Gunshot Creek Crossing

Next stop Gunshot Creek this is notorious crossing and the book strongly recommends to use the bypass. On the way there we come across a group of 6 odd vehicles who have all turned around. When we arrive it is soon obvious why people have turned around with even the chicken run seemingly impassable.

I’m keen to have a go but Tina not so and the last guy who got bogged made a mess of it. We take a long time have a good look and if it was not for a tree stump we would probably have done it. The Motorbike lad’s rock up and they are keen for me to take the plunge. I approach twice and chicken out each time it just looks like the Tojo will tip over.

There is another option round the corner it is a steeper drop but the car wouldn’t roll. I make the decision to go and 1st gear low range and no stopping on the top to look down.

The Tojo walks down the embankment easy but the Bull bar just nose dives into the mud and is stuck.

A lot off stuff from the back comes over the top and hits me but I’m OK. I jump out and someone suggests I should try reverse. We attach the winch to a tree and as soon as the bull bar is out of the mud the cars drives straight up the creek and we are through. There is a heap of oil coming out the front of the engine but it just looks like it poured out when the car was vertical. We did it we beat Gunshot crossing and I hope we run into those guys who chickened out.

What an adrenalin rush ½ an hour later and my heart is still pumping not as bad as Tina’s though. We hang around and some Tourists and a guy in a Patrol rock up as well as the guys with the trailer. We say goodbye to the Motorcycle lads.

The Tourists in the Troopy suffer the same fate as me and another winch job gets them out. Ray in the Patrol has a lift kit and he just drives straight out. Then after all the waiting the trailer boys go down the chicken run after the tree stump is chopped down (Breaking my axe I loaned them) they are off. It looks so dangerous but all goes reasonably well the car pops out of low range though, and someone forgot to lock the hubs.

After all this they winch it out and all is good this has been the best excitement 4WD ever. But we are nowhere near finished yet.

Old Telegraph Track

Today we hit the Old Telegraph Track (OTT) and after all these really good roads it will be good to check out what it was really like going to the Cape. It does not take long until we reach the first one Palm creek crossing and it’s a great introduction a steep bank drop into the creek. We walk the creek as they tell you to walk them all. Tina chickens out so I drive over the drop and then the easy bit through the water. We hang around to see how the boys in the old cruiser with a fully loaded trailer make out. It looks scary but they do it with ease.

Next stop Ducie creek just a couple of K’s down the road and this one is easy so Tina has a go. The track is great and lots of fun with the surface changing all the time.

There are some smaller creek crossings before you reach Dulhunty River a another easy crossing.

Next is Bertie creek and this is a little more tricky and has some huge holes in it so you have to drive up the creek and cross a little further up.

Heading North to Bramwell Station

We are heading north towards the cape but only 72km to Hann Crossing where we cross the river. There are 20 odd campsites here some people we met at Archers Point suggested site 8-10. We have another deep waterhole in front of us with a rock bank this time. An afternoon spent Barra fishing didn’t prove successful nor our attempts to catch some small fish for live bait. It’s bloody hot in the sun but under the shade it is alright, and the wind blows every 15-20 minutes or so to refresh us further.

This place has millions of mozzies and we use mozzie coils, patches, Rid & a campfire to help us out. Just after dusk a huge swarm of Fruit bats descend on us relentlessly for 40 minutes and finally take refuge amongst the trees. It is so awesome and we lay back our chairs and look up to the sky and all this with a full moon rising in the background and then once its dark a check of the water hole reveals a shiny bright set of eyes across the water next to a yabby net some guys checked earlier. No Injuries tonight and its cools down nicely after a hot day.

The waterhole is still in the morning and no surprise the mozzies haven’t left, we do our best to get on the road, and it’s a big day ahead. We are on the road by 9.00am and after the short 45km to Musgrave roadhouse we reach the Peninsula Development Road (PDR) . We pick up a couple of Bundaberg Ginger beers and head off. It is breeze to Coen 100km on with good road and 5 bitumen sections 5km long for overtaking. We stop in at the Sexchange Hotel for a beer and get Diesel for $ 1.48 good buy. We hit the road again onwards to Archer River, it is a mix of Red dirt, sand, dry creek crossings and not really as many corrugations as we had expected. Archer River is another stop and the second time we catch up with 2 guys riding this trip on dirt bikes one a WR Yam & the other on DR Suz. We have a beer and a chat and hope to bump into them again, this time we’ll get a photo.

Not satisfied with travelling 300km we decide to push on, Bramwell Station it’s a bit further than I thought but we plough on with lots of dry creeks to cross and the odd river and we make it just before 5:00pm. Its $ 10 per adult to camp with hot showers, and a bar outside with beers for $ 5 each. We have a couple of beers more than we should but it was a tough day. It’s a cool night and no Mozzies.

Lakefield NP- 12 Mile waterhole

We stop off at old Laura Homestead and just like Litchfield Homestead in NT you just can’t imagine that people would have come out here in the 1800’s. These people were true pioneers. Onward down the dusty track plenty of cars going past maybe 30 for the day. We see our first wild pigs, the clan has a big litter and they scurry into the bush.

Tonight we are camping at 12 mile waterhole which is near the junction of the Normanby & Laura rivers. A great camp on the waters edge high enough from the Crocs. But just 10 minutes after we arrive a 3m+ crocs drift past and stops on the other side straight in front of where we camp and sinks. So we are being stalked after 10 minutes. A careful attempt of lure fishing for Barra wasn’t successful but there are plenty more opportunities to come.

Then I crushed my thumb in the door, and boy I did a good job. I’m in the wars this week, firstly I jagged my knee and after a day of walking with gimpy limp it hurt my back. Then the next day I went for a gutser on the rocks and skun my shin, suddenly my back didn’t hurt and now this. I want to drill a hole through my nail to relieve the throbbing.

It was quite a warm restless night with my throbbing thumb, we even turned the fan on for an hour or so and used the water sprayer. It cooled a little more in the morning. Once again it’s a warm morning when the sun hits the car and we are up sitting around wondering what the croc is up to. A beaut brekky with smoked bacon from Innisfail Midway butchers & eggs to start the day and after we pack up we head down to the river junction,

the Laura river isn’t flowing and a dad and his young girls sit in the sand and build sand castles while just upstream is the big Croc that checked us out last night. It is a 15km track back to the main track, with a mix of flood plains, sand & numerous dry creek crossings.

Cooktown & beyond

We take a bit of a look around town they have 3 pubs, 3 servos and a decent IGA with good prices. After some souvenir shopping, a Pie for brunch we are off to the RSL for a beer. It’s a pretty lazy arvo at the camp getting ready. It’s our last chance to pick up supplies at normal prices, diesel was only $1.32/lt.

The batteries are charged and the water tanks full as well as a full compliment of supplies. We will do some more Alcohol research in the morning. A pretty warm night and we watch a Vin Diesel movie Babylon AD, not sure what we were expecting but not to bad either.

Up early as the rising sun beats through our window. There is a curious Wallaby with a large Joey hanging around for a scab. Off to the info centre and then to Captain Cook museum, its really cool learning about history when you can actually go to the places where these things happened, like Grassy Hill where Cook stood and overlooked the gulf and Endeavour river. Fully loaded with everything we need and more we are off finally down the battle camp road to Lakefield National Park.

Although it is dry there are still some water crossings that we are glad are this low, they look bloody scary especially the wide ones like Laura River. The track swaps from corrugations, to bulldust holes to rocky terrain and back again but overall it is not too bad. The only real problem is those $15 rear speakers I picked up from Cashies the brackets rattle like crazy and there is not way they will go the distance.

Lions Den Hotel & Archer Point

We arrive at the Lions Den hotel which is covered in autographs from many a traveller.



Then off to Archer Point a free camp on the beach where a recent sighting of a crocodile is noted.


We head strait over to an old wharf for some fishing where the Long Tom are around but my hook is to big to land these smaller ones. There are a few bites from Rock Cods and I lose some gear under the rocks. Then another bite and we are on but once again I’m under the rocks but still connected. After a while he tries to escape and we get him a nice Stripy Perch but as usual the QLD fishing books don’t have this fish in it either so we are not sure of the size so we throw him back. ( later we find out he was OK dam!!)
It blows a big wind in the afternoon which is quite cool. Tina and I both had falls on the rocks but I have come off worse with a nasty bruise on my already scar ravaged shin and broke the end of the rod and hurt my back more. The back of the car faces the beach so it is a very pleasant night maybe a bit close to the beach for crocs but the moon is out so we can see well.

We awake and it is the 1st of September, Tina tells me the build up just starts one day and this is normally it. There is a beautiful sunrise and some ominous looking clouds. We drive the short drive to Cooktown and check into a caravan park for our last night of civilisation.

Cape Tribulation & the Bloomfield track

A nice night although 2 large bangs went off that we have no idea what they were. Off again today’s mission the Bloomfield track. A quick stop at Cape Tribulation beach where there are stinger & crocodile signs not like at the camp we stayed 2 km down the road, where we were told it is safe to swim. (What about snakes on the walkway down to the beach)

There are massive alcohol restrictions here with fines up to $37,500 and forfeit of your vehicle. Most of the information is a vague but we are getting used to this. We are only driving through so we thought it would be OK and the sign when you enter Wujal Wujal says its OK if you are a traveller passing through. It doesn’t take long before there are a few water crossings which are all very tame this time of year along with lots more dry ones. We make it through and it certainly isn’t very scary these days.