Olsen's Tours and Training Blog

Cape York is the ultimate 4WD adventure location but not the location you would want to tour unassisted, especially if inexperienced with difficult terrain. A tag along tour is the safest way to see the cape. Our tour begins at our home base, Townsville. We take a leasurely tour west along the original bullock trail through Thorntons Gap exploring some amazing history as we go. Our first overnight stop is at the Undarra Lava tubes. In the morning we take a 2 hour tour of these incredible underground formations.

We then wind our way up towards the Atherton tablelands to tiny town of Mt Garnett. From Mt Garnett we detour north following the trail of the old mining railway line to tiny Lappa Junction where we visit Australia’a only BYO pub. We camp the night in the grounds of the Espanol Hotel.

Detouring back towards the coast, we visit Mareeba and the lovely township of Mt Molloy before heading bush again towards the Palmer River goldfields. We stop on the banks of the Palmer River. Our bush camp beside the stream is a quiet place to contemplate the hubub of activity that would have existed here 100 odd years ago.

From our overnight stop we travel a short distance to a mining ghost town called Maytown. Travelling northwards again we stop in at many of the historical sites in the goldfields, before finding our way along the notorious Laura coach road. This road of just 43 kilometres will take 7 hours to negotiate but the views are worth it. Some of the best 4WDing on the Cape is on this road.

Once at Laura, we travel first south to the amazing split roack art gallery, then north again to old Laura. We venture into Lakefield National Park, where we camp the night. From Lakefield we continue up the Cape to Bramwell Junction where the Telegraph track begins. Of course the telegraph track is one of the reasons 4WDers flock to the Cape, and you won’t be dissapointed. Still if your vehicle or you are not up to the considerable challenge of Gunshot creek, we can direct you via the bypass. There are several fantaatic swimming and camping sites along the track.

Once north of the Jardine River, we head first for Bamaga and then on to the tip of Cape York. The walk along frangiapani beach and over the rocks to the tip is worth the trip alone.

The scenic route to our camp provides just a little more 4wd action prior to our three night stop over at Punsand bay. Our campsite  is along a fantastic stretch of beach where we can kick back and relax, go fishing, take a tour to Thursday Island or  Sesia or do whatever takes your fancy.

For some tourists, the trip to the tip is the highlight, but for us, we continue the adventure all the way back down the Cape again. We detour into Captain Billy Landing then take the frenchman’s track into Iron Range national park and to Chili beach. Once back at Lakefield you can go barramundi fishing at Kalpower crossing before we take another exciting 4wd track via Starke and Wakooka to the coast at Starke River.

From Starke River we wind our way towards Cooktown and the Endeavour Falls.  Our base at the Endeavour Falls Park allows us to meet our host Willie Gordon who will take us on one of the best aboriginal rock art tours in the country. From Cooktown we slip southwars again camping at the Lions Den Hotel before heading down the Bloomfield track and weather permitting, the CREB track. We travel through the village of Dainteee and the small township of Mossman to our final destination Cairns.

Cape York 4WD Adventure www.djolsen.com