Reaching the Northern tip of Cape York

We reached the tip of Cape York Peninsula 5 weeks from when we did the Bloomfield Track, and it took us just 4.5 days to return to Mareeba. When we got to Bamaga, we went even just a little bit further North by taking a ferry to Thursday Island (without Blu). 

Some people had warned us that Blu might be too big to do the final part of the road to the tip, but when we stopped at the Croc Tent (souvenirs and info) and said we're in a bus she advised us "buses go here, here and here" whilst pointing at a map. Excellent, the tip was included, as was Somerset, where I'd also chosen for the days itinerary. 

Once again Blu handled the roads with ease and when we met another bus coming the other way (once) we backed up a bit to find a place to get over. Overall, the roads were mostly wide enough for 2 vehicles and only one part was steep. 

We crossed deeper water elsewhere on this trip, no worries. 

Our moment of hesitation came when we reached the end of the road. There sides to the road were overflowing with parked 4wds, and we wondered how we'd ever turn Blu around. But by the time we'd walked to the tip, taken the 'we are here' photo, and returned there was lots more room to turn around and so it wasn't a bother. 

 So many vehicles at the end of the road! And Blu, sitting big. 

After visiting the tip we headed to Somerset. It's a place with a very interesting history but there really isn't much of that history left to look at. Furthermore the trees have grown and it's difficult to see what it once would have been like. 

Below Somerset there's a lovely campsite (access allowed with having paid for a Jardine River ferry), overlooking Albany Island, where we stayed overnight. From here you can make a difficult scamble over rocks at low tide to see Aboriginal rock art in a cave. We also enjoyed the corals at low tide... whilst keeping an eye out for Crocodiles. 

So we did it! H, Blu, and I made it to the tip! It wasn't difficult, but sometimes the driving was 10-30 kilometres per hour. 

 The obligatory photo at the top of mainland Australia. 

The Old Telegraph Track without a 4wd

 2 options: the Bypass Road or the Old Telegraph Track (Overland Telegraph Track)

There's 2 ways of getting to the top of Australia. There's the notorious Old Telegraph Track and there's the Bypass Roads. The official guides, maps and printed books for Cape York only mention going by 4 wheel drive no matter which route you take. The Old Telegraph Track deserves its rating of 4wd only, and is labelled 'experience needed', 'Adventure 4wd'. The Bypass road is labelled as 4wd needed too, but as a precaution. 

 From the Cultural Centre in Weipa. 

Occasionally a non-4wd does do the Tele, but not a bus, I spoke to the driver of a  4wd tour bus and he told me they can't fit on the track anymore. 

We could, however, take a look in a couple of places. 

First, and easiest for us to access was Scrubby Creek crossing. It's not far from the fantastic Fruit Bat Falls (where we had a swim), and the road to it is gravel, quite wide, and easy. At Scrubby Creek there's plenty of room to park and go and watch vehicles crossing. In a short period of time we'd seen 8 vehicles cross: 6 through the deep part and 2 via the shallow with steep entrance crossing. 

 Scrubby Creek crossing. This driver really checked out his options first by walking the crossing and made the most successful crossing we saw here.

Next, from the Bypass Road, we took the 11km 'North Jardine River Bypass track' to the Old Telegraph Track, parked at the intersection and walked a kilometre or so to Nolans crossing for a look. It's considered the most difficult part of the Northern Section. H saw 7 vehicles cross, but I'd already headed back to Blu before they arrived. 

 Nolans is a deep crossing that apparently causes a few problems. 

The most notorious of all the crossings is 'Gunshot'. It's on the Southern section and we drove in for a look at it when we were returning from the tip. The track from the Bypass Road goes in past the Heathlands Ranger Station, 25 kilometres of bad corrugations, to meet with the Old Telegraph Track where it's another 7 kilometres South to get to 'Gunshot'. We'd been told it would be possible for us to go in for a look, but when we got to the Old Telegraph Road and saw how closed in the trees were, we decided it looked too dubious (for our roof height), so we turned around there. Since then we've had advice anyway that most traffic is bypassing Gunshot and doing what is called the 'chicken track', so maybe we didn't miss much. 

For us, having a look at some of the Telegraph Track action but driving up on the Bypass Roads gave us the best of both worlds. 

Success on the Bloomfield Track

Despite my last post, where I expressed my worries about proceeding on the way to Cape York, we did the Bloomfield Track without any problems. In reality I simply wish I hadn't spoken to those 2 couples who, having just completed Cape York and done Bloomfield Track that day that I met them, said we couldn't do it in our bus. 

Blu bus staunchly soldiered up and down the steep ranges, and never once looked like she couldn't do it. In fairness to Blu, although she's not a typical 4wd, she does have 4 driven wheels, albeit all on the one axle. Also in Blu's favour, she has an extremely low first gear (we usually drive off in 2nd gear in flat conditions), and we did use that first gear on the Bloomfield track's Cowie Range. 

I was never as worried about the rest of this trip... if we get stuck we'll get out, with or without help. We are not doing any of the crazy tracks!

 I think this beautiful view was taken from the top of Donovan Range. At any rate it's on the Bloomfield track, at a point where we stopped to let a convoy of 4wds with camper trailers past us. 

 Bloomfield falls, at Wajul Wajul, Northern end of the Bloomfield Track.

 Camped at Archer Point, spectacular but windy.