The Amazing Race – Cape York (Cairns to the Tip)

We have just returned from completing what can only be described as an absolute adventure, joining 26 other vehicles on a trip from Cairns to the Tip of Cape York, over a week and a half of excitement.  As per the title, the trip was amazing in a lot of ways, seeing some spectacular country, traversing some challenging 4WD tracks and creek crossings, and at times, pushing us a little beyond our comfort zone.  The trip was also, in some ways, a race.  Although not ridiculous, there was a definite group momentum, kind of like a rolling steam-train, which was also a little outside our normal rhythm.  We did however step up to the mark and quite admirably kept in step during our adventurous dance.  In the end, as a family, we managed to complete the entire Old Telegraph Track, from south to north, and make it to the northernmost tip of Australia, in one piece. 

As previously mentioned, we ended up joining up with members of a 4WD / Offroad Camper forum called MySwag.org that Glenn had been participating in, who were running an organised Cape York trip at the same time we wanted to go north.  We were very generously invited to join them on this trip.  We stayed in the same caravan park as quite a few of them, making friends quickly.  Cairns was pretty flat out for us, with a lot of re-stocking and preparing.  We had to cater for more than the 2 weeks most were going for, given we wanted to stay and explore more of the Cape after the group trip.

Veryyyyyy early Saturday morning saw us doing a major quick pack up, and getting to the rendezvous point by around 7.30.  It was very funny seeing 27 4WD’s (19 with Camper Trailers) rocking up to a shopping centre car-park, all kitted out for an offroad challenge, whilst suburban families went about their normal Saturday morning business. 

 

After some brief ‘hellos’ and ‘wonder who they are’, we drove out of Cairns, through some significant and surprising drizzle, heading for Cooktown.  The convoy twisted its way up past Port Douglas, and onto Daintree.  There seemed to be a little bit of jestful bagging of Victorians, which became clearer later given the number of Banana Benders on the trip!!.

After crossing the Daintree River ferry, it was a slow twisty drive onto Cape Tribulation, where some of us stopped for coffee.  From here, the dirt started.  We rolled onto what is called the ‘Bloomfield Track’, which joins Cape Tribulation and Cooktown.  A very picturesque track, although significantly dominated by some verrrry steep, long climbs.  This was definitely our first taste of the ‘Rolling Stone’ momentum of the group, with little time for us to stop, take it in, and doddle along.  Amy’s great fear of big hills had to also be quickly overcome..... no time to sweat on it!!  Just as well we picked low range at the right time!

Rolling into ‘The Lions Den’ (just south of Cooktown) relatively early, we continued to catch up with the group and enjoy a dinner at the bar that night.  The group had around 40 adults and 21 kids, so lots of people to get to know.

The next day was a rest day, where a lot of people took the opportunity to go and explore Cooktown.  Given we knew we’d do that on the way home, we let the kids have a ‘no-driving day’, and just hung out around camp.  Lots more chats, and a few more vehicle checks.  We also had to get prepared to convert into car camping, given we planned to drop the camper at the start of the Old Telegraph Track.

The decision for us not to take the camper on the Telegraph Track was something we considered for quite a while, but the more we thought about it, the more comfortable we were with that decision.  Our camper would have been MORE than capable of handling the offroad conditions, and we undoubtedly would have made it through, but we were perfectly set up for car / tent camping, and given the challenge of moving with the group, managing two young kids, and doing the 4wding, the decision become quite easy.  We also had to consider that we needed to use the camper for the remainder of our 8 month trip, and a week without it was a small price. 

It was very remarkable however how much interest us leaving the camper generated, and still does.  It seemed to most, to be a travesty to leave the camper behind, a hardship to endure, and unnecessary.  There were however MANY times we both remarked how we were glad to not have the camper, and the tent camping was hardly something to endure.  In fact, we enjoyed the change, and the kids had a ball. 

The next day, another quick pack up, and hit the road early.  The group split up slightly for this day, with us deciding to take the quicker, more direct route to Archer River, especially given we had the kids, and it was going to be a long day as it was.  We swung onto the Peninsular Development Road (PDR) and started heading north.  The road is renowned for being very corrugated and heavily used, however so early on in the season, all seemed fine.

We rolled into Archer River reasonably early, which suited us perfectly.  It was very funny to see our set up here as we had Slim (our 4wd) and camper attached, with a tent set up behind it.  Given we were dropping the camper off the next day for over a week, we didn’t want to risk packing it up wet from overnight rain or dew.  We claimed we had ‘upgraded’ to the tent, and the camper was now redundant!!. 

Another early start saw a 2 hour trip up the PDR to Bramwell Junction, the start of the famed Old Telegraph Track (OTL).  The OTL was commissioned in the late 1800’s to establish a Telecommunications link north of Cooktown.  It was eventually replaced by microwave towers in the 1980’s.  Interestingly, in 2006, Optic cable was run along much of the original route of the old Telegraph Line.

The group massed at Bramwell Junction, all a little on edge knowing what was ahead.  It had been well reported that the very first creek crossing, Palm Creek, 4kms up the road, was by far one of the hardest.  The way the group was organised was that there were a number of experienced 4WDers who nominated to be the recovery team for the trip.  These guys were in capable vehicles with no campers, and would assist the group getting through the difficult sections, whether that be directing, winching, or snatching out of trouble.  A number of these guys proceeded ahead to suss out the crossing, and determine the best way to get all of the party across.

We dropped our camper out the back in the camping area, promising it we would come and pick it up again soon, and joined the group waiting out the front.  The waiting around was a little difficult, with a natural tension building as time went on.  People were checking tire pressures, wheel nuts etc, and generally dancing on the spot.  When the word finally came, it was like throwing a firecracker in amongst a bunch of wild cats.....  people, cars, campers went everywhere, all trying to fit down the one track at the one time.