Bloomfield Track - Mossman to Cooktown, Qld

The Bloomfield Track is a delightful drive. It is mostly unsealed and has some rather steep sections, but most of those are sealed. It is hardly 'hair-raising'. You will be down in a low gear for short sections but the Prado should handle it well.
Have a great trip.

No mate you'll be fine. Especially in aug. It is very challenging in the wet but august no problems with a trailer. I have done the track alot of times. There is a bridge now over the bloomfield river this was always the show stopper but not now. Emmogen creek can be deep but usually by august its about knee to thigh deep. There is another bridge been built as we speak over one of the other show stopping creeks. there are some very steep hill climbs and descents, but if its dry offers plenty of traction. Just select 1st gear in 4wd and crawl up them. I have towed many of trailer loads of work gear through the track. Its a great drive well worth it. Be sure to go to the bloomfield falls at wujal.

Hi Peter & Ann

We have just come back from the Cape. We did the Bloomfield towing a Conqueror UEV 490 with a 100 series Landcruiser. Both were running at maximum weight (probably cranking around 5.5t over both) as we were doing a 6 month lap with 4 people on board.

The track was in great condition, hardly hair raising or even challenging as 4 wheel drive tracks go. As Allan said some extremely steep sections. I just dropped down to Low 4 and at times was even down to Low 4 first (but never went backwards).

Overall the road needs to be treated with respect - take your time - there are some tight and blind corners - choose the right gear before you start up the hills. Overall, it was one of our favourite roads and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Cheers

Anthony

Hi

Interested in above comments. We did this road 20 years ago before the steep bits were sealed and no problems as used low range in a Patrol. Going again next year with Prado but when in Low range, also central diff is locked and so low can't be used on sealed roads. Do you need to go down to low range or will 1st or 2nd gear high range be enough to pull a medium camper trailer up the steep sealed sections?

cheers

Hi Peter & Ann,

I recently did the track in July of this year. Yes, it's steep in places but I had no problems towing my off road trailer with the 80 series Landcruiser, it just made it a bit more interesting at times.

Enjoy, it's a fantastic trip.

Cheers
Shirl

I did it in about '95 and again in June of this year. yes it is steep, but better than it was with the concrete sections.

In June it still had some soft sections at the end of the concrete sections, but traction wasn't really an issue and the creeks were only about a foot deep. they are building a causeway over one of the deeper ones too.

I used low range on the concrete as we were quite heavy and I didn't want to be going too quickly when the greasy clay sections started. Transmission wind up isn't really an issue in this situation as it is quite steep and there is a loose scattering of grit which gives sufficient wheel slip to stop any problems. If you do feel the steering getting really heavy and the transmission fighting it's self, then stick a tyre in the gravel on the edge and it will sort its' self out.

Make sure your cooling system is 100% as I passed a bloke in an older 'cruiser towing a camper that had his whole radiator out trying to flush the core 1/2 way along the track. Not the best place for that kind of work.

It's steep and picturesque, but not that hard going. We got passed some locals that were doing it in a Falcon wagon.

If you have to use low range on the Bloomfield ' road' ( hardly a track anymore) then you will be buggered on the rest of the trip north
The CREB track is the ' hair raising ' trip
I was raised in the area and the Bloomfield track is a gravel road which can be used by 2wd vehicles except after heavy rain