Itinerary for cape york if we make it?????
Submitted: Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 22:14
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Member - Josh (VIC)
Hi everyone,
The car is in being rebuilt and will hopefully be fixed by Wednesday.Following is our planned itinerary for
cape york. We think we can stretch the funds that far.
Looking for advise on whether this route is possible with a heavy duty offroad camper and are our times/distances doable. I know it depends on the rain a bit. We will still have a few days up our sleeve in case we find somewhere we really like or we get stuck so it can be changed.....
June 9
Cairns to Noah Beach
June 10 Noah Beach to Elim Beach
June 11 Elim Beach (rest day)
June 12 Elim Beach to
Coen
June 13
Coen to
Moreton Telegraph Station
June 14 Moreton to Elliot falls
June 15 Elliot Falls (swimming day)
June 16 Elliot falls to
Jardine river
June 17
Jardine to
Seisia
June 18
Seisia (rest day)
June 19
Seisia (fishing trip)
June 20
Seisia to
Punsand Bay
June 21
Punsand Bay (day trip to
the tip)
June 22
Punsand Bay to Usher Point
June 23 Usher Point
June 24 Usher point to
Jardine
June 25
Jardine to Captain Billys Landing
June 26 Captain billys (rest day)
June 27 Captain Billys to
Moreton Telegraph station
June 28 Moreton to
Weipa
June 29
Weipa
June 30
Weipa
July 1
Weipa to
Merluna Station
July 2
Merluna station (rest day)
July 3
Merluna to Archer river
July 4 Archer river to
Laura
July 5
Laura to
Cairns
If you are up there at this time and see us drop in and say hi, Love to see any fellow travellers. Any advice would be appreciated from anyone who has been up there or knows these tracks and
places.
Thanks in advance
Josh
Reply By: Member - Rick P (NT) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:57
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:57
Hi Josh
We are doing the Cape in August and hope you don't mind but we have added a couple of your spots to our itinerary. We couldn't find Noah Beach or Ellliot Falls on the map. We are doing the
CREB Track and will be going through Lakefield N/P, also heading out to
Chili Beach. We have allowed 6 weeks for the return trip from
Darwin and will go via the Gulf Country. Probebly go up via the old Telegraph Rd and come back via the
Bamaga Rd.
Might as
well see as much as we can, may never get back there.
Ejoy your trip
AnswerID:
360477
Follow Up By: Member - Rick P (NT) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:25
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:25
Thank you for that Josh have put it on our map, have a think about Lakefield N/P and
Chili Beach, have heard they are
well worth the effort.
FollowupID:
628267
Follow Up By: rumpig - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 22:58
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 22:58
like already said, Elliot /
Twin Falls are near Fruitbat Falls. you can
camp at Elliot /
Twin Falls but cannot (or atleast in 2006 you weren't allowed) to
camp at Fruitbat Falls, it only had a
carpark for day use area where as the other falls have a big self regestration
camping area.
FollowupID:
628395
Reply By: GoneTroppo Member (FNQ) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:13
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:13
looks highly do-able. In fact some days you would have only and hour or so in the car. (ie
Jardine to Seisa) I'd put in a couple of nights at Lakefield NP there are some top spots there and not too busy.
Beaches on the east coast tend to be windy as all hell.
Moreton is not my favourite camping spot.
A lot of signs particularly near towns seem to go missing so navigation can be a bit interesting.
IMHO "The Cape" is overrated in terms of difficulty. I you use some common sense and keep speed appropriate to conditions I would rate it as generally Easy 4wd, Certainly there are some medium and harder bits (creep crossings) but always there is an alternative route
Where and how people break stuff is the same as everywhere else. Didn't engage brain at the same time as low range.
Enjoy the trip!!!
AnswerID:
360479
Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:30
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:30
Thanks Gonetroppo,
That's what I wanted to hear. We are not in a hurry so won't be pushing hard. If we are making good time we can spend more time in
places we like. We have heard of horrible stories of people braking stuff but often wondered are they time restricted and just pushing to hard. Looking very forward to the trip and the fishing, it's been a long time coming. A bit sad also cause it signals getting closer to the end of the big trip. all good things must come to an end one day.
Thanks
Josh
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Kiwi Kia - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 09:29
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 09:29
Hi Josh, I agree with Gonetroppo.
To give you an idea - some bash & crash people towing a trailer with a tinnie on top manage to travel from
Bamaga to
Lakeland in one day (early start). Be warned they are far more likely to cause you some damage (throwing stones) then the road itself. Some idiots just will not slow down. In an old Troopy I can average 80 with no problem on the main road. As already mentioned you may get a lot of wind on the east coast. Capt Billy Landing is a nice spot but when it's windy you may not want to spend a lot of time there. Have you thought of a trip out to Thursday Island ? Interesting day out from Punsand or some of the other landings. Ask for directions to the old airplane wrecks they are on good tracks only a few hundred meters off the main road. The little
shop in a tent near the Punsand turn off will give you a free mud map of where they are located - very nice people. Seisha - Punsand is a very short ride. I reckon you will have heaps of spare time.
.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Outbackogre - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 10:13
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 10:13
I also agree with Gonetroppo about Lakefield NP. A very interesting drive and good camping. However, do not underestimate crossing the Normanby and
Laura Rivers, especially if there's been rain upstream and levels are high. I was towing a
Tambo CT in June 2006 and got stuck in the sandy river bed of the Normanby. The CT acts like an anchor in those conditions. A pair of coppers from
Cooktown winched me out so I didn't have to break out the handwinch. But the damage was done - water in rear diff (extended breather hose had come off) and stuffed air con clutch bearing. Cheers. Rob.
AnswerID:
360492
Reply By: Member - Poppy (QLD) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 21:18
Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 21:18
Hi Josh
I am just North of
Townsville and may be able to help with some storage, I know it's not
Cairns, but I have a fairly big shed and we are on an acre.
Thing is, we will be in
Mapoon [80ks north of
Weipa] from 18th June until 2nd July on a fishing trip, might even see you there.
Anyway MM me if I can be of any help
Cheers Ray
AnswerID:
360608
Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:05
Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:05
Hi Ray,
Thanks for the offer. It may work out ok doing that. I wiil work it out and let you know. We just want to lighten the load as much as possible. Stuff we use normally we won't need on the cape (school stuff, kids room ect). Sounds like a good fishing trip you have planned.
Talk soon
Josh
FollowupID:
628579
Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:05
Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:05
Hi Ray,
Thanks for the offer. It may work out ok doing that. I wiil work it out and let you know. We just want to lighten the load as much as possible. Stuff we use normally we won't need on the cape (school stuff, kids room ect). Sounds like a good fishing trip you have planned.
Talk soon
Josh
FollowupID:
628580