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4WD Trip to the tip of Cape York - 6700 kmsWhat a trip! We left Mackay on July 16 1999 for a memorable 3 weeks trip in our new 4WD Toyota Landcruiser. Oh, what a feeling!Have a look at our Cape York photos when you have some spare time! The Landcruiser and its 4 occupants (unfortunately we had to leave 1 Smith behind to look after the dog, house etc) squashed in and coped with the long bitumen road north, before hitting the "dirt". We found our 4wd "legs" on the track to the Goldfields at Maytown, then further on to the Quinkan Aboriginal Art sites at Laura, further north to devour a famous "Archer Burger" at the Archer River Roadhouse before crossing the Wenlock and starting the "real" Cape York adventure! Up the Overland Telegraph Line track we meandered, and through all the "interesting" creek crossings from slippery, muddy Palm Creek to the depths of Gunshot, and the vicious potholes of Sams Creek, with a few other beautiful, clear, EASY crossings along the way! A day of rest and swimming in the natural spa and clear pools of Twin Falls was most welcome, before continuing slowly up the Track dodging the washouts, admiring the grevilleas, and the beauty of the changing vegetation. 4 days camping in ONE place at Seisia was a bonus, and incorporated a day trip to Thursday Island, and another day exploring Somerset, the "Tip", and Punsand Bay. Seisia was the base for a day's barramundi fishing on the Jardine for Harvey (Yes, they caught 40+ Barramundi) (But only ONE was over the minimum size) (and YES it tasted GREAT cooked in foil over the camp fire coals). The road south took us back through a great camp site up on the cliff overlooking Captain Billy's Landing, thence down the 100's of kms of dusty, bone rattling corrugations and a side trip into civilisation - Weipa. We enjoyed the sandy banks of Coen river for a night, before heading for several days in Lakefield National Park (one little barra, several pairs of crocodile eyes), before heading through Battle Camp to Cooktown and down through the Daintree rain forest (RAIN being the operative word!), and thence back to civilisation, with a great regard for the hardships faced by Captain Cook, Jardine, Kennedy, Logan Jack, and all the early explorers, plus thousands of goldminers, who fought their way through the unforgiving country of Cape York. Plus of course the 2 Kiwis who drove a BABY AUSTIN to the tip in 1933. How did they DO IT?? Got some spare time? Want to see our Cape York photos?? |
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