To the Tip – The Cape York Adventure.

Thursday 19^th August. Cairns to Cape Tribulation – 147km’s

On Thursday mid-morning we packed up our soggy trailers and headed off from Cairns on the next section of our trip: Four cars carrying eight adults and seven kids, to be housed in two camper trailers, one rooftop tent and another tent on the ground, for a two and a half day off road trip up and down the Cape York Peninsula.

With the vehicles and trailers creaking and groaning from the quantities of food and alcohol that had been squeezed aboard, we set off on the first leg of our trip to the Cape. Our original plan was to make it up to Cooktown that evening, but a late start followed by an extended lunch at Mossman Gorge (used to be a beautiful spot, now you have to park your car in a hastily constructed dirt car-park a few Km’s up the road and get a courtesy bus down. Don’t bother. A bit like the Three Sisters lookout in the Blue Mountains, this tourist spot has been ruined by its own popularity), we only made it as far as Cape Tribulation. I had a bit of a nostalgic moment as we decided to stay at an old backpacker haunt - PK’s Jungle Village! Even the fact that our party most likely consisted of the oldest and youngest people in the bar didn’t stop us having a good time and making the most of the $10 jugs of beer. When we pulled out of Cape trip the next morning, a couple of the group were complaining of head colds.

Friday 20^th August Cape Trib to Endeavour Falls – The Bloomfield Track - 144km’s

Left Cape Tribulation by 9am this morning, in convoy with us in the lead heading for Cooktown via the Bloomfield track. Much of the track is now sealed, but the first section out of Cape Trib offers some fairly steep gradients. All was going well until we hit a particularly steep section which had been concreted. Chatting away on the UHF and not really concentrating on what I was doing, we found ourselves on something like a 50 degree gradient without the power to make it the rest of the way up and without the space to reverse the trailer down. Unfortunately I couldn’t even drop into low range due to the concrete surface and any attempt to get moving again was met by a screaming and foul smelling clutch and no forward momentum whatsoever.. Stuck before even reaching Cooktown! – not our happiest moment and of course fantastic ammunition for the three Nissan drivers, particularly when we decided that the best option was for Gary’s Nissan Patrol to tow the Toyota and trailer up to the top of the hill. Still, at least we got our bad luck out of the way early on... Nothing else would go wrong now... Oh, hang on; a call from Steve behind me... better pull over because it looks as though the wheel of you trailer is about to fall off... yes, ha, ha, very funny Steve...very...ohhhh.

A quick tip for anyone heading off on a trip around Australia in a new camper trailer; before travelling, check to see that the bolts that hold the axel to the trailer, the wheels to the axel and the wheel bearings are all nice and tight. If you don’t know what these things are, best to find out. Luckily, I was surrounded by enough people who knew exactly what all these things were, and how to jack them up, strip them down, repack, retighten and reinstall them, that after a dusty and sweaty 45 mins of spanners whirring, we were back on the road.

A few Km’s further down the track, as the corrugations started in earnest, we saw our UHF aerial fly off into the distance. They say bad luck happen in threes... Luckily Ditmar was on hand with a spare and we were soon back on the road again, again. These delays, plus a lengthy stop at the infamous Lion’s Den Hotel where I felt obliged to shout the rest of the group drinks as payment for mechanical repairs and patience, meant that we only made it to Endeavour Falls, just above Cooktown, for the night’s camp. The campsite has pretty good facilities and was a good chance to take stock after what felt like a very long day.

Saturday 21^st August. Endeavour Falls to Hanush Campsite, Lakefield National Park – 167km’s

After a good night’s sleep we wake feeling refreshed and positive. Driving through the stunning landscape of Lakefield National Park only improves our mood – pleasant stops at imaginatively names lagoons filled with white lily’s (White Lily Lagoon) and red lilies (Red Lily Lagoon ) and then into a great little bush camp called Hanush waterhole.

Sunday 22^nd August. Hanush to Port Stewart – 246km’s.

60Km’s or so west of the Peninusla Development Road is a mosquito infested mangrove swamp called Port Stewart. Someone said it was an old WW2 navy base, but I didn’t bother to read the pamphlet so don’t quote me on that one.

Our arrival there probably felt more of a disappointment because for most of the day we had been driving through some amazing countryside – first up through some very minor roads (some of which were nothing more than faint tyre tracks in the grass winding their way through clusters of trees and the almost alien landscape of thousands towering termite mounds stretching out in every direction. Then, once we emerged from Lakefield NP, came the long straight red dust Development Road that runs up the spine of the Cape York Peninsula which not even the infamously punishing corrugations could spoil because of the beautiful scenery we were passing through.

Unfortunately, today was Steve and Jen’s day for minor disasters. Firstly they took a nasty crack in their windscreen from a rock thrown up by a reckless dirt-bike rider on a charity ride (!) who tore past Steve and cut in front of him with only metres to spare. Then, on a deepish creek crossing, the force of the water pulled off a driving light cover. The water was too murky to retrieve the cover (Gary did retrieve it the next day on the trip back out, but unfortunately by then, it had obviously taken on someone else’s 4WD tyres and lost.

Stopping for a spot of morning tea somewhere along that long and dusty road I noticed that we had all taken on a strange orange hue which I initially thought was the start of my first ever tan, but soon realised that even though no amount of washing would remove it fully, it was still in fact, just ingrained bulldust... either that or the car and trailer have also managed to pick up a fetching tan too.

Anyway, back to the mosquito infested mangrove swamp – it really wasn’t so bad; it did give us the chance for a quick spot of fishing (no luck) and the opportunity to pass the time in the car the next day with a game of ‘count the mosquito bites’. Daniel won with an impressive forty bites.

Monday 23^rd August. Port Stewart to Chili Beach – 322km’s.

Today was a fairly gruelling day. We drove 322km’s from Port Stewart to Chili Beach, which meant heading back inland, away from the coast until we hit the development road following that north and then turning right and heading east back out to the coast for something like 160km’s. Along the way were a fair few nice creek crossings – some of the deepest we have seen so far - plenty of hidden dips and blind bends and a mass of brutal corrugations. We had several Star Trek moments (“She canny take it much longer captain...she’s breaking apart”). The vibrations from the corrugations were enough to snap our second UHF aerial. As it was a spare that Ditmar had leant to me, I had some apologising to do. Luckily when we pulled into Archer River Roadhouse for a quick lunch stop, Steve managed to source an old, second-hand and slightly warped aerial from the workshop out the back for only ten bucks! In truth, it looks stronger than the two that we have snapped so far. Time and corrugations will tell...

By the time we rolled into camp, it was clear that everyone was pretty worn out. It wasn’t just the kids that were in bed before eight o’clock! He good news is that if the weather holds, we are planning a two night stop here (what luxury!) so we will have the chance to recharge and tighten a few more nuts and bolts. We cooked Pizzas over hot coals in the Hillbilly fry pan, which were a roaring success.

Wednesday 25^th August. Chilli Beach to Dulhunty River – 307km’s

Left Chilli Beach this morning after a couple of days R&R and headed for the Old Telegraph Track. We first attempted the ‘short-cut’ via the Frenchman’s track but 15 or so km’s later we came to Pascoe River. This crossing was significantly deeper and faster than any we had done before, with a step and technical entry. After some deliberation (and the rangers advice; “not suitable for Petrol vehicles or those towing trailers”) we decided that the long way around might be the most sensible option. In hindsight, we ended up traversing several crossings that were more challenging and could no doubt have made it across.

A long detour later we filled up on fuel at Bramwell Junction at $1.81/L. Luckily we didn’t need to fill both tanks so the bill was only $190... The bloke at the servo was on hand to give plenty of helpful advice about the Old Telegraph Track. “Bit of a tricky creek crossing coming up just down the road”. He wasn’t kidding. Palm Creek. Sounds quite nice. Hmmm. Although the creek itself was running very low, the approach was steep with large drop offs and steps that were clearly much higher than the distance under our cars and trailers... Certainly the trickiest creek crossing that I have attempted to date. However, we couldn’t turn back from two crossings in one day. Male pride would never allow it, so after much discussion, advice, standing and staring, more discussion, false bravado and a bit more discussion, one by one we bumped and scraped our way through. It’s a strange sensation when all you can see out of the windscreen of the car is earth. The kids who were watching from the opposite bank apparently all had a discussion of their own and had firmly decided “he’s not going to make it”. But with only a few minor scratches and a buckled rear support leg on the trailer we were through. Later I received the ultimate compliment from a Nissan driver when he said laconically: “I was surprised how well your Toyota handled that creek”.

Thursday 26^th August. Dulhunty River to Eliot Falls – 127km’s

Had an eventful day on the Old Telegraph Track today. Came up to Gunshot Creek, the notoriously difficult creek crossing. Plenty of blokes standing around discussing the best way through. Early on it was clear that we weren’t going to be able to able the trailers through. But after much debate and gnashing of teeth, it was decided that the trailer-less vehicles would give it a go. If any of the vehicles were going to make it, the GQ Patrol would do it! Fast forward 5 minutes and the Patrol nose down at the bottom of the creek, resting on its bull-bar and we are looking for a convenient tree to start winching off... Steve reckoned he’d found a slightly easier route so once we had winched out the Patrol, it was the Navara’s turn...nice and slow...easy does it... crunch... another vehicle standing nose down in the creek. This time snatched out by the Patrol. Even knowing that the trailers wouldn’t make it, we still had a heavy heart when turning them around and heading for the 25Km detour. Was this going to be our last ‘good’ creek crossing opportunity..?

We stopped at Fruitbat Falls for a late lunch and then at Eliot Falls for the night’s camp. Both had beautiful swimming holes which were a welcome relief from the hot dusty day. Eliot falls campsite is well worth a stop and even had a water tap and flushing toilets. What luxury. Elliot complained that they had spelt his name wrong, but all was good when he found a dead Northern Death Adder in our campsite. Still of course potentially highly venomous despite it’s deceased state, we gave it a wide berth and instructed all children to do the same – no touching / poking with sticks / picking up and moving. Strange then that by the morning it had moved to several feet away.... Elliot!!