
The Cape in a Camper
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Time to read 5 min
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Time to read 5 min
Cape York inspires equal parts admiration and fear in the aspiring traveller. Held up as the pinnacle of offroad adventure, the Cape carries its fair share of holiday-gone-wrong stories that cloud the public’s perception of this quite accessible destination.
Images of the near-vertical Gunshot Creek and water crossings up to the windows make a lot of tempted folks flee, but those who head north armed with information often find they achieve the Cape without worries, and head back home with awesome memories and an intact car and camper.
If you plan on offroading the Overland Telegraph Track (OTT), Frenchmans or similar, you’ll want a camper with limited overhang either side of the axle and high ground clearance, ideally higher than the vehicle’s. It pays for the trailer to have a protected underbody, with no exposed piping, wiring or water tanks.
Hopefully, your trailer has an easily accessible spare tyre and shares its tyre size, rim size, and stud pattern with that of your vehicle, such that tyres are interchangeable. It pays to have a common tyre size (not a crazy-large mud terrain) such that you can procure a replacement on the Cape. A quality camper suspension is key, especially on corrugations. A leaf-sprung suspension will be more easily managed if it has shock absorbers fitted.
The best campers for the job will have water-tight seals and a sealed underside, road covers and proper sealing to limit dust ingress, rated recovery points, ample battery capacity and options for charging away from mains power, a flexible offroad hitch, room to store rubbish away from bins or dumps, frontal protection such as a stoneguard, a quick set-up given the amount of ground to cover, a small campsite footprint to guarantee a spot at crowded camps, and windows for ventilation.
If your camper is still within warranty, examine terms and conditions — some businesses cover offroad usage, whereas others do not.
Also consider what terms and conditions are associated with the camper's insurance, how high up the Cape any roadside assist policy reaches, and how much it would cost under your policy if you needed to be towed out.
ROUTE CHOICE
During the wet season the Cape is closed off by flood waters, so plan to travel during the dry season between May to October. Earlier in the season, the main gravel tracks such as the Peninsula Development Road (PDR) are likely to be less corrugated due to more recent grading. However, water levels are higher earlier in the dry season, meaning deeper crossings and muddier tracks offroad. Peak periods such as Queensland school holidays and the footy grand final weekend bring crowds. Some national parks you may wish to visit open later, such as Lakefield in July.
The unmaintained OTT features prominently in collective Cape consciousness but it only runs for 112km — meaning it constitutes only about a tenth of the 1000km trip to the Tip from Cairns. The OTT presents unique challenges such as Gunshot Creek, Palm Creek, and Nolan’s Brook — which have flooded many cars in their time. The worst lines however can be bypassed with alternative lines or entry points, or even completely boycotted by more extensive ‘chicken tracks’ such as the long one around Gunshot Creek.
In a bid to increase access to the Cape, the PDR is increasingly being sealed. Higher north, which is unsealed, is at least graded and features no major river crossings. The PDR starts at Lakeland near Laura and after reaching Archer River its role is taken over by a series of bypass roads, notably including Bamaga Road, the alternative to the OTT. Bamaga Road then provides access to the unavoidable Jardine River Ferry, from which it isn't far to the Tip.
A lot of camper trailer travellers decide to take the bypass roads beyond Bramwell Junction, which is the starting point of the OTT. Many set up camp there at the Roadhouse or Station and, not wanting to miss the excitement, tackle parts of the track without towing. Alternatively, many take the Southern Bypass Track to where it intersects the OTT and then travel just 3km down the northern section of the OTT to experience Fruit Bat Falls or 7km to access Eliot Falls.
Those who are less confident in their towing ability also have the option of leaving their camper in storage on Cape York and travelling further north without towing. Places which have historically provided storage include Bramwell Station, Mount Carbine Caravan Park, Wonga Beach Caravan Park, Laura Roadhouse, and Lakelands Caravan Park. Enquire first to check.
GOLDEN RULES FOR THE OVERLAND TELEGRAPH TRACK
GOLDEN RULES FOR THE PENINSULA DEVELOPMENT ROAD