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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



 
 
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Old 16 Jul 2008
loxsmith's Avatar
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Ex Bris, Australia
Posts: 490
Posties to The Cape '08

Stop laughing, this is going to be some serious fun. This is not part of the organised "Postie Bike Challenge". Just 3 mates who like a challenge!

The plan is to ride from Cairns to Cape York and back to Cairns in 3 weeks starting August 23rd on CT110X Honda's
No backup just 3 crazy riders to sort out any problems that may arise.

What I am looking for any special places to see/visit that are not in the guide books or commonly known about. Or suggestions on changing the route we have planned. Everything is flexible as it has to be on a ride like this. There is no set dates to be in any designated place.
Flights have been booked to get to Cairns as the 3 of us are spread around the country. I will not book a return flight until the day we arrive back in Cairns as too much can and will change.

I have done the Cape run before but in a 4WD so I know what to expect and how deep the creek crossings are likely to be.

Here is where we think we will go


Option 1
Kuranda
Mareeba fuel available
Dimbulah fuel available
Mt Mulligan
Palmer River Roadhouse fuel available

Option 2 I would rather this option.
Trinity Beach
Mossman fuel available
Daintree fuel available
Cape Tribulation fuel available PK’s Jungle Village, IGA Supermarket and camping.
Bloomfield fuel available
Wujal Wujal
Ayton
Cedar Bay NP
Helenvale fuel available Lions Den Hotel Index of /


Lakeland
fuel available

Laura
fuel available Just south of Laura you can turn off to Split Rock and the Quinkan Aboriginal Rock Art Galleries, which feature some fabulous Aboriginal rock paintings.

Hann River Crossing
fuel available good camping on the Kennedy River

Musgrave Roadhouse
fuel available ph4060 3229

Coen
Fuel available Exchange Hotel, known as the Sexchange Hotel, you'll see why when you get there.

Archer River Roadhouse
fuel available ph4060 3266 There is a memorial to Toots Holzheimer, legendary female truckie of Cape York who died in a loading accident in 1992.

Weipa fuel available.
Fishing off the jetty, squid jig and hand reel with wire trace. Visitors can use the public swimming pool and there are medical centres, vehicle repairers and all facilities you could ever need. The fishing around Hey, Embley and Mission Rivers are reputed to be very good. Back East on shortcut to “Batavia Downs”.

Moreton Telegraph Station
ph40603360 over the Wenlock River fuel available? Less than 100 metres after crossing the Wenlock there’s a small track branching off into the bush. Turn left here and follow for about 1km to arrive at the ruins of Batavia goldfields.

Bramwell Junction OTL fuel available ph40603230 camping

Dulhunty River nice campsite 7km west of crossing

Bertie Creek 1km downstream is good camp site??

Gunshot Creek camping

Cockatoo Creek camping

Sailor Creek camping

Fruitbat Falls
“We will see this again on the way down” Day use only

Eliot/Twin/Indian Head Falls
Camping Ranger ph4060 3241 Be careful at Indian Head - the flow of Eliot Creek and the drop in the creek bed combine to form what's known as a sieve at the top of the falls. Being swallowed up by this can, and has been fatal.
Canal Creek just north of Eliot/Twin Falls, which would have to be one of the best bush camps

Nolans Brook camping

Jardine Ferry ph4069 1369 camping

Injinoo fuel available ex Sat/Sun

Umagico fuel available

Bamaga fuel available

Seisha fuel available

· Day trip to TI and Horn Island
· Chopper flight maybe
· Sea Swift passenger and vehicle ferry 2 night trip to Cairns. Departs every Monday 1800 424422

Loyalty Beach
A delightful new campground, Loyalty Beach, has been established by the people of New Mapoon and is situated 3km east of Seisia. The camping area is somewhat quieter than Seisia and is managed by the Lennox family, again a very pretty spot.

Punsand Bay
Safari and Fishing Lodge offers a little more than the other camping areas. Here you will find a small swimming pool, permanent tent accommodation and a bar and restaurant. Visitors are welcome at any time and scenic helicopter flights can be taken right off of the beach. Punsand Bay is a private reserve with long, white beaches, a licensed restaurant, camping areas, cabins and amenities. Like Seisia, it's a very pretty place and lies 11km from Lockerbie along a sandy, often bumpy track. Unfortunately, you can't swim here because of the crocs and sharks, but the beach is great for a stroll at sunset and there's an interesting wreck to poke around at the southern end. Fishing tours and pre-arranged transport to Thursday Island are also available from Punsand Bay.

Pajinka “The Tip”

Somerset

Approx distances using opt 2
Cairns to Daintree 110km
Daintree to Helenvale “Lions Den” 70km
Helenvale to Laura 120km Fuel
Laura to Musgrave 140km
Musgrave to Coen 110km
Coen to Archer River 65km Fuel
Archer River to Weipa 150km
Weipa to Bramwell 175km Fuel
Bramwell to Jardine 130km
Jardine to Bamaga 45km Fuel
Bamaga to Pajinka 35km
Total 1 way Cairns to Pajinka 1150km approx.

Fuel stops are a guess at a range of about 350km???


The Trip Down

Now if we have made it this far and the bikes still start we are in for some real fun. Theme for this run is go hard or go home. Bodies should be used to the pounding by now.

Somerset via beach to

Nanthau Beach (East Coast)

Bamaga
11km south east to Jackey Jackey Airfield WW2 wrecks scattered to the west and north of the strip. One of the better ones was hard to find so here are the GPS coordinates if you want to check it out (S 10°56.184’ E 142°27.327’)

Mutee Head
which was an army radio base during the war because of the deep water for landing. Jardine River Mouth (West Coast)

Jardine via Northern bypass Rd

Fruit Bat Falls

Captain Billy’s Landing
via the Southern Bypass Rd. The caves to the right are flooded at high tide but when the water is low you can walk right into them, watch your heads and hold your nose as they are filled with bats. It is almost always windy here, so there is a lovely campsite back up the road and behind the bushes above the cliffs.

Bertie Creek

Dulhunty River

Bramwell Junction fuel available

Chilli Beach
in Iron Range NP (East Coast)
The beach is beautiful however its unfortunate that the currents wash up the rubbish of the shipping trade. The campsites are excellent and there are many to choose from amongst rainforest.

Lockhart River
fuel available. Further East is Portland Roads and ex US Troop base during WW2

Archer River fuel available

Coen
fuel available. Exchange Hotel, known as the Sexchange Hotel, you'll see why when you get there.

Port Stewart (East Coast)

Kalpower Crossing
on the Normanby River is good camping

New Laura
“Caulders Lake” worth a look

Old Laura

Battle Camp

Hope Vale
fuel available. Continue on to Elim where it is possible to ride on the beach 15km to Cape Flattery. Fresh water streams run across the beach.

Cooktown fuel available

Helenvale
fuel available Lions Den Hotel Index of /

Rossville

Ayton fuel available

Bloomfield fuel available
Bloomfield Falls has a resident Crock

Wujal Wujal
Creb Track following the line marked out for laying the power poles for the Cairns Regional Electricity Board “I’m excited now”

Noah Beach
Campground is situated 8km south of Cape Tribulation and has 17 campsites. Noah Creek is a short 1km walk to the south along the beach from the campground. Crocodiles may be present, so stay away from the water’s edge at all times.

Daintree fuel available

Mossman fuel available

Mt Molloy fuel available

Mareeba fuel available

Atherton fuel available

Yungaburra

Gillies Highway from the Tableland to Goldsborough Valley near Gordonvale, famous for its 200+ corners in 20km of road “and we are going down, let the race home begin. Loser shouts the first round at the Gordonvale Pub”

Gordonvale fuel available

Cairns


Any suggestions would be much appreciated
Glen
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