Just got some pictures of the road damage between

email them to me and i will upload them for you...
gqpatrol@bigpond.net.au

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/voxson/Yarraden.jpg

Site Link

For some reason i cant get em up.. Can you help Stu?

Very clear photo's arent they

Hi Eric

Great shots...you take them?
How's Gunshot looking, which drop off will they be looking to taking this year?

Cya
:)

Is this what happen's when Gov't Engineer's interfere with Nature.

Gooday,
Typed in the 65 characters suggested, got aching fingers, no more pictures, will voxson kindly lend me $20-00 for the effort?
Cheers boroma604.

Wow I havent seen it that bad in a while didnt relize the road was that damaged down coen musgrave way.

The roads up my way arent that bad theres lots of mud around and as I said in another post I went to lockhart river last night and the road was pretty good.

Wow - looks like I might need muddies instead of all terrains. I'm towing a trailer on the Cape from 8th June. Any thoughts on whether the roads will be dry and more importantly repaired? Rob.

When I was there last year, I saw all the work going on, and wondered about just how durable all the bitumen etc., was going to be through the wet - not very, by the look of it !

Wonder how many $$$ were pi$$ed against that particular wall ?

regards
Terry

Damn, I am going up there for 6 weeks, Cairns to Cairns at the end of June. Looks like it will take all that time now.
Shawn

My mailman and his sons are going that way in a couple of months. Perhaps I should tell him to expect "delays" LOL

Is it completely unrealistic to think that the roads will be passable in the next month or so? The damage is quite amazing - but as we all know the first thing that generally springs up is a side track to get you around the trouble spot. I can only imagine the sheer number of people who have plans for Cape York and intend to depart in late May or early June [myself included] and would be desperate for advice. Media reports vs RACQ road reports are sometimes in agreeance and sometimes contrary....any advice??????????

Hey Sam or Eric,

With your vast number of contacts throughout The Cape, please try to keep our appetites wet with any "scoops" on road conditions.

With the damage to the Coen to Musgrave section, I'm now looking at bypassing the area by either taking the Lakefield NP track, or via Kowanyama/Edward River across the Mitchell River. I'll be up there in the first week of June.

Any info you can gather on these alternative routes would also be appreciated.

Keep up the good work !

Scorcher.

I have made contact witrh Musgrave Roadhouse and their advice is as follows...

"At this stage the road is closed between here and Coen due to a couple of creek crossings getting washed away. They hope to get some machinery up to here on Tuesday and start work as soon as the road dries out enough. It won't be a highway but will be open to 4 wheel drives. If we don't get anymore heavy rain I would imagine the road would be open in 2 weeks.

The Archer River is still uncrossable but slowly dropping. That is the only problem between Coen and Weipa, the rest of the road is o.k. There was initially talk of getting in the army but don't think it is as bad as they first thought. The road to here is ok and the MRD is starting to grade from Lakeland on Tuesday."

Looks like positiive news for those of us planning a departure date within the next month.....

Yeah I just talked to hughy at the archer and he said at 10.48am sunday that the archer is at 1.6 and dropping so it should be well down in 2-3 weeks probably even crossable within a week as for the roads further south hughy said they should be alright to go in 3 weeks I'd reckon fixing the roads will a very high prioritie for coen etc. cheers sam.

Yeah there hasnt been much rain in weipa but I cant say anything for coen sorry maybe try ringing the road house? If anyone wants to post some photos I have some better ones of the road at coen to musgrave also how the flooding looked at the archer all I need is someone to post them.

Great photos Eric. Just reading an article in the Courier Mail where they are quoting Warren Entch and Pat Purcell (Qld Emergency services minister) who are suggesting that it will take "months" to fix the roads. Then again it was written seeking army help from Brendan Nelson so maybe it is not as bad after all.

Kind regards

Just rang the archer and at friday "today" it is 2.5metres but I was talking to the coen roadhouse and they told me that the section at five mile has been repaired and that one bloke had made it through from coen to cairns just remeber the road is still closed guys. I also think the section near musgrave is still stuffed.

Just rang the archer and at friday "today" it is 2.5metres but I was talking to the coen roadhouse and they told me that the section at five mile has been repaired and that one bloke had made it through from coen to cairns just remeber the road is still closed guys. I also think the section near musgrave is still stuffed.

allright guys I have some realy goods news for you all The road WILL BE OPEN SOON (To 4wd access). I just talked to the guy at coen roadhouse this morning and he has told me that his car has been out to cairns a few times and also its coming back today with a trailer on and heaps of fuel. The backhoe and some other machinery are fixing the road damage near musgrave and should be good for 4wd acess witin the week the archer is strarting to go down it was 1.6 yesterday afternoon and going down so it should be all good to travel on the road by a week or so and defiently by june. cheers Hope that what you blokes wanted to hear.

I knew we could rely on you for the info Sam. It's all good news.

Now just need to hope that there is no more rain about so that the repair work isn't disrupted.

With fixed holiday times, the first week of June ain't that far away !!

Might see you in Weipa !!

Scorcher

Bad news guys the archer is back around the 3mtre mark they must of had a bit of rain in the lockhart catchment area but dont worry it should still go down quick it was 3.6 yesterday.

Yes Voxson,

They're valuable, but their KILLING ME SLOWLY !

I leave Sydney on 26th May. Plan to be in Cooktown by the 30th.

Time is ticking...................!!

Regards

Scorcher

Allright we have some better news the archer is dropping again I think its at about 1.5 should be good by mid next week.

Archer is now at 1.2 as of yesterday will be lower again So we should be good to go guys a friend of mine just drove to the south side of the archer on friday and made it in a standard cruiser no dramas so we should be right to go very soon

Yeah a few clouds but other than that nice and sunny

The photos may look bad but half of them are not the pdr I think the one with the quad sitting over the gap is and the one with the car in but the rest are not.
As for the person that asked me the question about if it is normal for it to rain in may well no its not but then its not unusaul and as you said you're worried about all the roads still been closed on the racq web site they are closed dont get me wrong it is howely and souly up to the person deciding to drive on the pdr I'm am just trying to give a more accurate up to date information on how the road realy is because it may be closed but still fine to drive on. And I know alot of you have been planning you're trip for a long time from experience I beleive we are thropugh the worst of the wet from now on things will only get drier.
cheers sam

hey Sam, whats the latest up your way, any more news on road condition.
Ive heard all national parks on the cape and wont open until the development road is ok

Archer should be getting well under a metre I know a mate crossed a few days ago as for the road they should be fine just waiting for the councils to open the road's up