Cape york in the wet?

Girl from my office went up their last February with her boy and SWB Maverick, no winch no lift . Point is they knew people on communities up there, including actual relatives. So i thought they were friggin crazy but up they went and back they came no troubles except for waiting for half a day for one river to go down.

But i spose the point is their relatives probably kept them fully informed, and of course they would have had local help and known who to call if they did get into trouble. I suppose they were also lucky last year was pretty much one of the driest summers on record.

But the story is of course, yes they did go up in the wet season and no they didn't get into any trouble.

Mick

When the wet really starts the only way around is by air, unless you don't mind sitting in the middle of nowhere for a month or two.

Even the locals don't try to get around by road.

Cheers

Mick,

About 15 or 20 years ago a mate and I attempted this as a bit of a challenge. We had a heavily modified Land Rover, empty drums etc to make a raft, even a trail bike stripped down just in case we needed to get out without the car. Sure we weren't the most educated blokes around but had a bucket load of guts and determination. Short story is we didn't get far at all. When it's wet up there it's real wet. You can be lucky and strke a "dry" wet season but still you never know when it's going to change.
With all the advances in vehicles and equipment now days we seriously contemplated having another go 2 years ago but decided against it. Mortgage, kids, and common sense had a lot to do with the decision. What you see in the dry or on the glossy advertising is nothing like what it's like in the wet.

A friend and a mate and their wives went up in late april 20 + years ago in 40 series cruisers, made big floats to get across rivers, had nearly 3 months to do it.
As has been said you would want an open ended time frame especially if it is decent wet

One of my most vivid memories of the cape was camping on the banks of the Archer river. I was collecting fire wood one day when I realised just how much drift wood there was in the trees, very high up in the trees. Thats when it sunk in just how much water must be there during the wet, Its really quite amazing.

Mick.
One of the most valuable contacts in any area is the local Telstra lines staff, they are under pressure to get there maintenance done as soon as it is possible. They drive standard utes with standard tyres and get in and out very late or early in the wet. If you know anybody in that game they may help you with local conditions.
Eric

Norm Needham, who used to run Traction 4 in Sydney did the cape, in the wet season, making pontoons out of polystyrene and concrete mesh, and floating 3 cars across the rivers.

They lived off the land, as they were up there for 3 months at the time.

Was an article in Overlander in the last 12 months on Norm, and some of his expeditions, including that one.

The wet is from late november to end of april, but like all things nothing goes to plan, at the moment the build up has not seen any big rains. It's usually the Archer that will stop you getting to Weipa, I have seen it 40' over the causeway.A mate of the son-in-law (they both live in Weipa) has family all through that part of the cape and they don't bother going anywhere during the wet .

I fly in for Xmas and the NY and have been to the top during that period with not to much bother and that was before the bridge over the Wenlock, of cause the other thing the ferry over the Jardine closes down for the wet season.

That will be the biggest hurdle. The best way to see it is from the air, then see if you can get a vehicle up there.