SEQ/CQ/NQ/FNQ - CAPE YORK 2013 (Brains, Richo, LFaR & other vehicles)

[Madkore Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Madkore]

BAAAAHHH! This trip report reads like a great movie where someone pauses it every 5 mins!! Hurry up with the next installment!!

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

BAAAAHHH! This trip report reads like a great movie where someone pauses it every 5 mins!! Hurry up with the next installment!!

Okay. We did the OTT went to the tip then drove home again, unpacked the car and went back to work.

The end!

I'll get some more on tonight. Be patient. Rather think of it as a good TV show with a new episode coming out soon!

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Like I mentioned a group of us after looking at the entry to Palm Creek thought we had better start getting some work done to this entry to allow a passage through the creek to the northern side where we intended to camp for the night. We began to fill the hole in the left track of the second step down as there was a height difference of around 800mm between the two tracks. The right track was rock so could not be lowered. With this sort of difference in height it would force the vehicle to slide left into the embankment and possible sustain panel damage which we were trying to avoid at this early stage of the trip. So the work began.





From these two photos it's probably fairly evident that someone was a little bit precious or somewhat fairy like when it came to doing some work and the manly job of track building. Perhaps a certain someone shouldn't have entered the SExchange Hotel!!

After an absence that was well noticed by a number of the crew Richo returned just prior to LFaR, Berin and I totally reshaping the entry with a gradual 10 degree slope onto the creek to advise us that there was a second entry and exit to Palm Creek that required less work than the one that we were working on. Okay, so we all move down to the Richo Palm Creek Crossing and theres a decline into a muddy section into the creek and Rich is probably right is required less track building to save the side panels of the vehicles.

Once again we begin to start building the track draining the water out of the stagnant pool of muddy water and working out the best way to tackle the entry.



It was very soft underfoot and footings were easily lost as you could sink into the left track past your knee. As we were digging, lifting, and moving we all noticed that someone was missing again. After carefully examining the photographic evidence and it can be seen that most of the crew are working on the track while someone remained at the top of the track, stayed clean but was also partaking in a cold beverage as the rest of the team worked hard!

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

As we had decided that it would be advantageous to utilise the Maxtrax to lay down a firm track we all went to retrieve the Maxtrax where we found Richo sucking back on a Goldie. Between the vehicle's we were carrying 14 Maxtrax so we began removing them from the vehicles and took them down to the muddy track and began placing a left and right Maxtrack. We even managed to get some assistance from Richo, well carrying the Maxtrax down towards the mud. We utilised 12 Maxtrax for this entry into Palm Creek.





Once the last Maxtrax had been laid down Tano couldn't hold back the excitement and quickly got his Nissan rolling down the decline towards Palm Creek. The Nissan was no match for the deep soft mud as he got through the first 5-6 metres but as the rear left slid into the hole he came to an abrupt stop and lost forward momentum.



We then pulled the winch out and Tano was able to justify the purchase of his winch right then and there. The Patrol was winched into Palm Creek and we decided to set it up in preparation to winch the rest of the vehicles into the creek.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

The next vehicle through was LFaR and he came down the decline and into the mud moving forward holding the vehicle to the right, obviously much better than the Nissan but unfortunately his forward momentum came to an early stop as the rear got bogged down in the thick chocolate thick-shake consistency mud. The Prado had made it further than the Nissan but unfortunately would have to be winched into Palm Creek.



Next it was he second Nissan's go as Berin brough the 3.0L Diesel Patrol down the decline into the mud. Berin decided to try the straight through approach but the mud was too thick and full of forrest debris and branches that he came to a premature halt. Once again a winching was required to get this 2nd Nissan into Palm Creek. Theres no understanding why Berin didn't hang onto the 150 Prado that he used to have!



Richo was the next through the the quagmire and as Richo and his V6 do they don't arrive without some momentum. As White Lightning came down the embankment and entered the mud the killer wasps were rumbling to be unleashed. The mud had a different set of rules to play on Richo's Prado and as he took the right side, the left spun into the mud and around a fraction causing the Prado to loose traction in the forward direction. White Lightning had been stopped but only until we attached the winch cable and pulled the Prado into Palm Creek.



The last vehicle to be traversing Palm Creek from our expedition was yours truely as Geoff (or Geoff's wife) had decided that they would take the bypass in their Landrover and meet us the following day at Eliot Falls. So with the Nations Prado drivers pride resting upon my shoulders as well as the battle of good (Prado) vs Evil (Patrol) laying in the balance I brought the 3.0L, Windboosted, DP Chipped, 3" exhausted black beast down towards the mud (remembering to fold the mirrors back with the help of a tree) As I entered the mud I gave the engine some right foot while holding the right side of the track trying to keep the left hand side of the vehicle out of the deep muddy ruts. The vehicle surged through the mud holding it's position but began to slip sideways to the left, I counter-steered and jabbed more on the accelerator and the combination of P1 on the wind booster, the DP Chip, 3" exhaust and the Federal MT Tyres allowed me to claw my way through where no Patrol had managed to pass! I had made it into the creek without any assistance. Prado had ruled over Patrol...again!

[winniliss Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close winniliss]

Waiting for the next episode...and rep points for a good write up.

Winston.

EDIT: Use the word write instead of right...

[The Alberto Member Find all posts View Profile Close The Alberto]

Geez that Southern Entrance to Palm Creek has changed since last year!

Here is a couple of pics from June 2012 for comparison....... (the Patrol in the pics was just a passing traveller).



That left side has been eroded away heaps since then. Again, great read Brains - Good to see the "Black Beast" put those Nissans to shame

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

To answer Brains when viewing the possibility of panel damage at Palm Creek I looked for the alternative. Braving the possibility of snakes, feral pigs and crocodiles I pushed on east wards to find the alternative crossing that we used.

The other drivers went down to check it out but didn't take a UHF so I was left to look out for the women, children and the vehicles left at the first crossing. On croc watch I started to dehydrate so needed to re-hydrate with the health drink of Qld, a Goldie.

I then guided the families down to the new crossing through the dangerous Nth Qld jungle, and it was obvious a steadying influence was required so I volunteered to take this important role on.

So ultimately after two hours of technical and physical skills all families and vehicles were safely across Palm Creek, it just goes to show that Age and Treachery will overcome Youth and Enthusiasm every time.

So in the theme of the Cape York adventure I will just have a Goldie and say DONE!!

Richo.

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

Is Saturday nights episode ready yet Paul... ;-)

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Is Saturday nights episode ready yet Paul... ;-)

It's coming a bit later when I sit down at the computer after kids to to bed.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

There comes a time when one of those major purchases that you make come in handy and are used to continue the forward movement of ones vehicle. It seemed that most of us would get the opportunity to justify the winch purchase's we had made when accessorising our vehicles. LFaR was particularly happy to utilise the Warn XP Winch to pull his Prado 150 up the steep incline.



Once we all had made it into Palm Creek after running up the creek about 10 metres there was a steep departure to exit Palm Creek. The water through this part of Palm Creek was only about 300 - 500mm deep so cleaned off some of the mud we had picked up getting into Palm Creek. Each of the vehicles drove up the steep departure but was unable to get up to a landing about 10 metres out of the creek. So with the vehicles stationary we fed out the winch cable and winched up to the first landing. Once we were on the first landing it was an easy progression up the next incline to a clearing above the creek line.



Richo pulled out the pink cable once again to progress the of Prado out of Palm Creek. Notice how Richo's Maxtrax still remained on top of his Prado, another sign of his lack of enthusiasm to get mud on him.



The first Patrol also had to winch out of the creek and when it came time for Tano to exit in his Patrol he activated his rear locker (cheat) and walked the Patrol out of Palm Creek without having to utilise his winch.

The reason behind us using the winches to get out of Palm Creek was two fold.

1. To show the wives that we really did need the winch when we purchased them justifying any further expense on the vehicles.

2. Seeing as the Patrol's had been shown up driving into Palm Creek we had thought we better let one get one over the Prados as there had been some sulking starting to occur. More so Prado envy I think.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Once we had the vehicles out of the creek we had to retrieve the 12 Maxtrax that we had used in the entry to the Palm Creek. We could see about three of them, and of course we hadn't installed the Maxtrax leashes to assist in locating the buried Maxtrax.



So the first few 1, 2, and 3 were easy to find and we started a bit of a working line where once retrieved from the mud the Maxtrax were passed to the members in the creek who agitated the thick mud off the lugs and teeth of the Maxtrax. Once cleaned they were passed on and taken up to the clearing where the vehicles were parked. We found 4, 5 and 6, these were cleaned and conveyed to the vehicles.

Searching continued and 7, 8, 9, and 10 were found. We thought we had done a fairly good job and covered most of the spots where we thought the Maxtrax should be. Number 11 was found and thrown to Richo who was in the Palm Creek assisting with the cleaning of the Maxtrax. Number 11 was heavily clad in mud and lets say that it was a little bit heavier than the last few. Well lets just say that the Maxtrax was thrown a little higher and shorter than the previous ones too. As it came crashing down about 75cm short of where Richo was standing waiting for it to arrive as it entered the water at an angle that caused the splash to hit Richo causing him to get a little wet. Was this done on purpose or did it come out of the throwers hands a bit differently due to the extra weight of the mud. I don't think we'll ever find out.



As the search continued for Number 12, reinforcements were brought in, in the shape of a shovel as the last and final Maxtrax seemed to be elusive in its discovery. Another 5 minutes went by with a few calls out that it had been found but unfortunately the gravel in the mud gave us a false sensation of a Maxtrax under foot.

Suddenly I reached down and felt the Nylon plastic of the raw Maxtrax stuck in the mud about 600mm under the surface, I began to work my hands under the base but it was stuck fast, I didn't give up but continued to work one ramp of the Maxtrax lifting it until I finally broke the suction that the mud had on this elusive Maxtrax. Finally it let go and the last Maxtrax was free and carried out to be cleaned by a wet Richo. We had the five vehicle through Palm Creek and all the Maxtrax were accounted for, back with the vehicles being placed on the racks or on rear wheel carriers. The crossing had taken about 2.5 hours to work on both entries , get all the vehicles through and recover the 12 Maxtrax. A beverage was certainly earned today, for some of us!!! Others had already jumped the gun and started on the beverages before the work had started.

This was a sense of accomplishment as there were plenty of vehicles not making the first crossing of the OTT. At this stage we had crossed it and were ready for what lay ahead.



Check out those mud socks!

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

With all the vehicles on the northern side of Palm Creek and the Maxtrax back on their mounts we made our way to the camping area and began to set up. Richo once again was premature in finishing yelling out 'DONE' like it was a race. The rest of us savoured the red dust on the vehicles in seeing hown much we could transfer onto ourselves while erecting roof top tents and getting camp supplies off the roof.







Camp that night was quickly set up, but while we were setting up we could here the sound of some vehicles approaching the crossing. The men and children heading to the crossing to see two utilities approach the crossing. The wives remained at the vehicles sucking back on wines and other beverages.

These two Hiluxes had 4" lifts and decent sized tyres and also had drivers that were willing to risk damage to their rigs. The first Hilux headed down the entry hitting panels and the rear bumper in a few spots on the way down. He made it into the creek and attempted the right hand exit track but only made it 3/4 way up. After speaking with the group we found out they were from the Gold Coast and were also heading to the tip. Richo went back to camp and retrieved the V6 Prado to assist in getting the first Hilux up the incline as it had no winch. The 200KW did it with ease and pulled the Hilux up to the northern bank.

The second Hilux made it's way down the entry sliding and shaking around as it made its way down. It took a heavy hit to the aluminium tray before entering the creek. As it attempted the exit it could only manage to climb about 1/4 of the exit and was eventually snatched up the exit by the other Hilux and both Hiluxes were on the northern side. These lads continued north as we returned to camp.

[Joshy Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joshy]

Great write up! I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Well after the 2.5 hours of work to get all the vehicles across and helping another 2 vehicles to cross, with camp set up we managed to have a feed and quench the thirst with some cool beverages. We then celebrated the days activities and toasted the rest of the OTT that lay ahead over a few mini beers! And we had a couple of bottles of Liqor 43 to finish before crossing the Jardine Ferry.