Conquering the Cape

Francis Jardine and his brother Alexander did it the hard way in 1864, fighting off attacks from understandably hostile Aborigines as they drove 250 cattle and 42 horses from Rockhampton to the newly-established and remote settlement of Somerset at the tip of Cape York.

Pioneering a path through jungles, scrub and swamps and crossing at least six large rivers in those days long before local roads, they took 10 months and 1931km to reach their destination.

But it was the more direct route taken by the Overland Telegraph Line Track (OTT) built in 1885-87 to link Brisbane with communities at the tip of the Cape that has become a right of passage for modern day adventurers, particularly since recreational four wheel drive vehicles became affordable and popular.

And even more recently has been the trend to take the kitchen sink with you, attached to a camper trailer, crossover camper or, in some cases, a larger hybrid caravan.

Every off-road vehicle manufacturer offers you the tantalising prospect of five-star living beneath a million stars, but in truth very few deliver that experience without some pain.

Cracked chassis, broken springs and red dust in the most unlikely places often colour the dream, but that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. You just have to be realistic and selective.

THE RIGHT RV FOR THE JOB

The challenging section of the OTT much loved by 4WD explorers as it dips through creeks and gullie,s accounts for only about 100km of the total 1000km from Cairns to the very tip of the Cape York Peninsula, but accounts for 90 per cent of the cheers and tears.

This is where you need a serious 4WD, preferably with a high lift suspension kit, a winch and nothing too bulky hanging off the back.

But it’s equally true to say there’s a lot more to enjoy in this proboscis of Far North Queensland equivalent in area to about half the size of Victoria. So every RV from the smallest camper trailer to motorhomes and the most serious off-road caravan has its place in the sun on Cape York. Just not all in the same place.

If you plan to drive the full OTT don’t even think about anything approaching a caravan, or even a large camper trailer unless you’re prepared to wear some damage.

The narrow gullies and steep riverbanks leading to some of the most extreme crossings, like Palm Creek and Gunshot Creek are just too technical to cope with much more than a well-equipped 4WD.

With the help of a snatch strap or a winch cable you may be able to control the speed of your descent or ascent, but a tonne or more of camper trailer and your gear pushing or dragging is going to wrest control from your hands.

For this reason, most people take a folding or a rooftop tent and camp in the many delightful areas along the way.

We got good advice from the National Park ranger based at Heathlands on the bypass road to Gunshot Creek when he looked skeptically at our Navara Dual Cab Ute and Topaz hybrid caravan.

“Don’t even think about it,” was his summation, “unless you have a lot of money to spend on getting hauled out.”

We’ve all seen those exciting YouTube videos by the Gall Brothers, taking their dual axle Kedron caravan down impossible riverbanks but (a) they own the company, so damages and repairs to their $80,000 RV are not serious issues, and (b) they are experts at this. I’m not, but be honest, are you?

Even a small camper trailer can be a liability unless it’s built to take serious punishment. A Track Trailer Mate ticks all the boxes, a larger Tvan can make the OTT in experienced hands, but a Topaz? I don’t really think so, not without damage.

So we did what many people who don’t want the stress and cost of repairs or recovery do, we left our Series II Topaz at a base camp and tackled some sections of the OTT with just our V6 turbo diesel Navara ST-X 550.

This is a fun, but time consuming business, as the bypass tracks that take you around some of the most challenging creek crossings are often narrow and very corrugated.

The main Peninsula Development Road that bypasses the ‘hairy’ sections of the OTT may look tame by comparison and in truth, is almost freeway-like in parts, but just as quickly it can deteriorate into a severely corrugated horror stretch, complete with suspension-breaking bulldust holes and crowned gravel corners that will roll you into the scrub if you arrive too fast.

Cheaper camper trailers without a rugged chassis and robust off-road suspension will almost certainly suffer damage on these roads unless you’re exceptionally careful and watchful.

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE

If you have a proper off-road camper or hybrid van in tow, there are still many Cape York adventures open to you off the OTT.

Lakefield National Park, which many people take from Cooktown to Musgrave Roadhouse, has a number of good camping areas located not far off the road.

Chili Beach, a popular although often windy coastal camping area with a few sheltered sites at Cape Weymouth north of Lockhart River, is an interesting 143km side trip to the east, while 15km north of the turnoff you can head to the bauxite mining town of Weipa, where there are several good camping sports overlooking the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Further north, the 27km diversion to Captain Billy landing is another popular side trip, but by far the star attractions of the Cape for most travellers are the spectacular and very scenic water holes at Fruit Bat Falls and Eliot/Twin Falls further north, both on the OTT but easily accessible, just off the main Bamaga (Development) road. 

Fruit Bat Falls is a day use area only, but the Eliot Falls Camping area has 31 good-sized sites and toilet blocks a short walk from the best and most picturesque swimming holes on the Cape.

The significance of this becomes apparent when you travel to Far North Queensland, where just about every desirable swimming area is marked with dire warnings about the danger of attacks from either crocodiles or stingers.

Under recently-introduced rules, all bookings in Queensland National Park areas must be made in advance, either by phone or online, but as there’s virtually no mobile phone or internet service on most of Cape York outside Coen, Weipa and Bamaga, you need to pre-plan your itinerary and pre-book your site while you still have service.

From there you have the option of continuing on the OTT if you have a small, rugged trailer, or fast-tracking to the Jardine River and making the 50 metre ferry crossing to the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) and the final drive to the tip.

Here, all main roads are open to RVs, with easy access to the most popular camping grounds at Umagico, Seisia and Loyalty Beaches, the more remote, rustic Punsand Bay beach further north and the free camp at the former settlement of Somerset.

However the final section from the main town of Bamaga to Pajinka the tip is badly corrugated in parts and needs care.

FIVE-STAR GLAMPING

However there’s another way to do the Cape by luxury or regular touring caravan.

Simply leave it at the Lakeland Caravan Park near the end of the bitumen, pay $36 weekly storage and continue the final 750km to the top with your tow car and a tent or by staying at the roadhouses, hotels and stations along the way.

That way the red dust will only be on you, not everywhere in your RV.

>> Also see: Taking the ute to the Tip and Top-7 off-road destinations: Cape York