jad n rich

Got friends and rels in cairns, they are a bit disappointed with it, for them too overdone backpacker/just too touristy and organised tourist trip thing. So I suggested they drive up to the top end. That cant be a mass of tourist leaflets and backpacker lodges can it

Anyone done that drive, the wont do a tour and will be taking kids

If you see pom family eaten by crocs headline next week dont blame me.

Advice thanks

wanderingwombat

Cooktown is 3.5hrs from Casirns on a good sealed road (110ks in parts). What out for the cattle on the road!! Nice to visit but wouldnt want to live there. Sort of what 1770 should be, but isnt.

North of Cooktown is 4wd country, more for the vehicle strength on corrugated dirt roads than actually having to use 4wd. The dust can be horrific in places especially if you get caught behind a truck, eyes open/shut makes little difference

North of there you have Hopevale (an aboriginal community) & Coen (basically an Aboriginal community) with pub, 2 shops and guesthouse. Coen to Archer River is a sh1te bit of road that needs a lot of care.

The next major stop is Weipa (has a Woolworths). Came back from Weipa today in 12 hours with stops.

WW

youngy73

ive driven to bamaga a couple of times. 10.5 hrs driving. better than the bitumen.

wanderingwombat

Too many stops for my liking but out of my control. A sort of famous loos, I have seen. There is a lot of roads works on at the moment which further delayed us.

The hamburger at Lakelands was well worth it when it finally arrived. grrrr

At the speed we were passed by vehicles heading in the opposite direction, I'd say 10.5 hours may have been a bit slow for them.

WW

jad n rich

Thanks guys. They want to see some real australia and this sounds pretty much it, will be interesting if this is what they wanted to 'experience' Down here they seemed to want to replicate a flipping holiday in Florida, so this will probably bore the pants off them but they wanted wild and authentic so

Brother meanwhile has left cairns and has gone on a 3 day dive cruise, which I think he is going to love.

wanderingwombat

That's what plenty of overseas tourists manage to do driving on dirt roads up this way.

WW

ozzieeagle

\


Did it when I first arrived, way back in 1980. In an old Valiant AP5 station Wagon complete with annexe. In fact we made our way up all the way from Bendigo in that old beauty.

I asked the local authorities (RACQ) in Cairns if we needed any extra equipment, they said just take some extra water and a extra jerry can, so off we ventured. Well lol.... that was in the days of dirt all the way from north of Mareeba, Thing is this was dirt with boulders, strewn across it. As I'd encountered lots of dirt roads on my way up there, it didn't faze me as much as it should have done. About 20 miles south of Palmer River, after listening to the steady thump thump crunch crunch of rocks hitting under the wagon, there was an almighty crash... to cut a long story short a rock had gone through the petrol tank. As per usual everyone that went passed stopped and offered help, but there wasnt too much that anyone could do at that early stage. Then thank god a Queensland police 4WD turned up, that joy was short lived and i quote.... and this is fair dinkum, the copper said to me, "I'll be back this way in two days, if your still here, Ill get help for you". There were gold prospectors at Palmer river in those days, they helped us out, towing us up to Palmer river, were we set up camp for about 5 days, then giving me a lift back to Mareeba for a Petrol tank at the wreckers.

Things were different then

We never did get to bloody Cooktown, just 40ks or so south of it LOL. Got to say I was amazed by the tropical fish in the small part of the Palmer river that I got to see.


Thought I'd include a picture of the type of car it was.

Moral is "She'll be right only works for fair dinkum aussies and not fresh of the boat poms"

youngy73

things have changed a fair bit. as previously mentioned i made better time driving north to the tip than i did driving south to brisbane. the road north is excellent. corrogated in places but generally about 4 lanes wide and you can just sit in the middle doing 140. obvisiously its no good in the wet but this time of year its sweet. we did the telegraph road and that was the only bit where we needed 4wd. this was mainly for clearance.

jad n rich

Nice car

Think this lot will be planning on some very upmarket 4WD which will end up bogged, blown up or in some croc infested lagoon