Trek Home > All Treks > QLD > Far North Qld

Normanton to Coen via Kowanyama

Start		Normanton
Finish		Coen
Difficulty
Suitable For
Distance	919.94 km
Minimum Days	2
Average Speed	68.78 km/hr
Travel Time	13 hrs 22 mins

Article By: ExplorOz Team

Page Updated: 11 Jun 2016

Description

Enjoy the golden savannah grasslands and the monsoonal wetlands of this trek in this rather barren region of Australia. There are a variety of native animals and a diverse portrait of birds including herons, jabirus, brolgas, sarus crane and many other waterbird species that migrate here - especially after the rains.

A good majority of the trek is on the Burke Developmental Road with minor portions being on the Karumba Development Road, Kowanyama Development Road and Musgrave Strathgordon Road before hitting Peninsula Development Road before Coen. The majority of the journey is a true adventure drive with most of it being unsealed. Although some of these roads can be rough, it’s quite navigable by conventional vehicles with care.

The trek passes through beautiful scenery, including some old historic towns. Examples include: Normanton, which is well known for its diverse migratory wading birds and Barramundi fishing and Karumba which sits on the mouth of the Norman River and is home to the Gulf of Carpentaria’s prawning and fishing industries and not to forget its stunning sunsets. Kowanyama, which means ‘the place of many waters’ is a culturally significant Aboriginal community town. This town is situated on the banks of Magnificent Creek and during the wet season, it’s not uncommon to have supplies flown in by air. There are many homestead stations olong the way including Dunbar Station and there is an old ex-fortress telegraph station now called Musgrave Roadhouse. Coen is a beautiful small town located on the old telegraph line that ran from Laura to Bamaga and is considered the last place north for supplies such as food, fuel and mechanical repairs before heading towards the tip of Cape York.

How to Use this Trek Note

Click the "Map" tab to see the route we've provided. Icons on the map are the POIs you'll need for navigation purposes. Be sure to check the list of Nearby Places on each POI page.

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You can print a paper copy of the text using the print icon button shown above, near the social media buttons. For the best output it is advised to open each tab/section to load all images and artwork. You will still need to click open each Place page (listed in Where to Stay, What to See) to print off all available information.
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Preparation

MUST READ: You are strongly encouraged to read the following articles prepared by the knowledge experts at ExplorOz for your safety and preparation before undertaking any published ExplorOz Trek - Outback Safety, Outback Driving Tips, Outback Communications, and Vehicle Setup for the Outback.

Fuel Supplies & Usage

Musgrave Roadhouse.

Diesel	ULP	LPG
4cyl 129 litres	4cyl 149 litres	4cyl 184 litres
6cyl 141 litres	6cyl 167 litres	6cyl 162 litres
8cyl 141 litres	8cyl 153 litres

Usage is averaged from recorded data (* specific to this trek) and calculated based on trek distance.

Best Time To Visit

Closest Climatic Station

Kowanyama Airport

Distance from Trek Mid Point 56.29km NW

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Max. °C	33.0	32.3	32.8	32.9	32.0	30.7	30.7	32.2	34.6	36.2	36.2	34.8
Mean Min. °C	24.3	24.2	23.7	21.8	19.0	16.1	15.4	16.2	18.9	21.9	24.0	24.3
Mean Rain mm	341.7	357.5	237.1	55.5	11.0	4.2	2.4	2.4	2.6	16.9	56.6	174.8

Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended

Services & Supplies

The following locations have various services And supplies:Musgrave Roadhouse

Map

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What to See

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Showing 3 Places

Where to Stay

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Showing 1 Places

Musgrave Roadhouse - QLD

Roadhouse

Position: -14.78111 143.50374

Directions

Normanton to Norman River, Burke Dev Road

Driving: 1.51 km

Heading: 59°

Avg Speed: 21.39 km/hr

EST Time: 04:14

Norman River, Burke Dev Road to Stake Hole

Driving: 21.31 km

Heading: 27°

Avg Speed: 91.53 km/hr

EST Time: 13:58

Stake Hole to Burke Dev Road & Karumba Dev Rd

Driving: 7.36 km

Heading: 17°

Avg Speed: 87.97 km/hr

EST Time: 05:01

Burke Dev Road & Karumba Dev Rd to Maggieville

Driving: 1.72 km

Heading: 308°

Avg Speed: 90.02 km/hr

EST Time: 01:08

Maggieville to Karumba Dev Rd & Karumba Point Rd

Driving: 34.5 km

Heading: 269°

Avg Speed: 92.96 km/hr

EST Time: 22:16

Karumba Dev Rd & Karumba Point Rd to Karumba

Driving: 4.62 km

Heading: 213°

Avg Speed: 34.29 km/hr

EST Time: 08:05

Karumba to Karumba Dev Rd & Karumba Point Rd

Driving: 4.62 km

Heading: 33°

Avg Speed: 34.29 km/hr

EST Time: 08:05

Karumba Dev Rd & Karumba Point Rd to Maggieville

Driving: 34.5 km

Heading: 89°

Avg Speed: 92.96 km/hr

EST Time: 22:16

Maggieville to Burke Dev Road & Karumba Dev Rd

Driving: 1.72 km

Heading: 128°

Avg Speed: 90.02 km/hr

EST Time: 01:08

Burke Dev Road & Karumba Dev Rd to Gilbert River, Burke Dev Road

Driving: 72.48 km

Heading: 62°

Avg Speed: 83.24 km/hr

EST Time: 52:14

Gilbert River, Burke Dev Road to Wyaaba Creek, Burke Dev Road

Driving: 63.96 km

Heading: 20°

Avg Speed: 81.48 km/hr

EST Time: 47:05

Wyaaba Creek, Burke Dev Road to Staaten River, Burke Dev Road

Driving: 22.72 km

Heading: 33°

Avg Speed: 85.81 km/hr

EST Time: 15:53

Staaten River, Burke Dev Road to Burke Dev Road & Kowanyama Rd

Driving: 71.18 km

Heading: 32°

Avg Speed: 86.59 km/hr

EST Time: 49:19

Burke Dev Road & Kowanyama Rd to Burkes Lagoon

Driving: 6.27 km

Heading: 307°

Avg Speed: 82.26 km/hr

EST Time: 04:34

Burkes Lagoon to Kowanyama

Driving: 94.73 km

Heading: 312°

Avg Speed: 64.66 km/hr

EST Time: 01:27:54

Kowanyama to Mitchell River, Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk

Driving: 68.01 km

Heading: 63°

Avg Speed: 45.97 km/hr

EST Time: 01:28:45

Mitchell River, Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk to Alice River & Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk

Driving: 16.65 km

Heading: 102°

Avg Speed: 26.43 km/hr

EST Time: 37:47

Alice River & Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk to Musgrave Strathgordon Rd & Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk

Driving: 73.63 km

Heading: 327°

Avg Speed: 48.21 km/hr

EST Time: 01:31:38

Musgrave Strathgordon Rd & Kowanyama Pormpuraaw Tk to Opera Hill

Driving: 169.85 km

Heading: 89°

Avg Speed: 82.43 km/hr

EST Time: 02:03:37

Opera Hill to Glen Garland

Driving: 12.34 km

Heading: 85°

Avg Speed: 72.03 km/hr

EST Time: 10:16

Glen Garland to Musgrave Roadhouse

Driving: 28.61 km

Heading: 73°

Avg Speed: 44.24 km/hr

EST Time: 38:48

Musgrave Roadhouse to Coen

Driving: 107.65 km

Heading: 341°

Avg Speed: 74.34 km/hr

EST Time: 01:26:53

Distance is GPS recorded distance based on the travel mode shown (Driving, Straight, Cycling, Walking etc), Direction is straight line from start to end, Avg Speed & EST Time is calculated from GPS data.

Nearby ExplorOz Treks

Travel Journals

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