Itinerary for cape york if we make it?????

Submitted: Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 22:14
ThreadID: 68030 Views:5702 Replies:7 FollowUps:13
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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 9Cairns 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
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Reply By: Cairns Offroad Training & Tours - Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 23:07

Sunday, Apr 19, 2009 at 23:07
You can take a shortcut south of Moreton thru Batavia Staion to get to Weipa. cheers Rob
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Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:31

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:31
Thanks Rob,
I wondered what that track was like. So do you think the rest would be ok? Loaded question really.We have many years expirience 4wding but never been to cape york. You hear so many stories of people breaking things etc. Is this usually because they are going to hard. We have tried to allow extra time so we don't have to push hard.

Josh
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Follow Up By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:52

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 07:52
The Batavia short cut is usually reasonably good, well compared to the rest of the roads around there.

Itinery looks pretty good for us. Don't know what gear you have, and what pace you like to travel at, which can make a difference.

We did a similar trip a few years ago now, in three weeks. Will still depend on conditions this year, but you won't know until you try it.

At least you are not trying to do the trip in two weeks, which some people do, and wonder why things break.

Have a good trip.
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Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:15

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:15
Hi Rob,
Do you know of anywhere in cairns that will store gear. We have a bit of excess gear that we won't need on the cape. We want to lighten the load as much as possible. Do caravan parks store gear?

Thanks
Josh
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Follow Up By: chisel - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 09:43

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 09:43
Must be plenty of self-storage places up there.
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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 - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:08

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:08
Hi Rick,
Noah Beach is just south of Cape Tribulation on the bloomfield track. Eliot Falls is about 30km south of where the old telegragh track meets Bamaga rd near Jardine river. Elliot falls and fruit bat falls are near each other. Will let you know what it is like up there.

Josh
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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.
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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.
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Reply By: Axel [ the real one ] - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:09

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:09
Easy as , some of the days you have itemised really only take an hr or three travel ,,,
AnswerID: 360478

Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:18

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 08:18
Thanks axle,
We wanted to allow some short days so if we run into trouble we have some time up our sleeve.

Josh
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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
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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.

.
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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: CJ - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 16:27

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 16:27
Josh,

I'd give Moreton a miss, see if you can do Archer River - nice spot, you have a choice of bush camping on the banks (sandy) or in the park at the roadhouse.

Roadhouse has bes hamburgers north of Cooktown
AnswerID: 360546

Follow Up By: Member - Josh (VIC) - Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:04

Monday, Apr 20, 2009 at 18:04
hi CJ,
I might rethink that stop and pick somewhere else to stop with the comments on here.

Josh
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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
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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
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FollowupID: 628580

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