maytown

You can try the Palmerville track to Palmerville station, was closed off 2 years ago (locked gates), try ringing npws and see if it was open, they were minding it as the Stubers were awaiting trial for the murder of a prospector, otherwise you can head towards Palmerville Roadhouse and about 15klms before take the Whites Creek Road and come in the southern end. Its fantastic in there, we camped on Dogleg Creek for a couple of days before taking the Old Coach Road to Laura.

Hi Barry,

As stated, best bet from Chillagoe is to head back to Mareeba and up to the Maytown turnoff just short of the Palmer River Road house, just after Maitland Downs Station. There is a white sign post on the left.

Follow the road in and you can't go wrong. You are there when you cross a big wide sandy/rocky river, which is the Palmer.

Cross over and camp either to the left or right if you are stopping there. We like to camp on the North Palmer as there are usually less people, but not always.

From there it is a maze of tracks around the place, but they basically all loop back eventually. A GPS or Hema or similar is quite handy.

When you take off to do the Mail Track, just after crossing the North Palmer you can go either left or right. If you are towing, don't go left. If you aren't ready for a very steep slippery incline, don't go left. My patrol with a front locker made it fine, but mate in a stock Landy needed winching up it. Either way, they both join up and continue on the main track.

There is one tricky jump-up much later on, and it is off on a left hand diversionary track. It is a 90 degree turn left and I think it was signed to some ruins of an old hotel. The track goes through and up the hand-cut escarpment track and is very picturesque. Can be slippery on a couple of steep bits just before you hit the jump up. Be prepared to winch up it if need be and if in a convoy, it was easy to gently snatch the next vehicle up once front tyres are up.

Enjoy! It is a fantastic drive.