Cape York by 2wd

Terry

What type of 2wd do you intend using?

An Austin A7 has been driven to the Cape and back and probably many more 2wd's

Body ground clearance will be your biggest worry


Cheers

After July you will go up the development roads no probs - just plenty of corrugations. Don't even think about the OTL in 2WD in my opinion.

Our Grandparents (and parents) used to go all around this great country of ours in 2wd vehicles and the roads/tracks weren't nearly as good as they are now. Maybe we've become a little too'precious' and have lost the pioneering spirit.
Go for it and have a good time.

You will probably have a fair deal of suspension wear, you should be ok as long as you drive to the road conditions and pick your line. One of your problems may well be your clearence as modern 2wds are quite low to the ground.
You will have to pick the right time regarding rain and get some info from people who have reacently driven the road.

As Willem said don't play with the old telegraph road.

Planning on doing it by yourself or with a support crew ?
One 2wd party got as far as Lakelands and ended up with bits all over the road...disappointing for them.
What sort of 2wd ? An older one would have more clearance.
Time and a support crew should see you being able to float your vehicle across the Wenlock.
You will need a few financial resources as break downs are very expensive and parts will possibly have to be flown from Cairns etc.
Not an undertaking to be taken lightly.
If you must go, I'd suggest that you hire a 4wd. It can and has been done in 2wd but....

Id be checking ground clearance and even look at an up grade of the standard suspension......

other than that....have a blast!

River crossing.....dunno hey....never bene up there....but wonder if a snorkel can be fitted to a 2wd car????

Laura

If it is a modern fwd corrolla forget it. If it is a 2wd ute with good clearance, take a hand winch, and put some 4wheel drive tyres on the back and maybe.
Cheers Pete

I reckon you could do it, as long as you dont do O.T.L and go aroung August/September(dryest time of year). Biggest problems I could see would be getting thru sand (maybe get a winch) and the damage to suspension/vehicle from corrugations.
Done last 4 years up there and seen a couple of 2wd's there.

Cheers

Phill

When you tell us what vehicle you're talking about, you'll get a more definite answer. Most common probs with low clearance vehicles are holed sumps, holed auto trans and exhausts falling off, so worth checking for clearance, and considering a custom bash plate.

Also, as you'll be loaded up, I expect you're clearance will be less than normal.

A 2WD vehicle can make it as there are no rivers to cross. The Wenlock now has a bridge and there is a ferry across the Jardine.
As Willem said stay away from the Telegraph track that is where 4WD is required. Take the loop roads.

When we did the cape we went directly up the loop roads and then took our time to slowly come down the OTL etc. It took two days from Cairns to Bamaga across the corrugations. You will have to take it very easy in a 2WD as clearance is very important.

The biggest problem will be tyres. The road tyres on a 2WD are not really designed for rough dirt roads. Take an extra spare or two and a puncture repair kit

I remember seeing an HQ (I think) Holden up there in 1975, and it did not come up on the barge: it was allegedly driven up and back by a couple of keen young lads. The roads have improved a lot since then by all acounts.
Cheers,

Terry

I have just returned from a revisit to the cape and would suggest that anyone who couldnt drive a roadworthy 2wd up the bypass roads to bamaga should hand in their licence as they would obviosly do not know how to drive.
there are hundreds of km of gravel roads within a 300 km radius of Canberra which make the pennisula development road in the dry look like a highway,
cheers
howard

Just got back from Cape York - we spent all of July at the top, travelled up the OTL and back down the middle road.
OTL is a 4WD track but you can go up the main track in a 2WD if you take it steady.
You will see maniacs going like a bat out of hell on sections of the main track. I’ve saw a couple of 4WD’s that were damaged on the main track and had to be sent back by boat. I won’t mention the make as I don’t want the crap.

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Hi TerryC,
Here is a couple of pics of an Austin 7. As stated by Willem a vehicle similar to this was the first to drive to the cape.

A remarkable story well worth reading about I think.

Gidday Terry, did the Cape in May. Some sandy sections on Northern bypass will test the clearance of your Moke - wasn't the Californian a relatively late model? All big rivers are either bridged or avoided by going on the bypass. About 10km short of the tip an Apollo rental van had chickened out at 15 inches of water on a minor creek crossing. So close!!
You could even do the Bloomfield track - there's two steep ascents but so what if you go up in first gear, I did towing the van. Also the Battlecamp road from Cooktown to Old Laura is only 115 km then 25km back to Laura on the PDR. Or continue on thru to Musgrave. Only the crossings of the Normanby and Laura rivers wil be a bit gravelly but the depth should be low later in the dry - only 18 inches in May if that. Have a good one, Warrie

G'day Terry,
My view is to use your common sense mate, Look at the pics of that great little Austin the Jardines got. What do you see? ground clearance, large diameter wheels (a longer foot is better than a wide one) and a relatively light vehicle, chassis and all. Do your homework and live with your decision.

The Cape is a far too busy place for me these days but a 2WD or two has been seen on the Cape. 20 or so years ago we came across three old buggers (like me now) in and old FE Holden fully loaded up. Bogged to the hub caps. I pulled them out and had a couple of beers with them. They were far from being the idiots as I first thought. They told me they come up every year if the season allows. They get bogged, get towed out then get bogged again etc. A slow trip but they were in no rush. At Wash-outs and deep creeks they would just wait for a 4WD before attempting anything. Someone would always come along and help like me! They had a reputation as being the old pains in the a##e particularly when they got sick of waiting at a creek crossing and got caught, therefore blocking the track for others.

So Terry, its up to you mate. Its not a question of if you can make it or not, rather a question of what quality of trip you want and how much time you have.

Cheers

Seakarvan