Bloomfield Track & Bloomfield

Submitted: Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 11:12

ThreadID: 10345 Views:2316 Replies:8 FollowUps:4

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Stuart

I am looking at making a trip from Port Douglas / Daintree to Bloomfield via the Bloomfield Track. I have not been able to find too much up to date information on the track as was wondering if anyone has travelled it recently and what the conditions of the road and skill level need actually are!

Thanks
Stuart Vella

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Reply By: Member - Andrew(WA) - Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 11:20

Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 11:20

Stuart

I did the track to Cooktown about 7 weeks ago. Most of the track can be negotiated in a family sedan as long as its dry.....If its been wet it will be slippery.

The deapest river crossing was just below my side steps (patrol).

For up to date info, contact the Cape trib ranger, his premises are situated where the bitumen ends and the Bloomfield track begins.

Its a beautiful drive....and more fun when wet.
cheersFraser Island

AnswerID: 45789

Follow Up By: Stuart - Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 13:11

Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 13:11

Dear Andrew,
Thanks for the information, greatly appreciated. In reference to the river crossing, I have read that there are salties through all the rivers on the way to Bloomfield, are there any rivers where you need to get out and wade through to check the crossing or pretty much straight through?

Thanks Again
Stuart

FollowupID: 307809

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 06:20

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 06:20

Andrew I am pretty sure [unless they have changed in the last couple of months] at the southern end theres a big sign that says no accses other than 4wds also the same at the nothern end near the bloomfeild river.
But I could be wrong.

All the best
Eric

www.capeyorkconnections.com.auCape York Connections

FollowupID: 307814

Follow Up By: Member - Andrew(WA) - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 12:52

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 12:52

Stuart and Eric....

Stuart....
Always the possibility of a croc up that way, I never saw one. As to whether you would have to walk the crossing depends on how deap they are. I think all crossings have depth markers, the ones that matter anyway. All crossings were riverstone on the bottom, not boggy at all just bumpy.

Eric.....I think your right but the locals who know the place do use sedans on the track, passed about half a dozen on the trip, not that they all would have gone the whole way, most were local indiginous types. At the time I did the track, a sedan would have made it except for maybe one or two of the water crossings. It was just after heavy rain. In the dry I have no doubt a normal sedan could do the track. I was a bit dissappointed at how easy it was in the 4wd. More like a Sunday drive in a nice spot!

cheers Fraser Island

FollowupID: 307847

Reply By: colin - Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 13:43

Saturday, Feb 07, 2004 at 13:43

Hi Stuart, when are you looking at going through, at the moment we have had heaps of rain so rivers will be swollen and not passable, when they go down there are no rivers that you have to wade through the biggest being the bloomfield has a concrete causeway. Col

AnswerID: 45799

Reply By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 06:27

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 06:27

Stuart its a nice drive it is steep in places and if you take it easy and its not wet it should be easy.
They have put in a fair bit of concrete road towards the southern end now. The thing I have found with the track is the renta rockets fly along it . They like to use both sides of the track.

All the best
Eric

tag along adventures to the cape and beyond.Cape York Connections

AnswerID: 45808

Reply By: Brett - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 10:20

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 10:20

I,ve done the track a dozen or so times and found that the troopy is a lot more comfortable with the tyre pressure down around the 24 psi mark. Watch the decline, heading north, when you just begin to see the Bloomfield river. I have attempted to crawl down the hill in 2nd low range and the buildup of bulldust was so great that the vehicle just ran away for 20 or 30 mts before the tyres "bit in ". This was late in the dry and a long time since the road had been graded.

If you like fishing take a rod and a few lures there are heaps of Barra and mangrove jack around the place and I have caught many off the bank beside the road. Also on an incoming big tide fish the tidal side of the Bloomfield causway, from the bank, for good sized barra. Jungle perck can be caught in the upper reaches towards the falls.

It is a fantastic area and if the locals can drive from Wugal wugal to the Lions den pubin a 1973 corrolla to get beer after 5 days of rain any 4 x 4 can make the journey.

AnswerID: 45823

Reply By: gyprock - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 11:23

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 11:23

There is another enjoyable alternative. The CREB track from daintree village to the lions den. It is a bit obscure to find the start of the track if you havent done it before. The track can be challenging with even a small amount of rain (slippery steep sections) however if the conditions are right it is a very scenic enjoyable days drive. Many of the locals will tell you the road is not open to the public and even the council road signs suggest the road that the track comes of is a dead end.
If ou go to the Mossman police station they will inform you that it is a public road and gasstted for public use...... Well when I asked last year anyway,,,best check the current situation yourself.
(no signs but it is on the right of the road and within a couple of hundred metres of the dead end thru what looks like a cow paddock,, Dumped commadore/camira at the start)The start of the track comes off a goat track over the daintree (easy crossing, but have a good look first), then you follow some wheel ruts thru a chopped up paddock....DON'T LET THIS PUT YOU OFF.... after this you are on a good (but challenging if wet) track. the first half gives you some long steep climbs over a clay like surface but after the aboriganal land the track is like a highway thru to Lions den .....kinda sort off TIC

AnswerID: 45839

Reply By: David O - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 12:51

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 12:51

start of the track comes off a goat track over the daintree (easy crossing, but have a good look first),

I wouldn't recommend walking the river crossing though.

BIG SAVAGE LIZARDS LIVE THERE

AnswerID: 45863

Follow Up By: gyprock - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 21:32

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 21:32

yes I agree,, but you can see the main crossing path from each bank(usually)... and if you cant its probably running too deep anyway.. seems to be a good stoney bottom the times Ive gone that way, and over the six years Ive been there it has not changed the main crossing path.
BUT YES I agree with you , I dont have the fortitude to walk it . not deep just that I cant see me out runnig a big lizard in shin to knee deep water over the width of that crossing(or any width come to think of it)

FollowupID: 307876

Reply By: Crackles - Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 15:47

Sunday, Feb 08, 2004 at 15:47

Definately keep away when it's wet! We tried after 1/2 an inch of rain and despite double diffs and mud terrains we slid hopelessly out of control on the steep clay hills then had to turn back. It's relitively easy to the Roaring Meg Falls from the north but it get's steep after that. Even some of the locals have wheel chains fitted permanatly to their cars. Well worth trying. Craig.............................

AnswerID: 45875

Reply By: Stuart - Monday, Feb 09, 2004 at 02:13

Monday, Feb 09, 2004 at 02:13

Thanks again to all of you for the information. I will be making the trip towards the end of May or some time in June, which means it should be pretty dry and by the sound of it, a fairly easy drive.

Thanks
Stuart.

AnswerID: 45939