Melb to Cooktown via the Centre

[Crew family]

Hi everyone,

Our family of 4 are planning Big Trip #2 with proposed leaving date being Easter 2018.
After much discussion about what we want to see, stuff to keep the kids amused and getting enough school work done, we decided that there was so much we'd missed going up the Centre last time in 2014 that it's worth doing again (rather than heading north via Bourke), so the itinerary of around 4 months looks a bit like this:

Melbourne to Streaky Bay (with stops in Mt Gambier and Adelaide)
North to Yulara via Stuart Hwy
Kings Canyon and onto Mereenie Loop to Alice (about a week or so in Alice to do day trips to East and West Macs)
Barkly Hwy down to Winton (have decided dinosaurs will be far more interesting for us than Lawn Hill)
Up to Undarra and Cairns, then to Cooktown for the Discovery Festival.
Slowly down the coast to Airlie Beach
Tossing up whether to come inland there to Emerald or keep coming south to Agnes Waters
Home to Melb via Carnarvon Gorge, Dubbo and Parkes.

Will plan to mostly do caravan parks, with some free camps, national parks and hopefully some ranch stays thrown in. I've even booked 3 nights on Fitzroy Island for some snorkelling off the beach.

Would love some tips on must see places, particularly on the QLD side and Eyre peninsula. Any ranch stay ideas en route?

Thanks in advance

 

[14" of Joy]

Hi Crew family,

sounds just like what we are planning for 2018. We are picking up our 14.44.4 Expanda late October and will be following a very similar route to your good selves.

All the best and who knows, we may pull beside you.

Safe travels

14" of Joy

 

[chartrock]

Welcome @14" of Joy, lots of info here, enjoy the forum. I just wonder if your name should have been 14' of Joy rather than 14".

 

[14" of Joy]

Spot on Chartrock!! I hope mods can edit for me. Nice to dream.

Sure I'll get some tips from the website. Cheers

 

[AndyD]

Hi Crew Family and @14" of Joy
Sounds like the roads going north will be chock full of Jaycos from easter next year - we've just picked up our 17.58-3 and are starting to plan Big Trip #1 from Melbourne around the same time and direction.

 

[Drover]

Dinosaur Trail is well worth the effort, even if just lookng at rocks.....Winton, Age of Dinosaurs and Lark Quary thats 2 days, Richmond the Kronosaurus Museum and a dig around the old quarry is good value, Airlie Beach is expensive, very touristy and charges to park at the lookout, Agnes Waters look out for snakes, Lightning Ridge is a must see and shouldn't be missed, allow at east 3 nights. Emerald is a good place to restock, Sapphire in the nearby Gemfields is another wonderous spot to check out the mines , it's near Emeraaald and has some nice parks to stop, make sure you have plenty of fuel for the Carnarvon Gorge run, fuel at Rolleston and Injune none at Carnarvon so can be a long time between drinks........................................oh and painted silo at Thallon.........

 

[Papa Whiskey]

Rather than staying in Cairns, I would think about travelling north a bit to Port Douglas. The Big 4 there is fantastic with swimming pool, playground, bbqs etc. it is scenic and, best of all QUIET and very clean.

Port Douglas is a great town with shops, cafes, harbour and weekly FREE entertainment. Great market on Sunday mornings. From there you can also visit Mossman Gorge and even the Daintree and Cape Tribulation before moving on to Cooktown.

 

[Crew family]

Thanks all! Haven't been on here for a while.
I've got a bit excited and booked some of the bigger parks to ensure we have a spot - Cooktown Big 4 for the Discovery festival in June; Cairns for the Coconut Resort (my mum will fly up and stay here to look after the kids while we go and do some diving); will look at some of the stays between these two towns depending on what the road is like between Cooktown and the Daintree - has anyone done this?
Also booked Yulara campground and requested a site away from the school groups at the back.
*Quick question for anyone reading - we're planning on a detour of about 9 days on the Eyre Peninsula before we head north (just 'cos) - is there enough to do here for people who aren't into fishing?

 

[chartrock]

*Quick question for anyone reading - we're planning on a detour of about 9 days on the Eyre Peninsula before we head north (just 'cos) - is there enough to do here for people who aren't into fishing?

G'day @Crew family, we spent a couple of weeks on the Eyre Peninsula last year on our way to Wilpena Pound. It is a great spot to just chill out and admire the views but we stopped at Whyalla to have a look over the Corvette HMAS Whyalla, then to Arno at a mine site. The highlight of the trip was south of Port Lincoln at a place called "The Whalers Way" We stayed at Makkira Station on Fishery Bay Road, a private park about 30 Km south 0f Pt lincoln that has koalas in almost every tree on the place. The scenery along the Whalers Way is magnificent but a key is needed to get into the place and has to be obtained at the Pt Lincoln visitor centre although the lady running Makkira has one for campers. Other places include Tumby Bay, Coffin Bay, the Woolshed and the Tub at Talia caves, Venus Bay, seals at Baird Bay, and Murphy's Haystacks.

 

[Crew family]

Oh wow! Thanks - I can't wait. Will definitely add Whalers Bay to the itinerary. Have pencilled in Streaky Bay too.

 

[Papa Whiskey]

Thanks all! Haven't been on here for a while.
I've got a bit excited and booked some of the bigger parks to ensure we have a spot - Cooktown Big 4 for the Discovery festival in June; Cairns for the Coconut Resort (my mum will fly up and stay here to look after the kids while we go and do some diving); will look at some of the stays between these two towns depending on what the road is like between Cooktown and the Daintree - has anyone done this?
Also booked Yulara campground and requested a site away from the school groups at the back.
*Quick question for anyone reading - we're planning on a detour of about 9 days on the Eyre Peninsula before we head north (just 'cos) - is there enough to do here for people who aren't into fishing?

Daintree to Cooktown; I have done the trip several times and it is known as the Bloomfield Track. It CAN be a bit hairy dependant on time of year and any recent rainfall. Bitumen runs out just north of Cape Tribulation and there are signs saying unsuitable for caravans ( largely ignored!). I have towed just over two tons over the track, once with Pathfinder and once with Challenger. There are a few shallow water crossings, but the main problem is two VERY steep ranges. Definitely 2nd gear low range if towing. There is some concrete on road here, but can get quite slippery so the secret is to commit and keep going. It is quite a thrill when you crest the first range and realise that you have done it....... just one more to go in about another 20 km!! You eventually get to a place called Wujal -Wujal crossing a bridge over the river. Good place to stop if you want a “ cultural experience”. A bit further on you get to the Lions Den pub( a must stop here!). You can even buy stickers declaring that you have conquered the Bloomfield Track. From there it is an easy drive to Cooktown and all the Adrenalin would have settled.

The only other alternative from Cairns is to climb the Range to Mareeba just north of Cairns ( well signposted) turn right at the top and then a fairly boring five hour drive on bitumen roads to Cooktown. You’re could also head north from Cairns along the coast towards Mossman. You can then turn left up the Range to Mount Molloy which picks up the same highway to Cooktown.

I seem to have miss d somewhere also ng here WHY you want to go to Cooktown. It is definitely worth a visit for the history, but is one of those places where 24 hours is more than enough.

In case you are wondering where my knowledge comes from, I was a bus driver/ Tour Guide for the Daintree Rainforest operating out of Port Douglas.

 

[chartrock]

I agree with @Papa Whiskey 's assessment of the Bloomfield track. We did it earlier this year but without the van. I'm glad we did not have it on but it is doable. The steep bits are really steep but one is concreted and the other is tarred so with very low down gears you can make it,
Wujal-Wujal is worth a stop to check out the Bloomfield Falls, also Black Mountain lookout and Cooktown is nice but not a lot to see. A trip up to the lookout, a walk along the wharf and check out some of the old buildings.

 

[Crew family]

[QUOTE="I seem to have miss d somewhere also ng here WHY you want to go to Cooktown. It is definitely worth a visit for the history, but is one of those places where 24 hours is more than enough.

In case you are wondering where my knowledge comes from, I was a bus driver/ Tour Guide for the Daintree Rainforest operating out of Port Douglas.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the excellent tips. We might need to rethink the Bloomfield. One of the reasons I thought about a bit of a longer stay in Cooktown was to attempt some daytrips north or south without the van, and also to catch up on some solid school work for the kids, and we'll be on the road fairly solidly. We can play by ear. Thanks again.

 

[Papa Whiskey]

[QUOTE="I seem to have miss d somewhere also ng here WHY you want to go to Cooktown. It is definitely worth a visit for the history, but is one of those places where 24 hours is more than enough.

In case you are wondering where my knowledge comes from, I was a bus driver/ Tour Guide for the Daintree Rainforest operating out of Port Douglas.

Thanks for the excellent tips. We might need to rethink the Bloomfield. One of the reasons I thought about a bit of a longer stay in Cooktown was to attempt some daytrips north or south without the van, and also to catch up on some solid school work for the kids, and we'll be on the road fairly solidly. We can play by ear. Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

You might like to consider Port Douglas for a longer stay then. Plenty of day trips available fro there without the van... Atherton Tablelands are easy reach and a great drive... Mossman Gorge is a must see. The Daintree, all the way up to Cape Tribulation, again a great day out. Port Douglas itself with something to offer for all the family.. croc spotting, reef trips, fishing, markets, great cafes and free entertainment in most hostels ( kids welcome). I can also say from experience ( I lived on site in my own caravan for 9 months) that the Big 4 at Craiglie is a perfect base... tropical outlook, great facilities, play park, pool, etc, etc. certainly a peaceful spot to catch up on that school work for the kids.

If you really wanted to go to Cooktown then I would suggest that you make a two day excursion without the van... from Port Douglas to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation then on to the Bloomfield Track ( supposedly much easier from south to north). There are a couple of motels in Cooktown that are very reasonably priced, so you might be able to get a family room for about $50 ish. That one night gives you plenty of time to look around and if you leave about lunchtime the next day, follow the inland road back to Mount Molloy and then down the Range to Mossman and Port Douglas, you will be back for “ happy hour”