Cape York (The Tip) Wiepa
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| Mt Carbine Camp Ground |
Our first night before heading North was spent at a bush camp in MT Carbine (MT stands for mining town) the owners ask for one night stay at $18 and you are than able to store your CV for as long as you are away at no cost. (remember if you decide to head for the top).
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| Sunset from Mt Carbine |
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| Gidgy Seeds used by the Aboriginals to abort |
Rob the owner also took us on a walk into the hills with and talked about the area and to see the Sunset we were not so lucky to much cloud but the information passed on was worth the walk.
Next day Sunday the 7th August we parked the van and headed off, first stop Lakeland, the T junction turning left is heading North and last cheap fuel $1.41.
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| The start to the Tip |
The first 30 or so km surprised us, it was bitumen, we had been told to expect corrugation and we soon found it,
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| Red Dust and Corrugation |
from here on our first day 200K’s of corrugation dust and rocks, tires down to 27lbs and speed of approx 70 – 80 if and when you can, we traveled through
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| Aboriginal painting one of our stops around Laura |
places like Laura, (here we met our new friends Sharnell and Brad who we traveled with for the duration of our trip).
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| Brad Sharnel Bianka Sig |
Our first over night stay was Musgrave Station this has showers and a pub of course, we got there at 2.30 and were the 3rd to arrive, by 5.30 there where 30 of us for the stay, set up tents, quick shower and a beer which was well deserved, fuel is $1.66 a ltr.
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| This is the Tribute to Tootsie the Truckee who plied the Telegraph Trek with her Truck carting goods |
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| Signs with Distance and of course Graffiti even here |
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| Good Surface and Smooth for some sections |
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| Note the name on the roof of this pub in Coen |
Monday, this time a longer haul passing through Coen, with a Fuel top up at Coen at $1.60 a ltr . Archer River road house,
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| Archer River crossing |
Moreton Telegraph Station and finally stopping late afternoon at Bramwell Station to set up camp, 339k’s under our belt, we looked at Moreton but the facilities where not crash hot.
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| Our camp spot at Bramwell Station |
Bramwell Station, a nice place friendly people and cows mooing all night to sooth you to sleep.
After leaving Bramwell it was time to have a look at the Telegraph Trek and some crossings,
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| Which way to go |
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| That way to the Telegraph Trek |
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| A Sandy trek |
our intention was if we could go across the crossings, we would but I am afraid the Prado would have come of worse for wear as some of the following pictures will show, remember the pictures do not do justice for the real thing. Turning towards the Rangers Station they gave us valuable information and our first look at the Famous Telegraph Trek.
Gunshot Crossing
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Main entry or exit which ever way
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| Secondary entrance |
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| Decision Time shall we or not |
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| Actually 2 entry's/exits |
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| 3 entry's/exits Gunshot |
Incredible how someone can actually take a 4wheel drive across this, We where not lucky enough to see anyone go across here (saw plenty of photo’s in road houses though), Gunshot has approx 6+ crossings and each as bad as the other.
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| Width of the of Telegraph Trek when passing each other |
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| Telegraph Trek sandy road |
Next Cockatoo Creek crossing
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| Cockatoo Crossing in/out |
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| Checking for Holes and Depth |
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| Cockatoo Crossing in/out other end mud and slosh and height upwards |
looked easy, the entry into the river bed was not bad coming from high to low, but we would have had to come back this way and not having mud tires could have got us into difficulties so we waded it and decided, nice to look at, but foolish to do with our 4 wheel drives.
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| Crossed one though a tiny one |
So returning the way we came via the Ranger Station we headed North once more, crossing the Jardine River,
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| Ferry at Jardine River |
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| 2 minutes and $88.00 lighter |
We headed for Bamaga, Seisia and eventual set up camp at Loyalty Beach CP, and used this for our base camp today we did 224k’s and are still not at the Tip of Australia.
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| Speaks for itself |
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| Queuing to get there |
Telstra provides service here so phone calls are mad,
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| Tracey and Donna and Bianka's Mum, |
the rest of the day we went sight seeing,
Jardine Graves, Somerset Ruins, Lake Witcheura and Cape York Croc Tent for souvenirs.
Traveling by boat to Thursday Island
It turned out today was Thursday so to Thursday Island (TI as it is called here) we go, Ferry across for an hour and a half or more, bus tour around Town, Ferry to Horn Island to see the Relics of WW2 bombings and airplane wrecks interesting,
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| Protecting Australia from Thursday Island |
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| Crashed Plane on Horn Island |
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| Coming out of the Trenches on Horn Island |
Lunch back to TI and return to Siesia and our tent and another night of rain.
Bianka had done some washing and the park had no drier only place was the Aboriginal community laundry at New Mapoon, boy did we feel out of place, all the aboriginals must have thought, what are these whiteys doing in our Laundry but we survived as always and got away with dry cloths.
After this we wanted Fish and Chips but do you think there was a F & C shop no way and cooking was out of the question due to the rain, so tin food was the order, the rain made the Roads very muddy, so dust now became Mud, boy did the Prado become dirty,
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| Boy am I Dirty |
So next day we turned South
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| Crossing into Elliot Falls |
(oh yeah diesel $1.96 a ltr and cash only as they charge you for using a credit card, at the ferry Crossing $1.90 and cash only this is run by the Aboriginals?) anyway we decided to go back to Bramwell station,
But first we swam at the Elliot Twin-Indian Head Falls and the Fruit Bat falls
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| Elliot Falls |
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| Bats at Elliot falls |
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| Bianka under the falls (Elliot) |
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| Sig getting a message (Elliot) |
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| Fruitbat Falls swimming |
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| As Above |
for the night and a station dinner, rain had finally left us that afternoon, we took the opportunity to take a look at Palm Creek crossing
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| Palm Crossing Again a No No |
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| Palm Crossing Rocks and Mud |
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| Palm Crossing Water and mud at the bottom |
hoping we might cross this one, but again not worth the risk of doing damage to your car, you do need mud tires.
We witnessed 3 4wheel drives crossing so that was our excitement for the day missed out on a good photo as the camera was in the back of the Prado.
We were told of a shortcut to Weipa that would save us 120k’s and this we took,
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| Wiepa |
this was so smooth and doing 100km was OK upon arrival as it was Saturday there would be no mine tour on Sunday so up with the tent
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| Wiepa Caravan Park our Camp |
and on the Mine tour this tour gave us a a look at Wiepa also.
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| Loading of Bauxite |
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| Small truck |
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| Train to Loading dock |
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| Ships Loading dock |
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| Croc under loading dock |
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| Wiepa Sunset from the CP |
Now you may think OK another open cut mine, this is different this mine is 1 foot below ground level and only about 3-4 meters deep from there down, mining is for Bauxite used in aluminum productions, it was interesting to see how it was mined, next day we went for a drive saw a crocodile.
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| Road Works are everywhere Vicky made the wait enjoyable with a chat and joke |
Now Monday saw us on the road again,
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| Dust again |
some section so rough that we drove on the side of the road called Table Drains
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| Driving in the Table Drains as the road is to corrugated |
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| Still in table Drain this guy is game |
same as before stayed at Musgrave Station, with the final leg to Lake-land next day
here we said goodbye to Brad and Sharnell and after a under car car wash,
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| Under car wash at Lakeland for bugs etc. |
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| Pretty strong jets |
we headed for the Trenastion Falls,
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| Transation Falls |
about 20k’s of the road, outside of Cooktown, how spectacular and one of the best we have seen.
After this the Bloomfield track bit of a myth seeing everyone said how rough it was, give credit, there where a few steep hills and crossings but a normal car could do it if you took it easy, overnight stay at Cape Tribulation Camp ground resort and got soaking wet from the rain in the morning when packing the tent.
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| Cape Tribulation Wet Wet |
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| River crossing at Cape Tribulation |
Daintree Highway to the River Daintree Ferry crossing Mosman for some Provision and back to MT Carbine to our CV and the big Clean,
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| Nice and Clean for another day |
which took us 1 ½ days, a relaxing few days than to Mareeba and the Rodeo ground for a few days.
So overall I say it is a must do driving to the Tip of Australia. The Prado ran like a charm the road overall is 50/50 good, corrugation can be as high as 8-10 inches in places speeds can be as low as 20K’s, the good road, as high as 100 k’s per hour, we’re glad we did this on our own and not with a tour we saved $3K+ and saw more than on these tours, total K for the trip 2349 K's
So till next blog
S & B
