Cape In the Wet Season

[Stinky-Disco]

I think, by the end of november, i will be working in queensland close to cairns. im just wondering:

how bad is a cape trip in the wet season? could you make it with a virtualy stock landrover disco 1? (will be prepaired and have money for some minor mods, like snorkel and whatnot)

Any input would be great!
Linc

[Grizzly_Adams]

Umm.. I think the answer is no - depending on how heavy the wet season is of course.

Most of the creek crossing become river crossings of potential fatal depth and from what I know when I spoke to people when I was up there a lot of the supplies are flown in to the remote areas.

The tourist-only operations close-down and head south for the wet season... try it if you must, but I can't say I would recommend it.

[ScrubPleb]

At the height of the wet season you would be flat out even getting to Laura. After the creeks have dropped the roads are kept closed until the risk of damage to the surface has passed. People who choose to ignore the "Road Closed" signs are not treated well by the locals or the cops. They have to drive on these roads for the rest of the year. Fuel supplies are also limited during the wet. The Jardine River ferry is closed in the non-tourist season too. Some tour operators run fly in packages to spots like Moreton, with limited local sight seeing. Wet season is the best time to be up the Cape. You can almost see the grass growing and the bird life has to be seen to be believed. But as for driving, the answer is no.

[JDNSW]

Just to reinforce what everyone else says - the only way you would have a hope is with an amphibious vehicle. There are numerous creek crossings that not only get too deep for fording even with a good snorkel setup, but will have quite fast currents. And as pointed out, even if you could get across the creeks, the stretches in between will be boggy and in many cases officially closed - and when you do get bogged, don't expect to be popular with the locals whose road you have just wrecked.

Do not expect to go anywhere in the monsoon area during the wet except on bitumen roads with high level bridges - and expect even them to be closed occasionally due to flooding. I can remember driving once from Cairns to Brisbane many years ago, just ahead of the wet - through pouring rain and listening on the radio to the reports of the road being closed behind me. Some of those flood prone bits of the Bruce Highway have been raised since then, but not all of them!

John

[Stinky-Disco]

Sounds like a no go then, although seeing the wildlife in monsoon would be very cool, i'd say that this is somthing for latter life.

Cheers, Linc

[roverrescue]

Spose its how you define "the wet"
been late for last three years or so, have been up to Bathurst for past two years in the last week of nevember/ first week of december - none of the roads have been closed. Yes of course its risky if a cyclone rolls in you may be trapped for a long time but its also a great time to get up there.
Further north the risk increases cos youve covered more distance to potentially be flooded for your return.
Novemebr can be a great time for fishing up north as the water warms and things start to fire, december gets a little risky with roads... a great time to visit is as soon as roads open after the rain?

This of course is just my experience - i wouldnt suggest someone travel from down south for a december trip as you may get to laura and have to can it but if you are up this was its amazing how hard the barra bite the week after closed season! lucky there are plenty o salmon, jacks and crabs to keep us fed.

I guess it also depends on what you call the "cape" there is some great trips / camping just up the way from Cairns and in the back blocks which is definately acccesible over christmas?

Steve

[abaddonxi]

Had a friend working in a remote community a couple of years ago. Short contract, wasn't sure if the wet would come before contract ended or after. The plan was to leave the car there and fly back to get it when the water went down. They were hoping that it wouldn't get too wet too early so that they could still fly out before the runway was closed.

Cheers
Simon

[MT]

Short answer is no.

[JDNSW]

As Steve says - the unknown is when the wet will start! But anytime after the end November (depending how far north you are) the risk of getting caught increases rapidly. If you keep a close eye on the weather forecasts, you should have a few days warning, but don't expect any more than that. As long as the wet is not forecast to start that day, day trips should be quite OK.

John

[mikecmb]

My wife and i have some vivid memories of being stuck on the CREB track North of Cairns and south of Cooktown back in the early 80's. We had a landcruiser ute and had to use reverse gear to get down some hills forwards combined with running the bull bar into the bank now and then. To get up the next hill required a good run up and then a bit of winching. AT one gate on a steep hill the truck would start to slide backwards everytime I opend the door to get out.

This was long before they built that other road that runs along the coast.

We were lucky to get back to Daintree and then had to ford the Daintree river. While having a beer at a little shop in Daintree we met a nice woman called Beryl Ruck she was eaten by a crock a little while later.

When we left for that trip the wet was supposed to be weeks away I wouldnt want to get caught out like that again. back then it was a great adventure these days it would just be a pain in the a#$$$.

Mike

[duff]

I lived a little east of Weipa for last 4 yrs and November was good for travel all over for each of these years. Any rainfall you get will soak reasonably quickly at this time of year as the ground has not soaked/sponged yet.
Each Christmas eve I camped on the OTL and had no problems travelling the whole way. last year I travelled Cairns to Weipa on the 21st of January ( I remember the Date because it was Warranty work on the disco) Though I only just made it back over the Archer river(water over the bonnet)
The link below is from the BOM site and shows Weipas average rainfalls for each month.

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/map_script_new.cgi?27045

And Coen below,,,, a good reflection of what the Archer River is doing

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/cgi_bin_scripts/map_script_new.cgi?27006


BUT this year could be differant TIC

[cartm58]

well l remember years ago the Leyland Brothers travelled the track to the top of the Cape during the middle of the rainy season mud mud mud

question would be why bother to do it at that time of year

[crump]

IMO it is best if you can to either be up there at the start of the summer storms, not the full on wet or as soon as the roads are open immediately after.Contrary to popular belief the cape is not all pristine rainforest, but mainly dry savannah,and in the dry, dare I say it can be a bit of a dull run.Most creeks are dry and its dusty as.Makes it a bit hard to plan a holiday, I know, but the difference in the 2 seasons makes it well worth it, and you have more of it to yourself as its becoming a bit of a tourist trap.

[Tzukius]

Linc (Stinky-Disco),

Let me know when you are settled up here. I am a member of the LROCC (Land Rover Owners Club of Cairns Far North Queensland Inc.)as part of my working life I regularly communicate with the remote communities of the Cape and would be happy to let you know what the road conditions are. Additionally, I am sure that members of our club have journeyed to the Cape on regular occasions and would be happy to fill you in on some of the unique sites and equipment that you may need.