Just returned from Cape York

so what was it like, from where did you leave from and back to, how many stops and what was your opinion of the places you stopped at, how many kids, and was it worth doing or a bit over rated ..
Cheers
Joe

Did you do any fishing. if so catch anything. I loved the fishing in cape york.

Josh

Worth every corrugation and every load of washing yet to be done! Two girls, 7 & 9. Stopped at Coen, Bramwell Station and Bramwell Junction, Twin/Eliott Falls, Musgrave Telegraph Station, Weipa and stayed at Umagico Camping ground in the top end. Kids loved it, there are loads of people travelling with children (it's currently the Victorian school hols), they also loved looking for bush pegs and checking out loads of weird insects. The waterfall stops are great for kids, safe, mostly shallow swimming. Took all the fishing gear, but no luck in that department, not even from the jetty at Bamaga. Heard of a few fishing charters that hardly had a bite. Having said that, loads of people are towing boats. Departed from Lakeland as we left a caravan in storage there.

We took our own tent. There are cabins/motel/donga type accommodation at Musgrave, Bramwell Station, Archer River, Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, Weipa and Sesia. Dongas very basic (bed only). I think you would need to book ahead for this accommodation as the tag along tours and overland safari tour groups seem to stay in these. For regular camping (tent, swag, camper), bookings are not required.

Why did you not consider the OTL.

You seem to have the gear, and the creeks are magical on the OTL. My daughter (5) renamed canal creek and bertie Cceek "fairy rivers"

An the campsites at some of the creeks are our favourite sites anywhere

CJ

We didn't consider the OTT as we weren't geared up for it. We took no spares of any sort and have no mechanical skills. We were happy to go into the OTT at various points (Palm Creek and Gunshot) to watch others getted bogged, flooded and need to be winched out. This was great entertainment. While at Bamaga we saw 5 recent models 4WD being transported on the barge back to Cairns with water damage from creek crossings on the OTT. We also knew the various garages along the way were being kept busy with busted towing equipment, we saw a spare wheel sheared off from the back of a vehicle, a boat that had to turn around and go home after cracking the trailer and numerous shattered rear windscreens (making a small tarp and masking tape useful to carry). I don't doubt the OTT would be exciting if you had excessive testosterone and a healthy bank balance for potential repairs! Our goal was the tip and back in one piece which we managed to achieve at a steady pace of 80/90km on the development road.

Sorry, the names of the crossings were provided at the time, but I had no need to retain the info as we weren't doing the OTT. We left our van in storage at Lakeland Caravan Park and if you check them out on Facebook, you'll see some OTT photos taken in June and July of this year. That'll give you a bit of an idea why some vehicles come to grief.