Damaged Vehicles at Cape York

Scrubby,

Just looked at it again, I think I've got it covered, you take the OTT then turn on to the southern by-pass then the northern by-pass roads, to avoid the very challenging areas. Is this correct?

Cheers

Yes Sanantone, you can view the bypass route in the Trek Notes section on this site. Just use the blue menu tab at the top of the site to go to Treks to find all the point by point driving notes.

It's also very well sign posted. You can't really miss the bypass road!

:)

Ditto for us.

Been to the top and back only once (& it was 17 years ago) with Patrol and Camper Trailer. As we were heading up we also heard the many horror stories of drowned and broken vehicles.

Initial plans was to go up via OTL and back by the bypass.

We found the OTL much easier on the car and occupants as you had to go much slower so ended up using the OTL both ways.

Please note we did not attempt Nolan's or the Jardine as we were travelling alone and 'got off' just after Mistaken Creek (? - I think)

Scrubby you said "I personally have not traveled the OTT for the simple reason I cannot find any logical reason to do so,and heaps of reasons not to, even though it is possible to bypass the bad crossings."
Well, each to their own, I would personally never go up,and not do the OTL. It is pure magic and beautiful. It has the best tranquil camping spots, pure bush camping, and a lovely adventure. As someone else said above, it was easier on the vehicle. You obviously went up to reach the tip with your caravan, so you did not have much choice. But mate don't bag those who take the scenic road, and you do not know what you have missed. ;-).
I cannot understand why people go all the way up, miss the most beautiful creeks and camping spots, choose to sit on endless corrugations on the boring bypass road, just to sit at a crowded caravan park at the tip. Probably fishermen, thats understandable. Not having a go, just demonstrating a totally different view to yours
Aint life great
CJ

CSeaJay, I would have to agree with u except for the "best tranquil camping spots, pure bush camping"....
U may have travelled up there outside the silly season, but we had no choice and have recently only come back from 5wks up there. It's the 1st time back since '87 and even though its a beautiful place and beautiful creek crossings, but the sheer number of people travelling up the OTT and sheer number of Filthy people who don't bother digging a hole when going to the toilet and at one spot coming across used baby nappies just lying on the ground, put a bit of a dampener on it for me this time. I couldn't believe people could be so filthy/lazy. Just about every campsite at most of the creek crossings were in poor condition from previous campers..... I don't know whether the yearly rainy season washes it all clean or not, but if people continue to ruin the camps like that, it won't be long b4 the powers to be will close it for everyone....
Also, a lot of the campsites were a bit too crowded for my liking.....passing Canal Creek, we couldn't the number of people camped there..... They were packed in like Sardines.....

Just my own opinion though.... :)

RobM
Sadly and unfortunately, you are correct.
Canal creek is an 'overflow' camp area of people coming off the PDR into Elliot Falls camping too late only to find it is full, so they scramble and camp where they can. It is a bit of a halfway point and one of a few spots for PDR travellers to pop into the OTL (only to turn around back to the PDR the next morning to continue on the PDR) Such a pity because Canal Creek is beautiful when it is not crowded.
Yes we took our kids out of school and left before the Qld School hols, and came back inside the hols, so we know both.
We could still manage good camping though, often alone next to a creek.
I do not understand why people think that they can leave a place in a mess. When we leave we pull away 10 metres, get out and do a final chicken run.
Still would not miss the OTL in favour of the PDR though, it is a big part of the adventure, scenery and beuty of CY.
CJ

G`day Cseajay,
I am sorry if you thought I was bagging you or anyone else as that was not my intention.
Being a pensioner driving a 60 series L/cruiser I need to avoid the cost of any damage if possible.
Maybe I wasn`t getting my line of thought across, I was thinking about "any logical reason" to do the difficult/damaging creek crossings. Not the actual OTT track itself.
Just my inability to put my thoughts into writing. LOL

And yes it was a fishing trip and not really for sight seeing although we spent 13 weeks doing it.

Scrubby

Scrubby
The problem with email/forums/texts are that you cannot see the body language behind the messenger. I am sure you posted it without the bagging intent, and I wasn't having a go either,
other than to put a different opinion across. All with good intent.
Sounds like you had a fabulous trip, 13 weeks I am jealous
CJ

CSeaJay
I to was disappointed when travelling the OTT 4 weeks ago and finding the mess of toilet paper and the like scattered around the place. I really can’t understand why people think it’s ok to leave a mess. This is a beautiful country. We need to leave it the best way we can.

As for the damaged and drowned vehicles. I really can’t comprehend why every driver (or the person responsible for the vehicle) doesn’t get out and walk the creek crossings. Or at least watch a person walking the crossing and ask questions. Most people travel in convoys of two or more vehicles. If there isn’t a vehicle on the other side, then the vehicle with a winch should go first. The recovery gear should be out and ready. Not just in a bag ready. This includes the winch rope. Once the first vehicle is through, the second vehicle with a long enough snatch strap attached (and attached so someone doesn’t have to fumble under the water trying to fasten it while the car fills with water) ready. I was the last vehicle through Nolans the day we went through. The following day I heard 6 vehicles were in some way damaged. In my opinion due to people being ill prepared for the crossing. We carry recovery gear for a purpose. Why not have it ready? Complacency perhaps?
I watched a recent clip on youtube where the vehicle crossing Nolans had a snatch strap attached. But they put it through the door and then closed the door on it. When it stopped in the creek they couldn’t get the strap out due to the pressure of water against the door. Seriously, what were they thinking? The vehicle ended up being in the water for at least 90 seconds longer than it should have been. Crossings are a lot easier when you walk them and think about wheel placement.

Just my two cents worth.

CSeaJay has a point about the crowds. Now is in the middle of peak tourist time. Convoys of camper trailers, dust, and full house at every camping spot.
A couple of years ago we went up in late October. The difference was amazing. I caught up with one trailer on the way up, very few oncoming vehicles, plenty of room to camp. Seisia was almost deserted, Loyalty had one camper, Punsand Bay was closed and so was the Croc Tent at Lockerbie. You could fish off the Seisia jetty and have room to swing a cat, or a handline. The weather was a little warmer but not uncomfortable.
I asked around and was told that as soon as the last school holidays end, everything dies in the a*se. So why aren't more travelling later? Perhaps the fear of early rain or storms closing the roads. Why did I go up in July this year? Well, I've got grandkids, haven't I, so you have to stick with the school holidays.
But I'm going up again in October, no kids, adults only.

You can get specialized 4wd insurance that covers you off road as well. It's pricey though, around double the premium last time I checked.

I don't get the bit about insurance being restricted to gazetted roads. Whenever I have asked my insurance company (various different ones over the years) about whether I'm covered when offroad, the response has always been that you are covered anywhere you drive as long as you are not doing anything illegal, e.g. don't have permission to be there, drunk, etc. I've even specifically asked what happens if I get stuck in a deep creek and drown my vehicle and get the same response - yes you are covered. This has always been with a 'standard' comprehensive insurance policy with the majors such as Allianz, Suncorp, etc., not any specialised, extra cost policy.

Mate, thanks for the info. Makes you wonder how many people have simply not checked and copped it on the chin. I do know of a friend who nose dived off a dune, wrote the car off and the normal insurance paid out. If I need a new car, I'll just find a deep creek crossing... :-)