Cape York in a 89 Rangie

[Konradical]

Should I? Or shouldn't I?

If so, what advice can you guys give me regarding set up and gear, etc.. that will see me be successful.

So far I think the trip is planned for about this time next year.

I have couple of days in hospital, so making a list will keep me sane.

Thanks in advance!

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[Homestar]

I'd drive mine around Australia no dramas, but you would need to be confident in both your vehicle and your repair skills IMO. I know mine inside out, back to front so I'd be happy with this, but if you've had reliability issues in the past, you'd want to do plenty of trouble free KM before setting out.

[Konradical]

You have a fair point. I have driven the oodnadatta track ad hoc with only it set up as is and researching tyre pressures the night before, with no problems.

And considering 90% of the trip is a formed road, I can't foresee any issues, but I guess you won't until you hit the rough stuff.

I'm fairly confident in the vehicle and all 4 of us are mechanics, so there should be no worries in someone being able to fix things.

I am also thinking about keeping it all in-car with a roof top tent and all that good fruit.

Oh and there will be a second vehicle.

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[Hogarthde]

We travelled there couple of years ago, no problem. Fuel readily available, enough passing traffic ,a fair amount of bitumen,....enjoy !

dave

[Konradical]

What did you do it in? Do you recommend anything in particular to get there and back, or is it not really that special?

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[PhilipA]

I did it a couple of years ago in my 91towing my camper trailer and doing the Northern OTL.
I recommend that you have good tyres with at least 75% tread, and know that your shocks and suspension bushes are in good condition. I did a fan on the Northern OTL and had a new one sent to Cooktown to pick up on the way back.
Unless your RRC is raised , locked and loaded it is not a good idea to try the OTL.


When I did it the stretch to Coen was by far the worst ( whoops forgot the bit along the ridge after where the Northern track starts) and the Coen RACQ bloke makes a fortune out of fixing broken camper trailers. This is because semis use this bit to get to Weipa, and once a week the Woolworths truck does the trip. I met him when he was south of Coen and even he was crawling along at about 20Kmh. There is a woolies at Weipa to restock which is resupplied once a week, when we were there on a Tuesday.

I really enjoyed Archer River, and Moreton Telegraph station and swam in the Archer River before seeing the do not swim signs.LOL

Seisia is great and has a good minimarket supplied from Cairns and Bamaga had a great bakery. Punsand Beach is great to stay at and don't miss the Beaufort and D3 wrecks near Bamaga airport. The Five beaches drive south of Somerset is a great drive but keep away from the mangroves and it can be very soft.
Regards Philip A

[Konradical]

That trip sounds the go.

How long did it take you in total?

I might have to try and map that out.

I am in the process off redoing all the suspension bushes and giving the car a good once over. Shocks are 5 years old but still in pretty good condition.

I am considering putting a air locker in the front and some degree of a LSD or something in the rear(lockright maybe?) But will have to see how the budget holds up after a winch and other gear.

I also read that it's better to have all terrains as opposed to muddies. How true is this? About that time I should be due for a set of tyres so could be a good opportunity to get the right ones first go.

So far my 89 is set up as follows:
2" lift with foam cell shocks
-25 offset 16x8" rims with kuhmo roadventure MT's
Steel bull bar (will be set up with winch)
Steel rear bar with custom spare wheel carrier and two Jerry holders
Steel roof rack for roof top tent
GME CB with 6ohm antenna
Dual battery set up and will extend to a third for the trip
Rear draws and fridge set up
Hard wired and plumbed air compressor with air tank
List goes on for the small stuff.

Guess I'll just have to get the traction side sorted.

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[rar110]

You won't need the lockers unless you plan on going off the main drag.

[PhilipA]

I also read that it's better to have all terrains as opposed to muddies. How true is this?

IMHO ATs are adequate and remember there are thousands of miles of Bitumen to cover before you get there which with aggressive MTs may drive you mad..

It took about 10 days actually there plus the time to get there. We spent 3 days at the tip, including a boat trip to Thursday Island from Punsand and the Somerset drive.( 1 night roadhouse, 2 nights Weipa, 1 night Archer, 2 nights Seisea, 3 nights Punsand on the way up AFAIR) Moreton on way back


I am considering putting a air locker in the front and some degree of a LSD or something in the rear(lockright maybe?) But will have to see how the budget holds up after a winch and other gear.


I would do it the other way around. I had a rear Maxidrive and front Quaife . The Quaife/Ashcroft/ torque biasing diffs are great IMHO and transparent.

In any case unless you do the OTL, all of those are unnecessary, and if you do the OTL you will need a winch as you WILL need to winch up Palm Creek and others.
In any case a petrol RRC is unlikely to make it through Nolans Brook, or for that matter the unnamed creek before , which is where I turned back when there was water up to my crutch for about 100 metres.
Regards Philip A

[Mercguy]

Phil is right about Nolans. It's the vehicle-wrecking epicentre of the track. Oh and the idiots who want to try the old gunshot creek drop-in. Stay on the chicken track.

Easier still, stick to the development rd, no need for huge vehicle upgrades and the road is pretty good north of cooktown anyway. For the first-timer, I'd actually suggest this route, as it affords you some time to go and check out other places, like those mentioned earlier.

The more I think about it, the more I'd take a 'disposable' td5 if I wanted to do the old tele.

Logans creek and mistake creek can be a little tricky if the water's up. If you're going in the middle of the dry season, you're also going to encounter the track damage done by those who tried to get through at the end of the wet.

If you really want some serious adventure, then the maybe old coach rd is worth doing - and taking the creb track north from daintree instead of the bloomfield track - those are quite interesting options. But like everything up north, it's all much nicer in the wet season - you just can't drive through it, thats all :D

Oh I forgot to mention crossing the daintree river. There are a couple of ways, but the last time I went up the bloomfield track was washed right out, yet we still managed to get a locked FJ cruiser through it - wasn't too much fun though, and the cairns airport hertz staff had a fair old bit of crap to clean up :D
The alternative is the creb and that's a slippery steep bugger, so lockers are probably mandatory, and definitely a winch. And a 50m extension. (Long story)

All in all, for a first timer, I reckon the scenic route is easier, less stressful if you have passengers who dislike corrugations and large boulders or deep croc infested river crossings. But the old roads are so much more inviting....

[ozscott]

All these comments are a surprise re difficulty of the OTT. I know guys who have done it in stock vehciles in dry season and the Misaventure guys did it easily with pretty much stock Deefer, D2 V8 and D3. See also this lady's excellent site http://www.cape-york-australia.com/old-telegraph-track.html

And her updates. Palm Creek going Nth is a likely winch up.at present she says. Im going next year in June with a D2 V8 2 inch lift with Dobos and Billies, CDL and rock sliders and I didnt plan on a snorkel but may well revisit that if they have a late wet season. I have mates going with stock D2 V8's, Tritons D3 etc. At this stage we would avoid Palm, do one of the milder gunshot and do Nolans if water wasnt too high.

I would ferry the Jardine. Staying 2 or 3 nights Barra fishing Lakefield is appealing and so is spending 3 nights at Seisia.
Cheers

[Mercguy]

The main thing to understand is that the track changes with each wet season.

I can't tell you what it's like this year, because I was up there in July last year.

The most accurate advice is the bit you'll get at bramwell.

There are plenty of 'back out of it' options if you think that a particular crossing is not for you - just head to the development rd if all else fails

[peter51]

I go fishing into the wilds of Cape York at least twice a year in my D1 which is located in Cairns with my sons. I generally stick to the southern half.
I agree with most of what has been said. Don't go overboard with gear. The roads are good. Use quiet all terrain tyres. Keep your money - keep it to spend on local attractions and pubs on the way.

In late May you will need extra traction devices if you go looking for trouble, but by July/August/Sept/Oct you just need a comfortable, DUST FREE, 4WD. The corrugations get bigger as the months advance from June so comfortable suspension is a must. The dust gets denser as each month progresses so make sure your car is dust proof.
I would advise to go lightweight - without a roof top tent. You will save a great deal in fuel over the trip - greatly extended range on a tankful. I have attached a picture of what light weight means to me. It is at a typical campsite in Lakefield. You can be just as comfortable and you feel part of the environment. I got rid of my roof top tent 5 years ago.
Unless you camp on the coast early in the season you will not need wet weather gear. If you want to stay on the coast you may get pre-dawn rain early in the dry season. All you need is a tarp or fly for your tent in this case. You can get a bit of wet weather enroute as you leave Rockhampton due to the SE stream weather setting in - that is if you are coming from the southern states.
The RRC V8 is a simple car that very reliable and easy to maintain. It is very comfortable and very capable in standard form. If you need parts or a quick checkup enroute there are several very capable Landrover mechanics in Cairns. I would suggest booking in there on your way to get a checkover.

Avoid wasting too much money on accessories - you wont need them - unless you really want to go looking for trouble. The D1 in the picture attached has double diff locks and a winch - they have only been used in anger a few times in 5 years in that region. However I have attempted to cross some very dangerous creek mouths and swampy areas - but I should have used more common sense and just walked. If you are a solo vehicle you just need to use common sense and the RRC will take you you most places in the dry season.
Enjoy. Don't be like a lot of visitors up there who leave litter at the popular campsites and don't bother to bury their body waste. It is a very common scene up there.

[MrLandy]

Great advice Peter51. This goes for travel across most of northern Australia. Keep it simple, light weight, any weight low down and off the roof. A mozzie dome / swag is all you want for warm/hot nights. Then throw the fly over if any rain. My goal is always to take as little gear as possible, but lots of good water, great food and some spare fuel. Simplify. Cheers

[Konradical]

Geez, thanks for all of the awesome responses!

By the sounds of it, I'm basically ready to go now. Probably with a bit of extra maintenance.

If the trip happens, I will aim for a end of June date, obviously depending on the weather.

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