Travel to Cape York
Submitted: Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 08:05
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The Martins Place
G'day,
I am starting to plan a trip up to
Cape York, this will be my first trip up their.
I am reading a lot about it atm, & one comment stated that "it is not recommended that caravans be taken north of Lakeland", yet the mapping shows caravan symbols at
camping grounds all the way up to
Seisia?
Can anyone give me some advice? I plan on taking a "Jayco Outback Expanda" van & a Triton 4x4, for the trip (yet to be purchased)?
Many thanks
Tony
Reply By: Rangiephil - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 08:31
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 08:31
If you are confident that your van is durable and can handle extreme corrugations , then there are always plenty of vans on the cape. You could even get to
Punsand Bay with care. You need a good departure angle for some of the many
creek dips . The "short cut" back to the main road from
Weipa might be a bit of a problem at a couple of
creek crossings.
The RACQ bloke in
Coen makes a good living rebuilding suspensions of poorly made vans and camper trailers , towed by drivers with no mechanical sympathy. The road up to the
Weipa turnoff can be very corrugated from the weekly Woolies semi and mining supply trucks.
The main road can vary from smooth as silk to rattle the teeth, but lowered tyre pressures and taking it slow gets most people there. Just don't try the OTL unless you are the Gall boys with a backup crew .
I once saw an old 80s on road van coming back from Kulumburu behind a Disco, and that road/track is far worse than the Cape, so anything is possible.
Regards Philip A
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: The Martins Place - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 09:19
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 09:19
Thanks Philip,
Still worth investigating then.
What is the OTL?
Tony
FollowupID:
770320
Follow Up By: Member - bill j (VIC) - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 09:37
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 09:37
Hi tony
Old Telegraph Line
Enjoy the trip will go myself next year will keep a
lookout to see how you went
FollowupID:
770323
Reply By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 11:21
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 11:21
Tony
When I started planning the trip to
Cape York I went to Youtube. Mate there is a bundle of stuff there showing what the place has to offer and what the roads and tracks are loike. There is nothing like a picture/video to show you.
Try this one for a start. We weren't towing so the corrugations were okay.
There are heaps more just search for
Cape York. Its like going there before you go.
Corrugations:
AnswerID:
494688
Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 12:43
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 12:43
Hi PJR,
I noticed the big crack in his windscreen too.
And that's the other problem which concerns me more than the corrugations...... vehicles coming the opposite way driving like the Devil's chasing them and chucking rocks up everywhere! Bards!! And I don't mean poets.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 13:11
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 13:11
One son had his broken by stones coming off a trailer with a tinny on it. The tinny's trailer did not have any rear mud flaps. We stopped just in case. Why are fishermen always in a damned hurry and they protect their own car but stuff the rest. But that's another topic.
Overall we had an excellent time up there. The sons caught a 1.2M GT. And no we are not regular "mad" fishermen. We hired a bloke to take us out for a day and his boat of course. Mum and the two boys went. I had a relapse and spent the day in bed. Bugger!!!!
Phil
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: steved58 - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 17:52
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 17:52
Just got back did not take my sterling outback used a rooftop tent I personally would not take
mine especially if you want to go to elliot falls and you bet you would kick yourself if you didn,t
all the best steve
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770355
Follow Up By: Tonyfish#58 - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 18:03
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 18:03
That looked like the Lakefield Road near the
kalpowar turnoff and not the PDR
The PDR is usually a lot better then the Lakefield Rd.
Must have been driving too slow :-)
Regards Tony
FollowupID:
770356
Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 18:24
Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012 at 18:24
It may have been but that's irrelevant.
That is what the PDR was like from the turnoff to the northern end of the OTL all the way to the ferry across the
Jardine. No worries for our car, it took it like a breeze. Just put it up to show what the PDR can be like.
Phil
FollowupID:
770357
Reply By: Willykj - Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 at 15:46
Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 at 15:46
Just came back from
Cape York. Whilst I didn't take my van (only a standard pop top) there were heaps of vans up there. My last time was 8 years ago & the PDR was far better this year. They have done heaps of work & further improvements are currently underway.
If I had an "off road" van I would take
mine up there. On the PDR there was only 2 sections of bag corragations & these were only for relatively small distances. Vans were just crawling through those sections.
There was some reference on the Wepia/Batavaia Downs road. That is currently one of the best roads...the bad
creek crossings are no more - now have concrete causeways. Noticed that those who had vans were leaving them at the turnoff to Elliot Falls & going in for the day by 4WD.
We camped at Umagico & it was great. Many vans were camped there. People were leaving Seisa & coming to Umagico.
The road is now sealed as far as
Laura.
Keep going on the plans as it is a fantastic trip,
Willy
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Follow Up By: The Martins Place - Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 at 16:33
Thursday, Sep 13, 2012 at 16:33
many thanks for the update.
Sounds like you are having a good time.
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