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Adventure Australia Cape York Peninsula
from: Oze Parrot
Cape York Peninsula is a roughly cone shaped body of land in northern Queensland, formed by the north east coast of Australia and the Gulf of Carpentaria. As the crow flies, the Cape is about 400km broad, at it's base and is about 1000km, by road, to the Tip of the Cape from Cairns. Cape York Peninsula occupies an area of about 150,000km sq. and supports a population of a mere 18,000 people.
The Tip, as the northern extremity of Cape York Peninsula is referred to, is just 140km away from New Guinea which is on the other side of Torres Strait, a narrow body of water, peppered with tiny islands that separates the two countries.
A road journey to the Tip requires a great deal of preparation and can be a testing experience for adventure travellers and their vehicles. The trip should only be attempted during the dry season, that is May to October, as the roads beyond Cooktown are unsealed and in places become quagmires during the wet season, also, there are many river and creek crossings on the way that become impassable during the wet season.
A reliable, heavy duty 4WD equipped with a winch and long range fuel tanks is ideal for a trip to the Cape, it is advisable to carry extra spares for the vehicle and trailer as services are few and far between after crossing the Daintree River. It is also a good idea to team up with a group, or at least one other vehicle owner, to travel in convoy with for the entire journey. Some of the roads and tracks to be encountered are extremely rough, even treacherous and mishaps can occur at any time.
Cairns is a large, vibrant city and the best place to stock up on supplies before setting out on the journey north. Be advised that Cape York Peninsula has a humid, tropical climate, is sparsely populated with limited services that are a long way apart, it is also home to some of the most annoying, venomous and dangerous creatures on Earth, not the least being midges and mossies. Stock up on supplies of Mega B and Garlic supplements to help ward off disease carrying mosquitoes and midges, also get yourself a good quality mosquito net.
The journey from Cairns to the Daintree River is quite pleasant and scenic. There is a barge at the Daintree River to take your vehicles across for a reasonable rate. There are also crocodile warning signs every where along the river banks and my advice to the traveller is to keep these warning signs in mind at all times on the trip to the Tip and back to Cairns.
This is crocodile country, crocs are likely to be found in any body of water, no matter how small, murky or muddy. When approaching an ocean beach, rock pool or pond just bear in mind that a crocodile is watching you. Crocodiles have been in existence since prehistoric times and their modus operandi is ambush, should you need water from a stream or billabong for washing or for the vehicles radiator be ever so cautious, extend a bucket or billy into the water on the end of a broom handle.
The road from the Daintree to Cooktown is mostly sealed, it winds through areas of rain forest, passes tea plantations and through Cape Tribulation, a popular resort location. Cooktown is recognised as the site of the first European settlement on the East Coast of Australia and all amenities and services are available there. It is also one of those places that one is sad to leave, despite the mossies, midges and crocs.
The journey from Cooktown across to The Peninsula Developmental Road, which heads due north, is uneventful but then, this is where the real journey begins.
About the Author
Oze Parrot is an author, publisher and Internet marketing consultant.
Formerly a tourist operator and real estate business marketing consultant
Location: Queensland, Australia.
You may republish this article as long as you include the name of the author and provide an active link to: http://travelhunter.erlypro.com/australia/
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