Cape tribulation Track

Submitted: Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 06:45
ThreadID: 79319 Views:3395 Replies:5 FollowUps:11
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G/Day all,,
will be leaving for the TIP (cape York) on the 27th ,,, Can anybody tell me if we can get our vans from Cape Tribulation to Cooktown , with out to much deep water crossings,, we can handle about 14inches ok,,, if there crossing any deeper we may have to go the other way,,,,,,, thanks Flatty,
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Reply By: Member - Don M- Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 08:03

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 08:03
No deep crossings but a couple of steep inclines, some of which are now concreted.

The track you are talking about is the Bloomfield and I have just come back from the tip. The Bloomfield is that tame you could drive a Mini over it and in fact, you could drive said Mini all the way to the top at the moment as long as you don't go OTT.

The Development Road is like a highway with hardly any corrugations, at least at the moment, while the OTT is as rough as, with 4' deep wash outs all along the northern section and no more chicken run at Gunshot...its the 'chute' or nothing... I opted for the latter and bypassed after photographing the brave ones...!!!
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:39

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:39
Don

How certain are you that there aren't any chicken tracks at Gunshot?

Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - Paul N (NSW) - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:22

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:22
Definitely no chicken track at Gunshot. Trucks with camper trailers and boats are getting through with no trouble. We went through last week ok.

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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:40

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:40
Got any pics of the chute at Gunshot?

I guess we will find out ourselves on about the 10th or 11th of August. At least all cars have winches, lockers and all the good lifts and tyres.

Thanks again

Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - Don M- Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:32

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:32
Well, apparently there is a track further down but it is worse than the chute and a couple have had some serious recovery jobs on their hands.

As for Pauls comment that trucks with trailers are getting through Gunshot..., well I heard of one in an Ultimate but he flipped it and he, let me tell you, is a complete cowboy. If you respect your vehicle at all, don't do Gunshot, don't care how good you are. I saw a couple of young guys do it in their heavily modified Patrols and even they did some damage.

Hell, I even modified my bloody running board on Canal!! Mistake, Canniball and Palm are all worse than that. According to Roothy, the OTT is the roughest he has ever seen it and I would believe that from my experience.
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Follow Up By: Member -Flatty D (QLD) - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:56

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:56
Hi Don ,, Thank you for your reply ,, I spent some time searching for info this morning , but nothing as informative as what you guys gave me ,, We have decides to go the long way to Cooktown ,, set up camp , and do a day, or two,, trip back down to Cape Tribulation,, without the vans,,,,
Thanking you for your information Flatty
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Follow Up By: Member - Paul N (NSW) - Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010 at 21:07

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010 at 21:07
Shouldn't we have this gunshot stuff on another thread, not Cape Trib?
Anyway I thought it was safe and easy, as did the Disco driver with us who did it the day before and the troopy driver who did it later the same day as us.
I spoke to 2 people at Punsand who did it towing campers. Both had no trouble. One in a 100 series and the other in a GQ with 2" lift towing his home made camper. They reckon the camper trailer makes it easier as it is still on the flat at the top and so slows the descent of the truck.

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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010 at 21:13

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010 at 21:13
We are going to see before bypassing it altogether. Thanks

Yes I guess its a bit OT.

Phil
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Reply By: MEMBER - Darian, SA - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 08:56

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 08:56
It's not the wet crossings on the Bloomfield - its the steep hill climbs - really (very) steep - so steep that if you had a van on, you might not get going again if you have to stop - and you may well have to, if you strike someone coming the other way - it gets narrow in places, particularly on some of the bends. Vans ? Crazy.
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Follow Up By: The Esplanade - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:23

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:23
How about with a camper trailer?
Have an off road trailer with independent suspension and plenty of clearance.
Towing with a 100 series LC V8.
Or should I drop the trailer at Cooktown and do the run without it?
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Follow Up By: MEMBER - Darian, SA - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:59

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:59
Plenty of campers get towed along there - we had a hardfloor Campomatic camper behind our Jackaroo. The road is very good overall, just very steep in places and ground seepage can make those steep spots a little squishy..... still a great drive...... it's fair to say that for anybody not towing, the road would be seen as straight forward. The Creb track is an alternative I'm told - but quite 'tracky' though :-o)..........I haven't been on that one (yet).
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Follow Up By: Member - Don M- Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:24

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 18:24
Cooktown is past the Bloomfield Track so no point leaving it there. Camper trailers can go all the way to the tip, even doing the OTT, depending on how good the trailer is and how skilled/confident you are.
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Reply By: Member - evren1 (WA) - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:18

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:18
make sure ya call in to the Lions Den Pub. the local inhabitants are a crack up over a few coldies! Evan
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains!

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Reply By: dublediff - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:56

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 12:56
Got held up there once with a landrover and campertrailer that had jacknifed whilst sliding backwards on a incline. I don't know whether is was a controlled slide, but it looked scary. They were winching them back onto the roadway when I arrived. Admittedly it was a bit wet with a little drizzle. the next roadblock was a unimog tourist bus, stopped right in the middle of the road on the crest so that the japanese tourists could take a walk in the rainforest - all of this at the bottom a blind left hand turn gully.????? I didn't have my camper on, I would have been in a sorts of bother both times.
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Reply By: Alloy c/t - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:59

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 13:59
Do the Bloomfield from the North if towing ,
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Follow Up By: Allan B, Sunshine Coast, - Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:41

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 at 15:41
Yes I agree with Alloy. The upgrades are not so steep coming from the North.
A camper trailer may be OK if you have enough vehicle power but you may still get wheelspin even in 4WD especially after even a shower.

But the Blloomfield is a lovely drive.

Cheers
Allan

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