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Some friends and I took advantage of the Queen's birthday long weekend to venture up north to Elim Beach.
About
"Elim Beach is one of the most spectacular sand dune environments on Cape York. The scenery is breathtaking. White silica sandhills, rugged escarpments and heathlands abound at Elim Beach. Coloured sands is located 400 m to the north, along the beach.
How to get there: Starting at Cooktown and driving out along Charlotte Street, it is 2.5km to Cooktown Pioneer Cemetary, then 4.4km to Hans Looser Lookout. Drive a further 8.7km to the Poison Creek Road Turnoff and 10.1km to Marton. You will reach the Marton Store where they offer boats for hire, fuel and a general Store. 10.8km later you will reach the Cooktown Airport, then it is 14.6km to Barretts Lagoon, where there is great birdwatching. A 31.5kmdrive from there is Endeavour Falls Tourist Park.
Access to the Falls is through the Tourist Park so please ask at the General Store for Permission to enter the falls. The Falls offer fuel, food, a general store and camping and caravan sites. From the Falls it is 35km to the Battle Camp Track Intersection. Keep going straight ahead to Hope Vale, or take a left on Battle Camp track and go to Isabella Falls, which is 5.4km along Battle Camp track. Otherwise, it is 43.8km to Hope Vale Aboriginal Community. A permit is required to access lands under the control of Hope Vale Aboriginal Council. Charges are $10 per vehicle per day and are available from the Council Office. In Hope Vale there is a supermarket, take away meals, fuel and artefacts.
After getting your permit take the second street on the left past the shops for the road to Elim Beach, which is 68.3km further.Access to coloured sands in along the beach at low tide (4WD only). Coloured sands is an easy 300 metre walk along the beach. The best views of the sands is reached by climbing up the soft sandhill on the north side past the Coloured Sands. Sands are not permitted to be collected." [1]
My Experience
Joining my girlfriend and I on this trip were four other cars including a Rav4, Discovery 3 & two Landcruisers. Between all of us, there was ample food, water, camping & recovery equipment on-hand. There are maintained basic camp sites before entering the beach but, on this occasion, they were all taken. This left us with the only option of camping on the beach. Not being a maintained campsite, it is always nice for women to have at least access to a shower which was available on the Disco 3. Fresh water for showering was sourced from the fresh water springs appearing high up on the beach.
The road conditions were fantastic with the second half of the coast road and some of the Elim Beach access track having recently been graded. I had some concern with the beach driving as there was a lot of driving through salt water. The Prado has been rust proofed but I will spend a few afternoons this week flushing out the chassis rails with fresh water.
The fishing from the beach is good with trevally, queenfish & long toms constantly smashing bait & lures in the mornings. It would be so much better with a boat as the locals were cleaning up on crayfish from the reefs just a few kilometres off the beach.
As well as some well deserved rest, you can explore the beach and sand dunes with the shallow waters providing the kids entertainment from spotting small sting rays, shovel nosed sharks and starfish.
All in all, a top camping spot with picture perfect backdrops - highly recommended.
Photos
1. Creek crossing
2. Almost there
3. Camp site
4. Sunrise Fishing #1
5. Moon
6. Sunset
7. Queenie
8. Sunrise Fishing #2
9. Long Tom
More photos are located in my personal photo gallery -
http://ozmatrix.com/gallery/v/camping/elim/
I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend!
Scott
[1] http://www.cook.qld.gov.au/visitors/...achSands.shtml
About
"Elim Beach is one of the most spectacular sand dune environments on Cape York. The scenery is breathtaking. White silica sandhills, rugged escarpments and heathlands abound at Elim Beach. Coloured sands is located 400 m to the north, along the beach.
How to get there: Starting at Cooktown and driving out along Charlotte Street, it is 2.5km to Cooktown Pioneer Cemetary, then 4.4km to Hans Looser Lookout. Drive a further 8.7km to the Poison Creek Road Turnoff and 10.1km to Marton. You will reach the Marton Store where they offer boats for hire, fuel and a general Store. 10.8km later you will reach the Cooktown Airport, then it is 14.6km to Barretts Lagoon, where there is great birdwatching. A 31.5kmdrive from there is Endeavour Falls Tourist Park.
Access to the Falls is through the Tourist Park so please ask at the General Store for Permission to enter the falls. The Falls offer fuel, food, a general store and camping and caravan sites. From the Falls it is 35km to the Battle Camp Track Intersection. Keep going straight ahead to Hope Vale, or take a left on Battle Camp track and go to Isabella Falls, which is 5.4km along Battle Camp track. Otherwise, it is 43.8km to Hope Vale Aboriginal Community. A permit is required to access lands under the control of Hope Vale Aboriginal Council. Charges are $10 per vehicle per day and are available from the Council Office. In Hope Vale there is a supermarket, take away meals, fuel and artefacts.
After getting your permit take the second street on the left past the shops for the road to Elim Beach, which is 68.3km further.Access to coloured sands in along the beach at low tide (4WD only). Coloured sands is an easy 300 metre walk along the beach. The best views of the sands is reached by climbing up the soft sandhill on the north side past the Coloured Sands. Sands are not permitted to be collected." [1]
My Experience
Joining my girlfriend and I on this trip were four other cars including a Rav4, Discovery 3 & two Landcruisers. Between all of us, there was ample food, water, camping & recovery equipment on-hand. There are maintained basic camp sites before entering the beach but, on this occasion, they were all taken. This left us with the only option of camping on the beach. Not being a maintained campsite, it is always nice for women to have at least access to a shower which was available on the Disco 3. Fresh water for showering was sourced from the fresh water springs appearing high up on the beach.
The road conditions were fantastic with the second half of the coast road and some of the Elim Beach access track having recently been graded. I had some concern with the beach driving as there was a lot of driving through salt water. The Prado has been rust proofed but I will spend a few afternoons this week flushing out the chassis rails with fresh water.
The fishing from the beach is good with trevally, queenfish & long toms constantly smashing bait & lures in the mornings. It would be so much better with a boat as the locals were cleaning up on crayfish from the reefs just a few kilometres off the beach.
As well as some well deserved rest, you can explore the beach and sand dunes with the shallow waters providing the kids entertainment from spotting small sting rays, shovel nosed sharks and starfish.
All in all, a top camping spot with picture perfect backdrops - highly recommended.
Photos
1. Creek crossing
2. Almost there
3. Camp site
4. Sunrise Fishing #1
5. Moon
6. Sunset
7. Queenie
8. Sunrise Fishing #2
9. Long Tom
More photos are located in my personal photo gallery -
http://ozmatrix.com/gallery/v/camping/elim/
I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend!
Scott
[1] http://www.cook.qld.gov.au/visitors/...achSands.shtml
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