Cape York Here We Come

[chartrock]

Well, tomorrow is the day. We leave in the morning for the cape via the coast calling on a few members on the way and family in Cairns. Meeting a mate at Paranella and travelling all the way with them, leaving our vans at Mount Carbine and tenting for a few weeks up and back then travel inland on the way back home.

Truck is packed solid, carrying the extra stuff, tent, sleeping bags camp stretchers and a fridge. Van is also prepped and ready. With limited internet time and connection I won't be on the forum as often over the next 3 months but I will try to post tales and pictures as we go.

 

[1DayIll]

Have a great time and stay safe. Keep us updated when you can!

 

[crackacoldie]

Have a great trip, lots of reports and photos please.

 

[Drover]

Safe travels, very envious.

 

[Grizzly_Oz]

We leave July 3 from Wollongong and plan to get the tip mid August. Then onto Alice, Kimberlies, West Coast, returning March next year.

 

[Fabulous]

Have a great trip !

 

[Sammy D]

I would love a road report on the stretch between Laura and Coen if you were through there in the next 10 days:israel:

We are only going to Weipa (hope to get there around the 7th of July) for a week or so and then home again but would love to have a heads up on the road to coen.


Having said that enjoy the cape! I am still waiting to get there and at the rate I am going it will have to be another decade or so unless I can con the inlaws into babysitting the kids for a couple of months:help:

 

[chartrock]

Hi @Sammy D, we are on a slow run up and actually leave Cairns on 7th July for Mt Carbine where we leaver our vans then start to tent up to the cape, first stop Cape Tribulation then Cooktown so we won't hit Laura until at least 11th July. We will go in to Weipa but not until our return run.

Have a great trip and I'm sure you will get to the cape eventually.

 

[17triton]

Sounds like a great trip @chartrock !!! Look forward to more updates.

 

[chartrock]

5 days into the trip and sitting at Bell Park CP at Emu Park east of Rockhampton, ready to move on to Flaggy Rock tomorrow. I hope to catch up with @Marv_mart at Kinka Beach on the way to Yeppoon in the morning as it is only 6 Km up the road.
Enjoyed the last week, heading off Sunday, stopped at Six Mile Ck free camp just outside of Gympie. Toilets but no showers, good for an overnighter, plenty of nomads.

Next day went to Cooloola Cove for lunch with @Drover and his good lady Chris. Good to catch up again, mate. then on to Burrum Heads to overnight at @DRW 's place with Dave and his lovely wife Carmel. The more people I meet on this forum the more my appreciation of people grows.
From there it was on to Calliope free camp. We have stopped off here a couple of times before camping on the high side of the river and did the same again. It was also very crowded by around 4:00 PM but we do like the site. Toilets no showers, pets allowed.
Thursday we headed for Emu Park never had been here but heard it was a good spot. Bell Park CP is a nice park, a bit old but clean and neat. Very crowded with people who come for months at a time but everyone is friendly. Nice town with pub, RSL, IGA, 3 bakeries (YUM) a servo and other shops. The WW1 memorial is well worth a look and is very well done. The "Singing Ship" is also worth checking out.
1 Six Mile Creek. 2 Calliope. 3,4,5,6 WW1 Memorial, Emu Park. 7 Singing Ship.

 

[mbr37746]

Have a fantastic voyage! I'll be watching this closely and dreaming of this time next year when we do it, just not too many mentions of the big lizards as I've already been "talked" to by mrs mbr on "our" opinion of them and the extra precautions we must take..... have fun

 

[chartrock]

Mrs CR has her own ideas and opinions of these potential handbags as well so we do not get involved in discussing them.

 

[Drover]

I recall having a wonderful swim in a Bitey Free area, safe as houses we were told and 2 weeks later someone gets their toes nibbled on.....

 

[crackacoldie]

Didn't see any logs with legs while we were up there, was a little disappointing but we didn't get snacked on either

 

[achjimmy]

Crocs like to move around thou? If you see one they make a wonderful belt

 

[bigcol]

good stuff @chartrock
keep the report (and piccies) coming mate

looks GREAT

 

[crackacoldie]

Very envious, 4 years ago today we were standing on the tip. Would head back there tomorrow if I could

 

[chartrock]

Thanks every one, having a good trip so far but lack of wifi download will restrict pics. So far we have free camped most nights (although have sponged on a couple of members for free nights, thanks folks). Camped at Flaggy Rock for $10 per night before a freebie at Guthalungra then a night at Ayr in the canefields, a great spot with a wonderful host. Next stop, another freebie at Bilyana after a lunch stop at Tyto Wetlands. Free camps packed solid by 4:00PM, Then had a day and night at Paronella Park, $40 per person admittance but that provided a "free" powered site overnight and free re-entry for two years. Very worthwhile place to visit. Met up with our travelling companions there and pushed on to Cairns where I caught up with my daughter and grandaughter plus on of my grandsons, his lovely wife and my newest great grandson, not quite 6 weeks old. Pic of Guthalungra then Paronella by day and night.

 

[Drover]

I forgot, I wasn't going to look......damn, I knew I should have hitched up and followed you.............

 

[chartrock]

Two nights in Cairns at Lake Placid CP. Was told by my grandson (a Cairns copper) that it was probably the safest park in Cairns, which hew rated by the number of times they are called to all the parks in town.

Next move to Mt Carbine to leave the van. A very basic camp but no cost to leave the van. They are parked all over the camp ground and seem to be looked after so we will find out in a few weeks when we get back to it. $25 per night, toilets, showers and laundry.


Headed from there to Cape Tribulation where camp sites were almost non existent being a weekend but managed to fit into a couple of spots at Ocean Safari. $15 per person per night for the lousiest conditions. One amenities block, three male toilets,one not working, probably 100- 150 people, but we had to stay there for two nights to be able to look around, Cape Trib is certainly worth looking around, the beaches, the scenery, the ice cream factory.
That's us in the middle. More pics later,