Bloomfield Track Feedback

Submitted: Sunday, Jul 19, 2009 at 23:59

ThreadID: 70825 Views:4902 Replies:4 FollowUps:14

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Bloomfield Track

The Bloomfield Track offers a delightful Trek though the World Heritage listed Rainforest area of Far North Queensland on an unsealed track and provides a link between Cape Tribulation and Cooktown.

Bloomfield Track

Section: Treks

The Bloomfield Track offers a delightful Trek though the World Heritage listed Rainforest area of Far North Queensland on an unsealed track and provides a link between Cape Tribulation and Cooktown.

sweetcaroline

We just returned from the Cape and travelled from Cairns to Cooktown via the Bloomfield track. We were pulling our 18 foot Windsor Rapid and made the journey without trouble. I mention this here as almost everybody advised us against taking the van. A great way to break up the trip is to stay wast Haley's. Haley's camping ground was just fantastic with really lovely and helpful owners.

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Reply By: Squizzy - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 07:41

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 07:41

Sweetcaroline,

How did you find the steep sections?

Are they as steep as I have been led to believe, some have said they had trouble pulling camper trailers through them.
We are doing that track in the second week of August on our way to the tip.

Geoff.

AnswerID: 375328

Follow Up By: sweetcaroline - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 07:57

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 07:57

There were two from memory and they are amazingly steep. That comment about the T'ba range is very valid. They are concreted. On one of them I was in low four WD and losing revs madly. At 2000rpm the Prado found a cog in the gear box it hadn't used before, dusted it off and got it to work. The revs jumped to five thousand and we chugged up the hill art about 10 kmph. I did have six people in the car that was packed to the brim and the van had 200 litres of water on board that I didn't need to have so all in all it went very well. A light rain fell the night before and this just served to keep the dust down rather than make the journey more treacherous. It's all good fun.

FollowupID: 642556

Follow Up By: Squizzy - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 08:21

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 08:21

Thanks for the info, we should be okay towing our camper trailer then.

Geoff.

FollowupID: 642560

Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 08:32

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 08:32

In the OKA fully loaded (5.5T.....) it was just OK in 1st high, 2WD.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

FollowupID: 642561

Follow Up By: The Lobster - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 14:57

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 14:57

It's really only an issue when it's quite wet. The road turns to glass. We were in a 100 series and not towing anything and traction was still an issue on the steep sections. Probably would have been a lot better with mud tyres. I wouldn't want to be towing anything through there when it's wet.

matt

FollowupID: 642638

Follow Up By: Angler - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 15:50

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 15:50

Low range first or second and many revs is the standard procedure for all 4WD's on both hills. Wet or dry the same way. Why take risks.
I have been there a few times and only once did someone in our group ignore the rules and we had to assist him half way up the first one. That is NOT EASY on those hills.

Second hill he had no problems.

Cheers,
Pooley

FollowupID: 642644

Follow Up By: Member - Tony & Julie (FNQ) - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:28

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:28

Peter_n_Margaret - Hope the Cape Trip was fun :-) Cheers Tony

FollowupID: 642650

Follow Up By: Member - Tony & Julie (FNQ) - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:37

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:37

Squizzy - The locals have a lot of 2wd cars that do that trip daily. The road this time of year is easily done in 2WD. There has been a lot of gravel and concrete put on the road over the years and it is now quite a safe trip even in the wet.

The Cowie Range and the switchback used to be a nightmare when wet. The Cowie range is up to 33% incline and I have seen many a car on their side after slipping back down the range and rolling. All things of the past that only the CREB track will provide if you get caught in there when it rains.

A camper trailer is not as long as a van, so many do tow them through these days. Using low gear there will be no hassle. Cheers Tony

FollowupID: 642653

Follow Up By: Squizzy - Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 07:03

Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 07:03

Tony,

Thanks for the comforting words from a local. I feel quite at ease now.

We wouldn't like to miss that part of the Daintree, and camping at the Lions Den Hotel sounds good. Is the camp ground on a river?

cheers,

Geoff.

FollowupID: 642796

Follow Up By: Member - Tony & Julie (FNQ) - Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 18:20

Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 18:20

Squizzy - Yes it is on the list of the must see in Australia.There is a river behind the Lions Den, and it is a nice area. Nice cold swimming holes in that area. I also like Wonga Beach Tourist Park just before the Daintree if you want a camp on the way up. If the wind is down Archer Point is worth a night stay, there are no facilities there though. Take it easy on the track and enjoy the drive. Cheers Tony

FollowupID: 642882

Follow Up By: Squizzy - Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 at 07:14

Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 at 07:14

Thanks for all the positive comments Tony, and I can't wait to begin the trip.

Leave home in Sth Oz Friday 31st July.

Geoff.

FollowupID: 642935

Follow Up By: Squizzy - Thursday, Jul 23, 2009 at 08:26

Thursday, Jul 23, 2009 at 08:26

Hey Tony,

Just one more question, we are leaving Mt Carbine in the morning and hope to get to the Lions Den Hotel that evening, is this possible?

Geoff.

FollowupID: 643110

Reply By: Member - Tony & Julie (FNQ) - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:23

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 16:23

sweetcaroline - This is not a personal attack :-) The reason people are advised not to tow a van through is not because you can not do it, it is for another valid reason.

You may have noticed how narrow that track is in a lot of places, narrow and steep. It is a danger to persons traveling in the opposite direction.

I am glad you made it and no one was run off the track, but I hope others who read the thread take note of why it is not advised to tow vans through the Bloomfield track. It is narrow and not all drive slowly through there, locals can move quite quick. There is numerous spots where there is very little room for two cars, let alone one with a large van cutting off the whole corner.

Summary - You will make it but it is not safe for other travelers. Cheers tony

AnswerID: 375399

Follow Up By: Graham & Ann - Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 12:10

Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 12:10

Tony I can only endorse your comments, it's also my opinon that only the smaller/narrower/lighter campertrailers (or vans like the Kimberly Karavan, narrow track 13ft Phoneix etc) are about as large as one should consider towing thru the Bloomfield track. we've towed our 17ft 2000kg van many places including Cape York, but to tow it thru the Bloomfield track, (we drove thru there without the van a week or so ago) would be putting ourselves and other road users in an unaccepatable risk situation. If any damage or injury occurred due to an accident while towing a van of our size & weight thru there I'm sure there could be legal and insurance ramifications. We all have a duty of care to both ourselves and other road users.

cya
Graham

FollowupID: 642826

Reply By: Ted G - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 18:38

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 18:38

Hi
Just did the Bloomfield from Daintree to Cooktown, no problems with Prado T/D not towing, just left it in drive high range only real problem was the idiots on trail bikes with a tour group overtaking where unsafe.
The same thing happens on the way to the Tip one of them will get killed but the tour operator won't be at fault, pitty.
Don't consider towing a caravan due to consideration of others.
Regards Ted

AnswerID: 375413

Reply By: sweetcaroline - Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 21:06

Monday, Jul 20, 2009 at 21:06

Plenty to consider here. We had considerable traffic on this road both in the same direction and the opposite. We often stopped to let the following travellers pass and didn't have any problems catering for opposing traffic. The road might not be a motorway but it isn't impossibly narrow either.

AnswerID: 375445

Follow Up By: Member - Tony & Julie (FNQ) - Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 18:29

Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 at 18:29

As I said, it gets better each year as more work is done. But how many vans of your size coming the other way? If we encourage vans to do the trip think of the narrow areas where two vans have to pass and you can not reverse. The switchback being one of those places. Yes lots to consider, but the more that consider not towing a van at this time would be good.

I agree its not the Bolivia Mountain Highway Though! Cheers tony

FollowupID: 642883