What Places & Things to avoid when visiting Cape York...

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Is Thursday Island worth a visit ??

When we went to the Cape we went to Thursday Island and Horne Island after friends recommended it. We got 2 tour packages, Cat trip to TI, bus tour around the Island then onto an old Taxi boat across to Horne Island, Lunch, visit the Museum and a bus tour.

Thursday Island is actually tiny, only about 2kms across, the Bus tour was visited the old fort and the Japanese cemetary which were good but the bus driver (woman that owns the company) was terrible, she has been doing this job for too long and it showed, it wasn't particularly enjoyable at all.

Horne Island was the total opposite, after the great taxi boat road in an OLD chugga we went to the Museum (war mainly) and could have spent many more hours there than we did. Then a guy named Liberty, who runs the museum and tours with his wife took us for a tour of the much larger Island looking mainly at war history again. He was absolutely fantastic, it was like he was showing us stuff he only discovered that morning. I couldn't recommend it highly enough to visit Horne island.

With both of these tours we actually didn't get a chance to explore the township on TI, they have the "Top Pub" in Australia (most Northerly) which even for a non drinker like me would have been good to visit. So if we get back that way again I would visit TI again but try and explore on my own, the Island is so small that you can easily walk anywhere. Only downside is the Cat Ferry service is run by the tour operators, so you would need to research option there.

hope that helps.

For what its worth I towed my Camper Trailer through Nolans and got stuck and got a couple of inches of water in the floor, my fault and I soo nearly made it. I would do the same again but not make the same mistakes (like not letting my tyres down from mid 20's to sand pressures like 16ish, Nolans was waist deep when we went through and I am 6'2" tall.

Cheers Andrew
Cheers Andrew

[Wazza2 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wazza2]

The alberto has some good advice I reckon.

We travelled around the same time as Brains and co this year

Vrilya Pt- dont stay at 'North Vrilya'. We did and the water was a bit stinky (algal bloom in the rock eddies) and also too much loose dunny paper kicking around. On visiting South Vrilya and also 'North OF Vrilya Pt' which is North of the wreck, we wished we had chosen Either of these two. Best case I reckon would have been South though. Fresh water close by and some good looking fishing spots.

As for Chili & Portland, well a tree nearly hit our camper when it crashed down on night 1 and then on night 2 the ranger was saying worse wind was expected so he was closing the camp. I would camp at one of the campgrounds about 10 to 15 k's back up the road and avoid the wind. Definitely go there during the day and have a good look around at the beach itself though. A magic beach and I would love to spend a few hours more wandering up and down. Portland roads does do a dinner service if you book by 3pm. We thoroughly enjoyed the seafood dinner.

We didn't do very well at Archer Pt just South of Cooktown either. Very windswept which stuffs your night's sleep. Only about 4 spots in the shelter of the hill and they fill up quick. Still reckon I need to thump my big bro for him encouraging us all to drive on past Lion's Den.

We overnighted at Kennedy River free camp. A bit overgrown at the time. Should have driven 50km further and stopped at Morehead River - again a sealed part of the Road so it is free from dust but much less overgrown.

What else to avoid? June 30 2013 at Supermarkets in Bamaga/Seisia. Bamaga had many bare shelves and Seisia was shut for stock-take. Also no grog sales on Sundays north of the Jardine. Stay at Loyalty Beach and the fishing club at the end of the c'van pk has an exemption and does serve grog on Sundays. We felt like we had won lotto at that point! Much cheaper camping than Seisia Caravan/camp ground too.

Above all else I would say one thing to avoid is putting off your trip. Cape York is a great adventure and some of the unpredictable stuff is what makes it exciting and fun. Get into it as soon as you can!

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Thanks for the replies.... keep them coming as there's some good info....

AJ.... if u don't mind, what sort of cost was it to do the tour u did as there is 5 of us.... (PM me if u like)?


Seems like it's a hit and miss when it comes to the places on the east coast in regards to the wind..... certainly want to camp out of the wind as I'm a bit of a light sleeper...

cheers
Rob

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I honestly can't remember what the cost was, there was three of us and it was definitely a few hundred including the Cat ride out and back, but whether it 3,4,or 5 hundred ish I can't recall.

They tell me your memory starts to go when you get old

Cheers Andrew

[pradogang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pradogang]

Hi Rob

We are heading up there the week after next. This is a link to Peddels. http://peddellsferry.com.au/two-island-tour/

Cheers

Jim

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Rob,

Just been thinking about this question and I really think you'll be flat our visiting the places that you want to see rather than trying to fill in with extra spots.

I would start with the list of must do spots and you'll probably find you may have to cull that.

Here I'll start you off

Cape Mellville

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Rob,

Just been thinking about this question and I really think you'll be flat our visiting the places that you want to see rather than trying to fill in with extra spots.

I would start with the list of must do spots and you'll probably find you may have to cull that.

Here I'll start you off

Cape Mellville

Yep, that's already on the List...... also Old Coach Rd from Laura to Maytown t& then onto Chillagoe is on the list too

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Also make sure you have a B plan, Cape Melville was closed when we went to the Cape, but it was the wetest dry season they had had for 20 years by all accounts I think Brains is correct, lots of good stuff and not much thats ordinary.

Cheers Andrew

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Also make sure you have a B plan, Cape Melville was closed when we went to the Cape, but it was the wetest dry season they had had for 20 years by all accounts I think Brains is correct, lots of good stuff and not much thats ordinary.

Cheers Andrew

Agree with AJ we had planned to do the CREB on the way up but due to it being closed we didn't do it and travelled up via the Bloomfield track. Managed to the CREB in on the way back.

Just book early with the National Parks sites and fill in around them. I can give you our itinerary and Stewy is on the way back now from covering much the same places.

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Agree with AJ we had planned to do the CREB on the way up but due to it being closed we didn't do it and travelled up via the Bloomfield track. Managed to the CREB in on the way back.

Just book early with the National Parks sites and fill in around them. I can give you our itinerary and Stewy is on the way back now from covering much the same places.

Thxs Paul.... that would be great if u could
There might be a 5th person coming but he probably won't be able to get the full 4/5wks off, so we may have to change the order that we were going to see things.....
The Plan was to visit areas on the western side heading up past the Weipa T/O and visit the eastern side on the way south.... may have to swap this around

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

If you arrive at seisia to go to TI or Horne island be aware that nothing happens on Sundays it's their church day ie no tours and nothing open , and you'll need to book early to go on a Saturday . Don't bother thinking you might drop into the pub at bamaga for a beer , it's a concrete bunker with no windows, the only window I could see was the one that served take away, there is a reason for that . Anywhere that has bitumen rds or phone reception has CHEESE PEOPLE .