cape york

Hi John

It will all depend on the wet season, so can't offer any advice for this year. You will be on the tail end of the wet season in late April.

Noting, many tracks can still be closed or impassable much longer than April, so it will depend on where you are going.

Mind you, I think seeing the tropical north of Australia towards the end of the "wet" is a great time as everything is green and lush, but access is the key.

And in case you haven't seen the following "Guide to Cape York" take a look at as it is a worthwhile publication for anyone travelling to Cape York. Full of good information covering things from accommodation and supplies to tracks and advice on some of those out of the way places.

Cape York Australia - Trip Planning Guide

Enjoy your trip and planning...

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

Agree with Landy, If the wet comes and it looks like it will be late, the roads maybe impassable in late April. The graders may also not have had time to do repair as they won't start until they believe the wet is over.

Best of luck and you can monitor the rainfall on the bom. Just put in Weipa weather. You then can go from daily observations to recent months to show the rainfall. That page will also give nearby data. IE. Coen and others.

Also check here for reasonably up to date conditions.

Road condition Link

It is on my bucket list to one day upon retirement, be one of the first vehicles in, to experience it in a more virgin state with fuller creeks than after the school hoolidays (spelling intended)
Being in this mindframe I noticed the roads sometimes open in late April and from memory some roads were only open in May one year.
With weather changes lately who knows when the wet will end, or how wet it will be.
Sound like you have the luxury of time, as you are talking of June then April. So you can base yourself in Cooktown or Atherton, and make your way up as the road opens (that was my plan anyway)
Good luck

Having been up 46 times since 1987, my suggestion would be to head up mid May, wèather depending as said above. I can certainly appreciate your enthusiasm, but quiet a bit of the Cape will be closed any earlier than mid May, Lakefield generally doesn't open till late may, early June. Just be aware that when you say you would like to expirience fuller creeks, Nolan's claimed 74 vehicles last year, and its about $8000 to get your vehicle off the Cape. Maybe go a tad later the first time so you can get a feel for the Cape, and then plan another trip maybe a bit earlier.

Well Allan, you and me have been doing this 4wd thing for a few years now, so we sort of know what right and wrong, a lot of those at Nolans don't, they watch the Gall boys and 4wd action vids and think their invincible, but unfortunately their not. They don't tarp up, hit the water to hard, wrong gear selection, the list goes on, one time tried to offer a bloke in a 200 series some advice, it was like "don't tell me about water crossings, ive done heaps" hydrauliced to 200 and then wanted me to tow him out, its pretty common up the Cape.