We meet in Cairns and after introductions, we begin our 18 day adventure! Heading up the twisting Kuranda Range we travel across the Tablelands and stop in Dimbulah for morning tea.
We then head for Chillagoe where, after lunch we explore the smelters and have a ranger guided tour of the limestone caves before heading to camp.
In the evening we are provided with a welcome meal and we get to know each other over dinner!
After our morning briefing we head for the Hodgkinson Goldfields and hit the dirt as we explore the area.
After a stop for lunch we head to Mt Mulligan, cited as Queensland’s Uluru. At the base of this impressive outcrop we find Mt Mulligan mine, the site of the state’s worst industrial disaster. We explore the old township and mine buildings before heading north through station lands.
A short section on the Mulligan Highway and we arrive at the Palmer River Roadhouse, our stop for the night.
A short way up the Mulligan and we turn off to the start of the Peninsular Development Road (PDR). Travelling into Quinkan country we enjoy a guided tour of some aboriginal rock art. The collection of rock art galleries in the area are listed by UNESCO as being among the top 10 rock art sites in the world!
Stopping in Laura for lunch, we learn about the pioneer history of the area before heading up the PDR.
We
stop at Artemis Station to set up camp and maybe, see if we can spot the very
rare golden shouldered parrot!!
Today our journey is entirely on the PDR. A patchwork of bitumen and dirt sections, we keep our fingers crossed the grader has been along recently! Contrary to popular belief, the PDR goes to Weipa on the west coast and it’s actually the Telegraph Road and Bamaga Road that will take us to The Tip in days to come.
We call in to Musgrave Roadhouse taking a look at the pioneer graves and historic telegraph post. We continue on to a beautiful lunch spot on the Stewart River before heading to Coen for a quick stop.
Our final leg for the day takes us to Merluna Station to setup camp and enjoy the tranquility.
Having enjoyed the morning bird calls, we depart Merluna and head to the mining town of Weipa.
We are in camp early and you have a free afternoon to relax, explore or wet a line. You also have the opportunity to resupply at the supermarket!
We are booked onto a sunset eco cruise to get up close with the local wildlife in this diverse habitat and hope to spot plenty of saltwater crocodiles and many bird species.
This morning we have a bus tour of Weipa and the Rio Tinto mine. We will learn all about the bauxite mining operations and history of the area with our knowledgeable guide.
We have lunch in Weipa before we get back on the road on our way to Bramwell Junction. Always an exciting stopover, this is where the Tele' Track starts!
We will traverse sections of the southern half of the Old Telegraph Track (OTT) at a leisurely pace giving us plenty of time to size up the crossings and watch others attempt them too.
We will help the group negotiate each creek together and will always have the recovery gear at the ready!
There are options to bypass some crossings if needed.
Our camp for the next two nights is at Eliot Falls.
Today we have a free day so no need to pack up camp!
You might want to go for a drive on the northern section of the Tele' Track? Take yourself for a swim and explore around Eliot and Twin Falls? Or there's the short drive to Fruit Bat Falls?
There are plenty of swimming holes in the area and an abundance of flora and fauna to seek out.
You could try and do all of the above, or none at all. It's your choice today!
Crossing Scrubby Creek we are on the Bamaga Road and heading north once more. We come to the Jardine River and cross on the ferry to the Northern Peninsula Area.
We drive to Mutee Head and gain an understanding of the Aboriginal and Islander communities in the NPA. There is plenty of WWII history in the area and we seek out radar installations, gunning placements, fuel dumps and a couple of plane wrecks.
We head to Seisia to set up camp for the next few nights overlooking the Endeavour Strait.
Taking some of the lesser used tracks, we head to Pajinka. First stop is the Croc Tent to pick up those souvenirs.
We aim for the coast and drive the beautiful Five Beaches Loop before heading off to Somerset to explore the ruins of the Jardine family home.
The last push north sees us parking up at Frangipani Bay. A short walk across the headland before we finally make it to The Tip!
Tonight, we are provided a sunset dinner on the beach, and celebrate having made it to the Northernmost Point on mainland Australia!
We have a free day in Seisia!
You could take a fishing charter to catch those big pelagics. Or how about a trip to Thursday Island?
There’s also plenty more to explore in the NPA and of course you could just take in the sea views whilst relaxing at camp.
Beginning our journey south, we cross the Jardine before we head to the east coast where we enjoy lunch at Captain Billy Landing.
Back onto the bypass road we head to Moreton Telegraph Station where we camp for the night next to the Wenlock River.
You have a chance to explore the property, taking a walk along the river searching for Palm Cockatoos, Antilopine Wallaroos and the Common Spotted Cuscus. Or you could try your luck fishing at the Barra Hole!.
Departing Moreton, we set off towards Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park, one of the largest remaining areas of lowland rainforest to be found in Australia
We spend the afternoon exploring Portland Roads and Chili Beach on the often windy east coast!
We camp in the middle of the rainforest and marvel at the amazing biodiversity with some birdwatching and maybe some spotlighting too.
We drive into Lockhart River, first stopping at Iron Range Airfield, a former WWII bomber base. We have morning tea at Quintel Beach overlooking it's granite boulders.
Back on the tracks and we head to the Batavia Goldfields for an explore of an abandoned town. We stop at the Archer River Roadhouse for a break before our final leg to Coen.
We camp in town which gives us the opportunity to explore the Heritage House and maybe sink a cold one in the Exchange Hotel.
Departing Coen we hit the dirt tracks heading towards Port Stewart before turning off and heading for Lama Lama National Park.
We break here for morning tea before journeying on to Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park where we see the termite mounds of the Nifold Plain, some beautiful lily lagoons and try to spot some Brolgas.
We will camp at Kalpower Crossing where you can enjoy a forest walk or try some croc spotting on the Normanby River!
After packing up camp we continue through Lakefield National Park spotting the abundant wildlife as we go. We explore Old Laura Homestead which is a superb example of early property in this area.
Exiting the park we travel through the Battle Camp range before stopping at Isabella Falls for a refreshing dip.
We make it to Cooktown, setup camp and you have the afternoon free to explore this historic town. We head out to a high point to watch a glorious sunset over the Endeavour Valley.
This morning we start with a walk to through the railway park, to restitution rocks and along the front. You might like to grab a coffee before we take a look around the incredibly informative James Cook Museum. After lunch we head out to Archer Point to see some spectacular views of the coastline reef before we drive on to Black Mountain and marvel at its unique building blocks.
A short drive takes us to our final camp at the iconic Lion’s Den Hotel. We camp near the creek so you can go for a dip or take a look at the pub and museum. This evening we are provided with our farewell meal and we reminisce on the adventure we’ve been on.
Our
last day is a big one! Heading south we get to the community of Wujal Wujal, visit
the awesome Wujal Wujal (Bloomfield) Falls and then stop in at the arts centre.
This is also the start of the famed Bloomfield Track which is extremely steep
and climbs over two ranges. We get glimpses of the ocean before dropping down
to Cape Tribulation.
After
lunch we drive through the Daintree Rainforest where “The Rainforest Meets The
Reef!” Crossing the mighty Daintree River by ferry we absorb the spectacular
coastal scenery. Arriving back in Cairns we say goodbye to our newly made
friends.
Please contact us if you have any questions and we'll be able to help!