cape York questions

Hi Sandra

Corrugations do not compare, the GRR is like a highway compared to the PDR. Of course, this is dependent on how recently the grader has been through, but given you are going so late in the season it is safe to assume the grader hasn't been through for a while, and the road will have seen plenty of traffic over the recent school holidays. This time last year I was watching my first sunset at Loyalty Beach, and I can tell you the trip up was over the worst corrugations I have seen since I was on the Gunbarrel.

You don't know which swimming holes have crocs in them, however you can generally assume that the ones in the middle of the peninsula, south of the Jardine, are safe-ish. But you can pretty much lock in Fruitbat, Eliot and Twin Falls, I have not heard of anyone ever being taken there and it would be a crime to go to Cape York and not take a dip in at least one of those spots.

I'm not a meteorologist or a clairvoyant, but I'll have a go. How long do you plan to spend up there? I would probably back you to get to the tip, but you wouldn't want to be hanging around too long. Last year I planned to be back in Cairns by the 3rd week of October just in case, as it turned out I took the Sea Swift down the coast instead so I was off the Cape by mid-October. Weather was still beautiful then.

You really shouldn't get any serious rain until November, but it's not something you want to risk. However, if you can get to the tip and set up camp somewhere near the wharf, then the Sea Swift is always an option home if you get rained in.

The previous post summed it up, but you will find the corros pretty bad as we have just had school holidays and the PDR is usually graded at the most twice a year. Most of the creeks will be down on water, some like Nolan's Brook will only be down maybe a foot, the temps will be starting to build, so expect it to becoming a bit balmy, as for swimming, most water in Lakefield hold crocs, whereas on the OTT, most waters can be swum in, eg Dulhunty, Nolans, Elliot aand Twin Falls, and Bertiehaugh, all these are through the centre of the Cape. If I were you, I would get a copy of Ron and Viv Moons Cape York Adventures, it has all the information you need to do the Cape, I first went there as a 25yr old and have been back 46 times and never had a problem. There are some basic rules when campng in croc areas, is camp at least 50m back from water, do not frequent the same spot on the the bank, and the same for any fish scraps. Have a quick scout of the banks for for slide marks etc, I hope this helps, btw on average there is 1 croc attack a year, with the majority of them happening in the Northern Territory.

Drove up 19th September via Cooktown Lake Land and though to Weipa,then across to Bramwell, the OTT and on to Punsands.

The roads are pretty good with the pre-wet grading happening Worst section is the section from Weipa to the Batavia Downs turn off.

North of the Jardine was being graded on the Wednesday 23rd September. The Bramwell boys are grading from the Jardine back to Bramwell Station (Bramwell has the , nroad contract from Moreton to the Jardine).

Swimming.

Dullhunty, Gunshot Creek have water for a soak, Cockatoo has Croc signs. All other creeks are ok up to but not including the Jardine Nolans Logans Creek and Nolans have good flows but not as deep this year.

The GRR was perfectly navigable 3 weeks ago, although pretty rough around Home Valley. Enough to give a lot of people we spoke to punctures. Tyres were generally around 25 lbs when we asked although a couple had pretty high pressures. A few also suffered damage to electrics, which was usually the cabling getting a hammering from the stones. There is a lot of embedded stone as well as loose stone and the blue/grey stuff is pretty sharp. You might be lucky if you go after a recent grading but that always applies and you can't really compare roads for that reason. I have heard of the PDR being as smooth as the proverbial baby's bum but it wouldn't be like that late in the season if it hadn't been graded recently, just as we found on the Gibb. It'll be pretty warm around the GRR, particularly as it was touching 40 deg when we were up there and it won't be cooling off any time soon.

Done it in June. Roads were rough but expected. Some told me the Gibb is a lot worse for corrugations. The Tele Track is great fun and very doable. Don't listen to all the hype. Take it easy with a well prepared vehicle and you'll be fine. We swam in every river on the track and had no issue. The whole family have said they would go back in a heart beat. Have a great time.