is attractive to those looking for camping and fishing. You can camp along the beach front with water available from a small stream although you may be plagued with sandflies here (as in many other places on the Cape). The trip out to Bathurst Bay is a one-way return from Wakooka and as the ruts can make travelling slow and frustrating you may prefer to off-load your trailer at Wakooka and pick it up on the way out. (Chaining it to a tree is probably the safest). There are no facilities at Cape Melville or Bathurst Bay and you must be completely self-sufficient, have at least 2 vehicles in your group and at least one HF radio or sat phone in case of emergency. However this part of the coast will provide keen travellers with remote camping and excellent fishing opportunities, although mosquitos and sandflies are in plague proportions.

Bathurst Bay - Musgrave

Head back to Wakooka and veer west on a faint track alongside the old airstrip. It will take about 4 hours to get to Lakefield via Kalpower through some deep river crossings and swamp. There is a ranger station, toilets and a camp ground at Kalpower and Musgrave is just 105km north and Laura 85km south.
From Kalpower along Lakefield Road conditions are generally good, you might even top 80km/hr! If you're heading to Musgrave you can avoid going to Laura and the Development Track by heading north-west via Hann River Crossing and Marina Plains HS. At Marina Plains HS you are right near Princess Charlotte Bay. The best camps in the area are at Kalpower Crossing on the Normanby River, Hann Crossing on the Kennedy River, Top Whiphandle and Bottom Whiphandle Waterholes around Bizant.
Musgrave is a major stop on the main Development Road. It is a historic fortress telegraph station built in 1887 but now there's a public phone, airstrip and complimentary cane toads. Food is available from the restaurant/shop from 7am – 12 midnight. There's a campground out the back and there are good toilets and showers - camping is free unless you require a shower and then it will cost you $2. ! There are no laundry facilities but there is a bar and pool table and 10 rooms for more civilised accommodation.

Musgrave - Weipa

Whether you are headed to Weipa or the Overland Telegraph Line continue north along the Development Track past Musgrave to Coen and Archer River. The track here is stony and corrugated and has a few dips, gullies and dry creek crossings (usually).
Coen has a few stores, the notorious Exchange Hotel, known as the Sexchange Hotel, you'll see why when you get there. Coen is a small town with a big Gold Mining history. 3km out of town in the dry bed of the Coen River you can camp for free, but there are no facilities. It is not uncommon to be stopped by DPI Northwatch Quarantine around the Coen area so be sure that all your fruit and vegetables have been purchased with a quarantine release (available from Woolies in Cairns if you ask).
65km further on is Archer River with just one establishment, the roadhouse but oh what great burgers! The camping around Archer River is wonderful and you can go off and wander or camp in the grounds of the Roadhouse, or in one of their rooms. Facilities include washing machines. As for all these major stops, credit cards and Eftpos is accepted and things are not as primitive as you might be imagining. With over 10,000 4WD travellers passing through the Cape each season, these establishments look forward to your custom. If you travel outside the peak season you might find things a little different. Take a look at the photo album of past wet seasons and the incredible transformation of the land at Archer River Roadhouse. Get stuck during these times and you may find that modern systems don't work too well.
Just out of Archer River you have a choice of routes: West to Weipa, North along the Overland Telegraph Road or NE through the Iron Range NP.
The Peninsula Development Road out to Weipa has more of the Cape's notorious corrugations but is effectively a wide, graded dirt freeway and the 190km trip will take about 2 hours driving.