How long needed for a Cape York trip?

Hi
We have been twice, both times for 16 days cains / cains and found it was about right for us
Bob

The last post similar to this wanted to do the Cape in a week! Two weeks is OK from Cairns if you don't want to stop in one place for too long. Or if you do, you can always come back next year.

We took 8 weeks from Sydney to Sydney.

We went up inland via Bourke, Charleville, Longreach, Hughenden, Undara to Cairns. Then to Cooktown, the Palmer River goldfields up to the Cape and back along the coast visiting rell's along the way.

It was a pretty relaxed trip and aloud us to play around with the itinery because river levels were high and we had to kill some time while they fell.

I reckon I could do it in 4 weeks from Sydney to Sydney. Taking about 8 days for the road trip to Cairns and return and spending 20 days on the Cape. But then I could save a few days by not going to Weipa so maybe 15 days from return from Cairns would do at a pinch.

You could always fly back from Weipa if hubby has the time to drive both ways and you don't. Then again the kids, particularly if they are young will learn more on the Cape than they will in a class room. (Apologies to all you teachers out there)

Duncs

Chris, I reckon 2 weeks from Cairns to Cairns should do. Mind you, you may want to do it again to see the stuff youve missed. Nothing wrong with that though. I had a local at Seisia bragging that they can do Seisia to Cairns in 10 hours!! Pretty hairy run at that pace.

Cheers

Phill

I don't know how anyone could miss Weipa. The fishing's great, the mine tour informative, and the camp ground has green grass and a pool.
Stone's Crossing is a great place for a few days.
These things are fairly unimportant until you've been on the Cape for a while :)))

I must admit that time was not an issue for us. We put the car on the Trinity Bay cargo ship in Cairns and travelled to Seisa by sea. Called into Lockhardt River, Horn Is and Thursday Is to drop off supplies. Lots of 2nd world war history on Horn islands. A fantastic operation! This left only the southern journey. We went to the tip, of course, and did the beach run south of Sommerset. We then criss crossed from east to west coast visiting Usher Point, mouth of the Jardine River, Vrylia Point with the lighthouse ship, Chilli beach, and best of all, Penefather River, 2hrs north of Weipa. A must visit if you fish. It is a dry area but we have never seen so many empty cans and bottles under the bushes. The locals can bring grog up by small boat and sit on the shore, below the high water mark, and drink forever.
It took us 3 weeks to get to Weipa! We enjoyed the whole experience.

I lived in Weipa for 10 years and during that time travelled as much as possible.I could still spend 6 weeks or so to go from Weipa to the tip and back. There are so many spots that very few tourists get to see. These spots are what makes "the cape" special. Last year in the June / July holidays I took a mate and his kids from the tablelands to the tip and back in 2 weeks and he really enjoyed it. We spent 3 days at a spot about 15 minutes drive from the telegraph track and had one vehicle visit us in that time. The fact that you can camp somewhere so close to the main road and not see anyone really impressed him.
In short, 2 weeks from Cairns would be what I would call the minimum time to do a trip to the cape. The next trip you do up there would be the one where you enjoy yourself and really explore the cape.
Feel free to drop me an email if you like.