Cooktown to Old Laura and Musgrave

Thanks for that. Will be checking road conditions closer to June anyway but am particularly interested on the track in general. Even advice from travellers last year would be good. Are there any serious water crossings or difficult entry or exits from rivers.

Thanks Tony. Just the info I was after. Will be checking at Cooktown on conditions of course but knowing that there are no serious water crossings is good news.
Reading back over my initial thread I realise it wasn't all that clear on our destination. Once we get to Musgrave we are of course going to the top with side trips to all we can get to. Will be taking the Development road all the way but leaving the vans and trailers where the Development road crosses the Old Telegraph track around the Bramwell Roadhouse and at Fruitbat Falls so we can do some exploring. Packing tents as well in case we decide to stay a night somewhere.
Thanks again.
mepvic

Hi Mepvic,
Happy Easter to you too.
We went up there last year, to the tip, towing an off road caravan.
We went up via the Development Road, which at the time was very corrugated. Shake your own teeth out of your head! Drive carefully& to conditions.
We stayed at Bramwell Station by recommendation & it was well worth it.
It was not recommended to stay at Musgrave by fellow travelers. We were kept awake for a few hours & very close to where the fight occurred. Friday & Saturday nights in particular.

We went up late Aug to Sept so River crossings were low as you know a dreadful drought year.
Morton Telegraph Station was lovely & peaceful to stay at.

On the way back we stopped in at the places to see leaving the van
at Bramwell to do the southern OTT.
We left the van in a little clearing into Fruit bat falls etc & when we returned, there were 3 or 4 other vans & campers parked there too.

There was a nameless deep crossing up over the bonnet but not to window. between Fruit Bat Falls & Twin Falls.

Time prevented us from doing the Northern section (work) but people we met said that things got trickier & the creeks got deeper.
Have a great trip, just remember we went in a very dry year.
We went to see the Cape but not to drown our vehicles.
Many had trouble at the first crossing South to North from Bramwell.
I'll try to send a pic but am not real good with computers in another
reply.
Take care, safe travels Ma.

Thanks Ma. Got your email but no pic. Looking forward to the trip. Plan to be up and back before the school hols start. That way we are told roads have a better chance of being less corrugated but crossings could be deeper. We also do not plan to drown the vehicles so will be watching where we go. Other two don't have snorkels so nothing too difficult.
Thanks also for the tip on Musgrave.

Hi mepvic,
If your staying on the PDR, you will not have any water crossings except maybe Schramm Creek, but that isn't an obstacle, if going Battlecamp, you will have Isabella falls and the Normanby, neither will pose a problem.
On the OTT, the ones that will give you trouble are Palm Creek, winch out of the northern exit, Cockatoo, winch into the creek and Nolans Brook, just deep and claimed 3 vehicles in one day (unfortunately some people wont listen to people who have crossed it numerous times)when we where there middle of May last year. Cypress will test your gooly size and Logan's is no trouble. The pascoe on the Frenchmans Track was the one we had to really think about, water was about a foot above waist height.
I hope this helps you in planning your trip.
Drive safe.
Tony F8.

Ps.
Musgrave, Bramwell Junction and Bramwell Station are all good places to stay at.
We have never had any troubles and have stayed at Musgrave more times than I can remember, and I'm sure John McDowell would soon put paid to any trouble.
Cheers.
Tony F8.

Hi Ma,

I believe that crossing is known as Scrubby Creek. well it was last year.

Erad,

The PDR is much better now, a wide maintained road but still subject to corrugations in places and the worst and most dangerous is the DUST and this combined with speed and traveling too close to the vehicle in front of you has caused real problems for some.

Ill correct myself what i meant is lakefield will open once rivers stop flowing fast over causeways. Once it is open its a very easy drive. The ranger also wont open it till the road has dried out. To keep maintenance costs down. Once it does open, book as soon as you can cause every man and his dog will be trying to get in there. Sites will book out very fast.

We too, like many others are heading up in Mid-to-late June with our "original" plan of leaving Cairns and heading up to Cooktown via the CREB Track, then onto Cape Melville via Battlecamp Rd & Kalpower X-ing. Access to Cape Melville should still be OK ??

I'm now assuming that the CREB track is closed and may or may not be opened by the time we get up there at the end of June..... Can anyone verify that the CREB is closed ? What's the chances of it re-opening to + does anyone maintain the CREB?

RobM

Yes the creb is closed. Douglas shire council website has info on it. Keep an eye it to find out when it has re-opened. It is not a maintained road. Ita gave all that area a good workin over so id say it'll be at least june before we see it open.