Cape York - the final frontier

A dream of every 4WD enthusiast, Cape York is the largest unspoilt wilderness area in Northern Australia.

Cape York also includes a World Heritage listed area and more national parks than anywhere else in Queensland.

You will see stunning beauty, amazing diversity and all rich with history.

This untouched wilderness is dominated by mighty pristine rivers, vast flood plains, secluded beaches, over 3,000 plant species and 321 bird species.

Plus, to add to the thrill, there are more things that can kill you up there than anywhere else on the planet!

An expedition to Cape York is one of the most sought after 4WD adventures in Australia and regarded by many as the Final Frontier. You can stand on the tip of the Australian continent and discover the very soul of this remote wilderness. Only accessible in the dry season, typically between May & September.

Map background courtesy of Qld. Govt.

Cape York has a magnetism for adventurous travellers. It is a place of amazing serenity where you can explore the beauty of the ever-changing landscape and discover its soul. It has adventure and raw excitement in store that you will reflect on and talk about for the rest of your life.

This post tells the story of our amazing expedition, Operation Pajinka in 2021, which was a 15 day adventure, starting and ending in Cairns, with 6 couples, each in

their own 4WD. This convoy grew to 8 vehicles as we hooked up with friends of friends whilst in Cape York. This expedition was planned & led by David Allan of Australia Through & Through on a non commercial basis.

Many of our group had previously journeyed with us on Operation Kimberley Moon, to the Kimberley, and Operation Desert Sky, to the Simpson Desert. Our trip branding is shown above.

The richness of the group dynamics, particularly when most already knew each other, made the trip an unforgettable experience. So much so, we felt like we could go anywhere and enjoy an amazing experience just based on the group bonding so well. The trip was awash with anticipation following nearly two years of planning which included a one year postponement due to COVID -19.

Our purpose with this post is to give you just enough insight to spark your curiosity and enable you to plan your own expedition of discovery. Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.

After all arriving in Cairns, we relaxed over dinner and had our final trip briefing including final preparation for an early start the next day.

Deployment day finally arrives, after two years in the making, and the expedition kicked off from Cairns on 1 June with six overstimulated couples.

In our our group was David & Rosemary (Papa Smurf & Desert Rose), Joe & Fiona (Enterprise), John & Bev (Maverick), Kel & Yvonne (Red Dirt), Rajeev & Lata (Gunner) and Prem & Poornima (Razor).

This was about as early after the wet season that one could start particularly given the wet season was the most rainfall in 28 years leaving very full creeks & waterfalls ahead. Our timing ensured we missed the worst of the crowds, avoided the Queensland school holidays, allowed us to see everything still green and waterfalls still a great spectacle.

With such a long build up, the mood was electric with adrenalin & testosterone dripping from the roof.

While some of us spent a week journeying up to Cairns with the luxury of our caravans, these were all now parked up in Cairns as the next two weeks would be living in tents.

Yet before we leave civilisation, we had to visit our favourite café in the Cairns area being Vivo at Palm Cove.

A visit to Mossman Gorge, through the Mossman Gorge Centre, is a great introduction to the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest, as well as a unique link to the lives, cultures, and stories of Australia’s Indigenous people.

Our route to Cooktown was via the coast on the wild & beautiful Bloomfield Track which is rated as one of Queensland’s most scenic short trips where the ancient rainforest meets the Barrier Reef.

This route follows the Daintree Rainforest north of Port Douglas which is one of the most diverse and beautiful examples of nature in the world. It is home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth, and all are found within the largest chunk of rainforest in Australia - an area spanning approximately 1200 square kilometres.

If we were later in the dry season, venturing through the Creb Track would also be a great option however this track needs absolutely dry conditions.

Lunch at the Daintree Village offered some unique options.

Whilst fully pumped for our first night of the trip in tents at Cape Tribulation Camping, we were caught up in torrential and unseasonal rain causing us to bail on the camping and head to Heritage Lodge being a fancy Daintree Eco Resort.

The Daintree is the only place in the world where two world heritage listed National Parks join.

As you would expect, all our kids back home just said we had gone soft!

Such luxury seemed so much more special when unplanned and with the need to hunker down from the last the wet season had to give.

This would be our last night of luxury for a couple of weeks.

With fine conditions the next morning, we explore magnificent Cape Tribulation which is the end of the sealed road and 35 kilometres north of the Daintree River Ferry.

We followed The Bloomfield Track on our way to Cooktown which is an absolutely stunning journey including numerous creek crossings.

This roads notoriety began during construction in 1982 - 84 where Bloomfield Road protests led to World Heritage listing in 1988.

Our buddies Joe & Fiona at Wujal Wujal (Bloomfield) Falls. Being at the end of the wet season, these falls were quite a spectacle and in full flight after the biggest wet season in 28 years.

They say the element of fear makes a hazardous experience a thrill.

So, if that’s true where better for thrills than North Queensland where there are more things that can kill you than anywhere else on the planet. Take the Stinging Tree for example, which wont kill you yet they say a sting is like being electrocuted and having acid poured over you at the same time.

A break at the historic Lions Den Hotel, at Helen Vale, is mandatory and greatly welcome as we ended our leg through the Daintree. This Lions Den is only 4km from the Mulligan Hwy and 30km from Cooktown.

That night we made camp in Cooktown. With the fancy Daintree Eco lodge in the distance, its now tenting for the next 2 weeks.

Rosemary was convinced a python slithered past our tent that night which would explain why the ducks sounded a tad distressed. Unfortunately, this reminded Rosemary of the story from Cape York when a python crawled up a campers pyjama leg and out his collar while he was asleep. He awoke when the snake was all the way up and he said " I just just froze until the snake passed on through". After that he said he only slept inside his car.

Cooktown is where Captain James Cook spent 7 weeks repairing his ship in 1770 following damage from running aground on the barrier reef.

The James Cook Museum is a must do in Cooktown as is the Botanic Gardens.

The lighthouse at Grassy Hill Lookout

This Cooktown story, on this plaque, is gold. It records the Government response to a feared Russian invasion in 1885.

John & Bev. My brother and sister-in-law.

Our route to ‘The Tip’ was via Battlecamp Rd and Lakefield National Park which includes the historic homestead at Old Laura. This cattle Station carried 8,000 head of cattle in 1894 and was ultimately abandoned in 1966 in favour of New Laura some 24km north. The visit left us with great admiration for these early pioneers.

This leg through Lakefield NP took us through yellow sandstone hills, majestic grasslands, endless river systems, flower-filled lagoons and restful waterholes alive with birds.

Our destination for the night was Musgrave Roadhouse which was first built as an overland telegraph station in 1887.

They say it like it is at Musgrave.

As we were on the move every day, we all had our kitchen in the back of the car.

Our next day took us onto the Peninsular Developmental Road headed for Weipa. The continual improvements, with bitumen sealing, has made this road much less challenging than years gone by which partly explains the incredible popularity of Cape York. For those parts of this road that were unsealed, we generally found it in good condition with minimal highly corrugated sections however this could be a very different scene by the end of the dry season with so much traffic.

Someone has a sense of humour at the Exchange Hotel at Coen.

It’s the fascinating people that give the region the final frontier image. Like the notice on the hospital door we observed at Coen, on our previous trip, where it seemed the nurses felt the need to clarify what constitutes an after hours medical emergency.

The notice read:

The nurses work Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. After hours call out’s are for emergencies only.

• Don’t call the nurses if you want a lift home;

• Don’t call the nurses if you want an argument settled;

• Don’t call the nurses if you want someone removed from the house or party;

• Don’t call the nurses and then tell them to F_ _ _ off;

On arriving at Weipa, we found a completely full camp ground where we were relieved we booked everything ahead.

Of course, every afternoon on the trip included happy hour such as the great spot in the above photo at our Weipa camp site. There was some rich story telling going on each night, some of which I suspect was a tad embellished. Yet, we embellished some more.

Every campsite is a great opportunity to talk to fellow adventurers about what’s ahead with some going north and some on their way back. The Weipa sunsets were amazing.

Weipa is a mining town, built by Comalco, for its Bauxite and Kaolin operations. Weipa has the largest Bauxite deposit in the world. Fishing enthusiasts flock to Weipa with the expectation of amazing fishing including huge Barramundi. The town is well supported with a hospital and many other services. Some of our group, who booked ahead, joined the Weipa mine & town tour which got great reviews.

Our convoy grew by two vehicles in Weipa with friends of friends. Bob & Anne joined us in Weipa who have travelled all over the world in their 4WD.

Yianni & Rochelle also joined us in Weipa who have also been travelling the world in their 4WD. (overlanddiaries.com)

After a rest day in Weipa it was off to Bramwell Station. There was great excitement in the air at Bramwell Station camp ground as the next day would see us start on the Overland Telegraph Track where the hard core adventure starts.Bramwell Station is the most northerly cattle station in Australia.

A great way to psyche ourselves up for the OTT was our group dinner, including Bramwell style entertainment. Bookings months in advance are essential.

With an early start the next day, the hard core part of our adventure started at Bramwell Junction. This where we entered the famous Overland Telegraph Track and major expedition highlight.

The Overland Telegraph line opened in 1887 which connected the Capes northern outposts with Brisbane and the rest of the world. This was a strategic communication link, stretching from Laura to Thursday Island. After more than 100 years of service, the line was closed in 1987, being replaced by Microwave Transmission.

Of course, one can go around the OTT via the Southern & Northern Bypass roads yet for most visitors, this is the best part of the Cape York experience.

Our first creek crossing is Palm Creek. Yeah…Nah!

However, there are two alternative ‘chicken tracks’ to this challenging crossing. Alternatively, one can enter the OTT north of Gunshot Creek.

Not everyone gets through unscathed.

Unsecured number plates, lost in creeks, have become a collectors item at Bramwell Junction.

The bypass track in the above photo takes you into the OTT north of Gunshot if you want to avoid Palm Creek & Gunshot. The creeks north of Gunshot are all manageable until you get to Mistake creek (north of Eliot Creek campsite). There is however a bypass just before Mistake Creek that takes you to the Northern Bypass road. Most 4WD'ers take this exit as the creeks north of this point have claimed many vehicles.

The infamous Gunshot Creek crossing

Being at the end of the wet season, most of the creeks were quite full.

Cockatoo Creek crossing takes some careful assessment to pick a route through.

Fruit Bat Falls provides for a welcome swim. There is no camping here but a short distance further on is Eliot Creek NP camp ground where we made camp for the night.

At Eliot Creek campsite we celebrated a significant event from a trip to the Tip we did with our good friends Kel & Yvonne, exactly 20 years before, in 2011. On that trip, Kel drove to the Tip, including the OTT, in a 2WD Ford Courier ute (pictured above at Palm Creek) which has not done before or since although he did need pulling through a few creeks. It was planned that Kel would drive via the bypass roads however Kel was so overstimulated at the Bramwell Junction that he just had to give the OTT a go. The story has since become folklore and is immortalised in the attached poem. We had a formal reading of the poem around the camp fire that night to celebrate the 20th anniversary of that event.

They said it couldnt be done.pdf

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Stunning Eliot Falls next to our campsite

We successfully came through the OTT unscathed and made camp at beautiful Seisa Holiday Park on Seisa Beach (next to Bamaga) which is a great reward after a gruelling couple of days.

If you want see video footage of some of the more hard core sections of the OTT, including Nolan's Crossing, there are loads of posts on the internet.

There was some rich story telling going on each afternoon at happy hour some of which which I suspect was a tad embellished.

On a previous trip to Cape York, Chilli Beach, one of our buddies was an ex crocodile hunter from the 70's who was awash with rich stories from his croc hunting days.

My personal favourite was his story of the billabong incident where he chased a whopping big croc into a billabong where it took cover under the roots of a tree growing on the bank. Not content to let this one get away he stood on the tree roots and prodded under the water with a long stick. When he finally jabbed the big old croc it made him pretty cranky causing him to charge up onto the bank and with one wild thrash of his tail the croc washed up 10 Barramundi onto the bank. At this point his mates made a furious grab for the barramundi and left him to fight off the croc. As it happened, we met a mutual friend when we got back to Cairns who said it was only 6 barramundi when they heard the story. I am going with 10.

On another occasion, they ran their tinnie up the bank where a big croc had just slid into the water and the croc was so big that they could see the crocs footprints on each side of the tinnie.

With the challenge of the Cape York OTT tracks now successfully behind us, our next mission was our day trip to the Tip where we stood on the most northerly tip of Australia.

This was a great celebration and represented the culmination of two years of planning and anticipation.

We made it to the Tip – challenge accepted and conquered!

(giving the thumbs, being the theme from our ‘Not Bad’ YouTube series)

Our return from the Tip back to camp took us via the Somerset ruins and the stunning ‘Five Beaches Run’. Somerset was the first permanent white settlement on the Cape York peninsula and one of the most isolated places in Australia.

Just when you things could not get any better, it was Bob's birthday. We would soon be heading back down south but not before a big celebration for Bob and our successful expedition.

Sunset at Seisa camp site.

A visit to Thursday Island is highly recommended with a 1.5 hour boat transfer.

Thursday Island acts as the commercial, transport and administrative hub for 20 communities spread across a geographical area spanning approximately 48,000 square kilometres. Australian and state government agencies including Border Force, Army and Customs, are based on Thursday Island. It’s fascinating to learn the history of TI and to understand TI’s significant strategic value to Australia today.

My mate Kel - our Trip Fire Chief.

The drive back to Cairns followed the fastest route being the Peninsular Developmental Road which was generally in good condition being early in the season. This allowed us a return trip of three easy days. This duration however can easily be a lot slower as the road deteriorates with corrugations from increased traffic.

It is an option to take the Old Coach Road which some say is the best and most challenging 4wd'ing in Cape York. In the late 19th century, Cooktown was established as a port to service the goldfields and the railway line was built as far as Laura. From there Cobb & Co ran a coach service to Maytown and the goldfields, hence the track is now called The Old Coach Road.

The Split Rock rock art galleries can be found approximately 15 km south of Laura which is open to self-guided visitors for a small fee. This rock art galleries, dates back 40,000 years, which have been rated amongst the top 10 most significant art sites in the world.

Time for a new air filter on our return to Cairns.

Once back in Cairns it was out with the tents and back to the luxury of our caravans. Of the 912km return journey from Bamaga to Cairns, 462km was sealed.

Ready for the trip back home. heading home. A time for reflection & dreaming about the next trip.

For those with more time available we had a leisurely trip down the north Qld coast including a few days here at Rollingstone.

David & Rosemary Allan – the faces behind:

May adventure & discovery be your constant companions.

Reflection:

For me, a trip is memorable when I am enriched by a deeper sense of connection to a place which triggers an emotional or spiritual response. This comes from feelings of Awe when I feel part of something bigger. Such as, seeing dramatic landscapes, being caught up in the history and sensing the passion of the human spirit.

A memorable experience will cause me to day dream about the next trip even more than the last trip.

Remember: Your adventure begins the moment you decide to go.