I went on a 15 day trip from Cairns to Cape York in September. I will introduce the state of the trip along with the details of the places visited. I would like to put a lot of information that will be useful when planning a Cape York trip.
Previous article “Part ① From Cairns to Chili Beach” Click here.
- Day 5 of the trip, leaving Chilli Beach and heading to Bramwell
- To the Old Telegraph Track on Day 6 of the trip
Day 5 of the trip, leaving Chilli Beach and heading to Bramwell
On the morning of day 5, we packed up and left the Chilli Beach Camping Area at 9:00. Take Portland Road back to PDR (Peninsula Developmental Road). From the PDR, head north and after just 15km you come to a large fork in the road. If you continue along the PDR, you will reach the town of Weipa on the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula. A right turn will start on Telegraph Road and head further north.
We turn right here and continue up on Telegraph Road. After 73km, we took a rest at Moreton Telegraph Station. Restroom breaks, buying coffee, kids eating ice cream.
And I got two useful information here. The first is that the corrugations on the road ahead will be even worse, so it would be better to lower the tire pressure even further. So far it was 26 psi front and 28 psi rear, but I lowered it to 22 psi front and 24 psi rear.
The other is about the place to stay in Bramwell. There is Bramwell Roadhouse or Bramwell Station Tourist Park, but the tourist park has a better atmosphere. Well, this may also include the personal impressions of acquaintances who taught me.
So, I ran 41km from here and arrived at Bramwell Station Tourist Park, where I decided to stay for the day.
Bramwell Station Tourist Park
No need to make a reservation in advance. There is a large site, and you can secure a place wherever you like. There were several toilet and shower facilities, and the reception was a bar, restaurant, and shop.
We secured a good place where three of our friends could gather and stop, and it was 4:00 in the evening when we quickly finished setting up. From here, I went to the preliminary inspection tomorrow, and we had dinner after come back. Also, I was finally able to take a proper shower here.
To the Old Telegraph Track on Day 6 of the trip
On the 6th day of the trip, the day finally came. Exactly 5 years ago when I bought this car, Amarok, it was a goal and a longing, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the most famous 4WD track in Australia, “Old Telegraph Track” Challenge. The time has come.
The day before, I went to check out the first difficult creek, 4km from the start of the track. As a result of going to see it, the children say that they do not want to go because they are scared. And the kids kept telling mom to persuade dad.
However, in my mind, I have been preparing for the trip with the thought that “Cape York Trip = Old Telegraph Track”, so I didn’t have the option of stopping here because I was scared.
However, I can’t go unreasonably, so I’ll do a preliminary inspection the day before and be sure that I’ll be able to go here among several routes to cross the creek. I judged.
What is Old Telegraph Track?
First, what is the Old Telegraph Track? About that.
A long time ago, a truck along the telegraph line (operated from 1885 to 1962) was installed to run north and south in the middle of the peninsula as a means of communication for the people living on the Cape York Peninsula. It was developed as an important route for maintenance.
Since it was finally dismantled in 1987, it has been attracting attention from 4WD enthusiasts as a 4WD off-road truck. You can still find disused utility poles along the track.
The track starts at Bramwell Roadhouse and continues straight north to Jardine River. It is divided into two parts, the south side and the north side, and the south side is about 70km and the north side is about 40km.
There is also a bypass route, Bamaga Road, that takes you to the Jardine River ferry terminal and across the river to Cape York, bypassing the Old Telegraph Track. From Bramwell Roadhouse, head east, make a detour, head north, cross the track once in the middle, and head west to the Jardine River ferry terminal.
So, there are various route options, such as going only to the south part of the Old Telegraph track and then going through the bypass route, or going to the middle part on the bypass route and then challenging only the north part.
Bramwell Junction Roadhouse
On the morning of Day 6, leave Bramwell Station Tourist Park and head to Bramwell Roadhouse, the starting point of the Old Telegraph track. The distance is 14km.
This morning, of course, I was looking forward to it and was excited, but at the same time, I felt a thrill that I had never felt before while driving. This feeling has become something I will never forget.
Bramwell Roadhouse is located at the junction of the Old Telegraph track and the Bamaga Road bypass route, and is a petrol station, campground, cafe and shop. Drinking water is also available, so it’s a great place to make final preparations for the adventure that starts here.
Old Telegraph Track South
Now we have arrived at the starting point. The sign of “Old Telegraph Track” that I have seen many times on YouTube and TV. This is the place I really wanted to take pictures of.
This is a common sight on the side of the road at this starting point. Check tire pressure before entering the track. From here I went with 16 psi front and 18 psi rear. The average speed running on the track is probably 10-15km/h, and there are almost no places where you can go over 20km/h. As well as crossing the creek, the road surface is sandy, rocky, muddy, and one wheel is floating due to rough bumps. The most important thing is to go slow. If you feel a little worried or uneasy, take it slow.
Palm Creek
Four kilometers from the starting point, the first obstacle is crossing Palm Creek.
I heard that the track conditions change every year depending on the amount of rainfall and the amount of traffic in the rainy season. That’s one of the reasons why I came to Palm Creek the day before to see what it was like.
This is the entry to Palm Creek. It falls almost vertically with a drop of about 5m. Go down here to the creek, cross the creek and exit again in the same way.
No, this is impossible. Some people go this route, but I was satisfied with the pictures.
It seems that many people who head to Cape York using the bypass route without going to the Old Telegraph Track also come to see this Palm Creek. Near the entry of Palm Creek, there is a space to park your car, take pictures and videos, and cheer on those who challenge this entry. There are other ways to have fun, too.
If this was the only route, I would have gladly given up and taken the bypass route, but I knew there were other entry routes, so I went to check them out the day before. If you go about 30m to the right, there is a route that descends to another creek. One of them was just checking that it would be okay here.
A video of the entry is here.
After going down to the creek, turn left and after about 20m there is an easier exit route, where you can climb up from the creek. There was very little water in the creek when we went in September. As long as there are puddles. I was watching a video when a friend went there in July, and at that time there was water in the creek.
The season for Cape York trips is generally said to be from May to October, and I think the conditions will be quite different depending on when you go. May, just after the rainy season, and October, which is nearing the end of the dry season, will be very different.
And a video of the exit is here.
It was a little muddy on the way up, but I was able to go up without difficulty with the low-range first gear and the rear differential lock on. And I was a little relieved that I was able to clear the part where everyone was uniformly saying, “Palm Creek is the biggest challenge this year,” and I was able to proceed with confidence from here on.
Ducie Creek
After 3km from Palm Creek you will see Ducie Creek. The notes on the map said we were crossing a deep river, but the amount of water here was much less than I had expected. After entering the creek, it curves to the right, but the right side is deep, so let’s go through the left side as much as possible.
Watch the video here.
South Alice Creek
Next is South Alice Creek. There was no water here. It was completely dry. All I had to do was go down a small step and slowly pass through without rubbing the sides.
Watch the video here.
North Alice Creek
North Alice Creek, which comes after South Alice Creek, also had almost no water. There are just a few puddles. There is no problem if you take your time and pay attention to the steps when going down.
Video here.
Dulhunty River
The Dulhunty River was a beautiful river. The part where the river is crossed has a rocky bottom and shallow water, so it is a very easy crossing.
We arrived just before noon, so decided to have lunch here. Before crossing the river, there is a place where you can go to the left, and it seems that it is also a good camping spot. The river flows year-round, and the water is plentiful and beautiful. There were many people swimming in the river.
Watch the video here.
Bertie Creek
Bertie Creek after the Dulhunty River was also a beautiful place. Crossing the river is not difficult. The riverbed is rocky and rugged, and there are several large holes, so be sure to avoid them. Instead of crossing immediately, run to the right along the river, and when you get as far as you can go, turn left and cross the shortest distance. If you have someone with you, it’s easier to navigate if you have them stand at the deep hole in the riverbed.
However, when we went there, there were many people playing in the river and camping here as well, and everyone was helping the car to cross the river. Someone was standing by the river, someone was giving directions, everyone was helping each other. So, even if I went alone, I was able to try it with confidence.
Watch the video here.
Gunshot Creek
And then there’s the Gunshot. Only here there is a sign. We have come to the most famous point on the Old Telegraph track.
For the time being, there is a bypass route that you can go around without going through this gunshot as it is on the signboard.
So what is a gunshot? I think the easiest way to understand is the video. The original gunshot is here.
It’s a road. Everyone said that this year’s Palm Creek was like a gunshot, but the real gunshot was different. There are people who go through here, or rather, fall. As expected, I can’t do it.
But here in Gunshot there were also many route options. Roughly speaking, there were about 7 or 8 places.
The rightmost route is here.
It’s not bad, but it was a little curved and there was a lot of water.
And the leftmost route is here.
The slope here is gentler, and even after going down, it is muddy, but the water is not deep, so we decided that it would be the easiest option. So, I decided to give it a try.
Watch the video here.
Someone who appeared out of nowhere suddenly decided to be a spotter. It seems that when I fell, I couldn’t tell which direction the tires were facing for a moment, and I turned too far to the left. “Right! Right!” Well, it passed safely.
Photo right after.
Then cross the creek and go up to the other side. There was a bit of traffic here, and the group of 5 or 6 cars in front of us had a hard time getting up, so we waited in line before going.
Watch the video here.
Here too, I was able to go without difficulty with low range, first gear, and rear differential lock-on. Everyone in the previous group was stuck, so I cleared it in one shot and received applause.
The gunshots you see on YouTube and on TV only appear in the original, but in reality there are many options and you can choose an easy route, so if you want to try it, please go there.
Cockatoo Creek
After passing Gunshot Creek, the south part is approaching the second half. Next up is Cockatoo Creek. This is also a popular camping spot with a beautiful creek running through it.
You should walk across any creek first to check the depth and bottom, but especially when crossing this creek it is better to take a good course. The riverbed is rocky, so you don’t have to worry about tires getting stuck in the soft sand, but there are holes here and there that suddenly get deeper, so plan your course to avoid them.
Again, there was a group of people relaxing in the river, but they were standing in a spot with a hole to watch out for when we crossed. So, I was able to pass without problems while checking the course slowly.
Video here.
Sheldon Lagoon
Just past Cockatoo Creek and a few smaller creeks and I thought I was done with the south part, I literally fell into a trap. This place is not on the map, and when I looked it up later on the internet, I found out that it was called “Sheldon Lagoon”.
It looks like you just crossed a shallow puddle with a length of only 10m. However, as soon as I walked into the puddle, it suddenly became deep from the depth of the shin to the depth of the waist. The water was brown and murky, and I couldn’t see the depth at all.
There were two cars parked in front of me when I arrived. And in front of it, there was a car stuck in deep mud, trying to get out of the right side to avoid the puddle. I was told that the man had no shovel, no recovery board, no winch, got stuck and was stuck for two hours until we and the two cars in front of him came.
First of all, one car crossed first, and I connected the rope and pulled it out. If I had gone with two cars, the recovery would have been fine, but he went solo and didn’t have any recovery gear, so he had to wait until someone came.
What should I bring as a minimum? It was a moment when I understood well.
By the way, how did I pass? When I checked it on foot, I thought that the left wheel would fall into the deep side considering the width of the car.
Video here.
I was nervous for a moment, but it was fine.
Sailor Creek
And the last creek in the south part, Sailor Creek. This is also an easy crossing. There is a wooden bridge over it, but it is broken so you can’t pass. From the right side of the bridge, go down to the creek and make a detour to cross to the other side.
The video is here.
Join the bypass route (Bamaga Road) and head to the northern part
A few kilometers past Sailor Creek, we joined the Bamaga Road bypass route. This is the end of the south part, and I conquered it safely.
After 7km on Bamaga Road, you will see this sign. If you go straight, take the bypass road to the Jardine River ferry terminal, turn right and enter here to start the North part of the Old Telegraph track.
Two nights camping at Canal Creek
On this day, as planned, I entered the north part and went to Canal Creek, which is 7km away. I got here around 6:00 in the evening. I left Bramwell Roadhouse at 9:00 in the morning, running, stopping, crossing the creek, and going on bumpy roads for a total of 9 hours. It was one of the most fun and exciting days of driving, but I was exhausted. My wife and children were also shaken violently and it was a long drive, so they were exhausted too.
So we camped here at Canal Creek for two nights. The next day, we didn’t drive and just played in the river at a nearby creek.
Fruit Bat Falls
The next day, in the morning, I visited Fruit Bat Falls. Go back a little from Canal Creek and enter immediately from the junction where the north part begins. From here it is 2.7 km to the Fruit Bat Falls parking lot.
There is a toilet next to the parking lot, and there is also an information board. A few minutes walk from here to reach the swimming area of Fruit Bat Falls.
Fruit Bat Falls is almost always seen in Cape York tourist information, but it was actually more beautiful than the photo. The water is clear, not too cold, and deep enough for children to play safely.
Generally, when we go to play in the river, it’s good at first, but the river water is often cold, so the children immediately start shivering, but we were able to play here for a long time. I have been here all morning.
Eliot Falls
After playing at Fruit Bat Falls, we went to one more place before heading back to the Canal Creek campground.
Turn right just before Canal Creek and go 1km to Eliot Falls. Here is Eliot Falls Campground in Jardine River National Park, which has campsites you can book online.
We only play the creek and there is ample parking for day visitors. There was also a toilet.
Walk just a few minutes from the parking lot to reach Eliot Falls. It was beautiful here too.
You can walk on the shallow rocks above the waterfall. There is quite a current, so don’t take off your flip flops and be washed away. .
Speaking of playing here, it’s a jump from the top of the waterfall to the bottom. Jump in and be swept away, and if you go a little downstream, you can come right up from the rocky place.
After spending some time here, we headed back to the Canal Creek campground for lunch.
Canal Creek
The Canal Creek campground does not have toilets or other facilities, so we secured a place along the river to the left in front of the creek. Of course you can stay for free, but the place is first come, first served. Even if you go early in the morning to find a spot, there may still be people camping from the day before, so I think early afternoon is the best time to secure a good spot.
We went to two creeks in the morning, came back, had lunch, and then played leisurely here at Canal Creek. It’s not wide here either, but there’s a beautiful creek running through it.
We played in the river, ate lunch, took a nap, relaxed while watching the sunset, and ate dinner. We have to make such a leisurely day in the trip for 15 days. After all, it is a trip with a lot of movement, so you need a day to rest.
Old Telegraph Track North
Stayed 2 nights at Canal Creek and it was the 8th day of the trip. To the north part of the Old Telegraph track on this day.
Canal Creek has already entered the north part and will be the second creek crossing. The first was right at the beginning of the north part.
Scrubby Creek
The map said it was a long, deep creek crossing, but I didn’t notice it when I went. I found a route to enter the creek from a slightly sloping drop, but there were people camping on the right side of it, and I walked over to see it, and there was a gentle slope and a quick crossing of the creek. So I went through them.
When I looked back later, I was like, “Oh, this must have been Scrubby Creek,” and I didn’t take any pictures or videos.
Canal Creek
Canal Creek is a little back from the left side of the creek where we camped, and it goes up over a short creek. You can go here without any difficulty.
Sam Creek
I didn’t take any pictures or videos of the next Sam Creek, and honestly I don’t remember where Sam Creek was. In September, when the water level was very low, it was so different from the video I had seen on YouTube beforehand that I had no idea where it was.
Mistake Creek
I remember clearly from this Mistake Creek. The north part from here had the impression that there were many deep creeks. There appear to be several entries to Mistake Creek, but I believe there is only one. Other routes were so badly damaged that it was almost impossible for a car to pass.
Entry after a big curve. The slope is fairly steep, and the lower part was made with some rocks to fill in the gaps. As soon as I entered the creek, I was able to turn right and just barely get through.
Watch the video here.
The water in the creek was very clean, although it got muddy after the cars passed by.
Cannibal Creek
Next Cannibal Creek is also a creek with a lot of water. It’s like going down slowly, entering the water, going straight, making a big 180-degree U-turn, and coming out on the other side.
On this day, I entered the river many times, walking and checking the depth repeatedly, so I stayed in my board shorts and barefoot the whole time.
The video is here.
Cypress Creek
Cypress Creek is a slightly different pattern. Although it is a creek, it does not cross the river, but crosses the bridge over the river.
This bridge is made of logs lined up side by side, but it seems that the logs are damaged every year during the rainy season, and in worst cases, they are all washed away. So every year we repair and rebuild from scratch, so the shape of the bridge seems to be different every year.
This year’s bridge was hollow in the middle and had gaps, and there were several places where the logs were held together with ratchet straps. This seems fine.
Before crossing the bridge, you just have to align the tires and go straight.
Watch the video here.
Logans Ford
Here at Logans Ford was the longest and deepest creek crossing. Even without the long crossing, I could have gone all the way to the right of the entry point, descended from a slightly steeper dropoff, and avoided a deep creek, but I chose the long crossing.
I walked across the creek a total of four times. Walk from left to right. Deeper on the left. When I walked to the right, there were some big rocks on the bottom of the water, so I moved them. There was a tree on the bottom of the water that could not be moved, so I checked the location. The bottom is sandy but fairly firm.
While I was preparing, all the children changed into their swimsuits and started playing in the river.
Check everything, decide the route and try.
Video here.
I cleared it slowly in low range, first gear, without any problems. After that, I made a little river play time and then moved on.
Nolan’s Brook
The last creek in the north part is Nolan’s Brook. This is the deepest creek and the sandy bottom is soft.
There are several entry routes into the creek, but in any case, the creek you cross after entering is deep and the sand is soft. So, when I actually went there and walked in the water, it was about the same depth as Logans Ford, but shorter in length, and the sandy bottom was a little softer. So, just in case, I also lowered the tire pressure to 12psi.
This is also a popular camping spot, and many people were playing in this creek. Full of children. Adults sat on chairs, drink beer, and watched the cars cross the river.
And on the other side of the creek was a car parked with a recovery rope already attached behind it. This seemed to stand by so that if someone stopped in the creek while crossing, they could be pulled over immediately.
Here’s the video here.
I passed here as well. And I was able to clear everything without any trouble.
To the Jardine River Ferry
Turn left just past Nolans Brook and follow Bamaga Road, a bypass route for 11km. At this point, the tire pressure was set back to 26 psi for the front and 28 psi for the rear. And from here it’s 24km to the Jardine River ferry terminal.
By the way, if you go straight without turning left, you can reach the Jardine River Crossing, which is now closed to traffic, at the end of the north part of the track. Before, when there was no ferry yet, I used to cross this Jardine River. I think it took a lot of courage to cross this river, which is definitely a habitat for crocodiles.
However, now the ferry is the only way to cross the Jardine River, so if you come to see this place, you have to go back the way you came and go to Bamaga Road.
See you in the next article from the Jardine River Ferry.
3. Exploring the northernmost tip of Cape York area
