Cape York Adventure Safari - 12 day Camping

Location(s):

Weipa, Cape Tribulation, Cape York, Bloomfield, Daintree, Mossman Gorge, Laura.

Description:

About Us

Off Road Adventure Safaris is a boutique 4WD touring company based in Hervey Bay, Queensland. We operate small group charters and tours throughout the remote regions of Australia.

We specialise in private charter / soft adventure touring with customised itineraries. Our charter trips are tailored to meet the specific needs or special interests, you may have and our tours encompass all the major sites - as well as some amazing hidden treasures.

Our nationally qualified Tour Guides have extensive touring and driving experience and are committed to providing you with more than just a 4WD tour. With Off Road Adventure Safaris you have a maximum guest / guide ratio of 6:1. You will travel in a safe, modern, air-conditioned 4WD vehicle, and for camping tours we tow a fully equipped safari trailer with all the creature comforts. In our world camping is spelt luxury, whether utilising the facilities of designated sites or 'roughing it' in the bush. For accommodated tours we utilise the best accommodations available to ensure your comfort and enjoyment.

For naturalists and bird enthusiasts ... we are able to take you into a range of special, out of the way places and get you 'up close and personal' with the local wildlife.

If Aboriginal rock art and history is where your interest lies ... we can take you to remote occupation sites and shelters, as well as rock art galleries rarely seen by non-indigenous people.

If photography is your passion ... we will get you to the right place, at the right time, to take advantage of the natural lighting, magnificent sunsets and the unique beauty that Australia has to offer.

Off Road Adventure Safaris prides itself on showing you the hidden treasures our country has to offer - accessing sites well off the usual tourist maps and away from the crowds.


Off Road Adventure Safaris in Cape York

Off Road Adventure Safaris welcomes you to Cape York, one of Australia's last great wilderness regions, which extends nearly 1000 kilometres north of Cairns, Queensland. There's a magic here, spun by its vastness and amazing variety.

With Off Road Adventure Safaris you are able to visit the remarkable and world-renowned icons that Cape York is famous for, as well as many 'off the beaten track' destinations. We can show you the heartbeat of the region, and make this magnificent landscape even more vibrant with experiences that will remain with you long after you return home.

You'll meet the animals and plants of the Australian bush in a habitat of crystal clear, spring fed creeks and waterfalls, huge termite mounds and carnivorous plants; learn about the indigenous cultures and more recent histories of the region; and you'll feel the emotion and pride when you stand at the very 'top' of Australia!

So ... come with us to see, to touch, to smell and to learn ... come with us on a ride to adventure ... on a journey of discovery. Come with us to capture the emotion and romance, the tragedies and triumphs of Australia's amazing north!

Itinerary

Day 1: Your adventure begins. We will collect you from your accommodation in Cairns before the start of our journey into one of the last remote areas of Australia - the Cape York Peninsula. We travel along Qld's version of the great ocean road before moving inland to the sugar town of Mossman, on the edge of the world famous Daintree National Park. Further along we cross, by cable barge, the Daintree River, home of one of the North's largest crocodile populations, and make our way along the coast to Cape Tribulation - where the rainforest truly does meet the sea. After a break for lunch we leave the tarmac roads behind and traverse the Bloomfield Track through some of the most magnificent rainforest in Australia. At the Aboriginal Community of Wujal Wujal we cross the Bloomfield River, stopping at Bloomfield Falls. It is then on to Cooktown, our destination for the day. Discover the history of Cooktown as you stroll the Esplanade and meet Linda at the Croc Shop, a real life Crocodile Dundee. After a visit to the James Cook Museum you will be amazed by the view from Grassy Hill Lookout, where Cook encountered his first Gungaru (Kangaroo). Tonight we stay at Endeavour Falls Tourist Park where you can hand feed a Barramundi. * (L / D)

Day 2: Say goodbye to the tarmac - from here on its dirt roads. The lush pastures of the Endeavour Valley soon give way to Eucalypt forest as we make our way into the Battle Camp Range. This recently upgraded road will take us past the stunning Isabella Falls and reveal picture perfect panoramas from the top of the range. Continuing on through Battle Camp Station we come to Lakefield National Park. At 537,000 hectares (1.25 million acres) this is Queensland's second largest National Park. Open savannahs, water lily covered billabongs and a mosaic of forest types support a diversity of wildlife and birds and a large population of saltwater crocodiles. There are so many beautiful places to stop in Lakefield it becomes hard to choose however we will be stopping at The Catfish Hole, White and Red Lilly Lagoons and the Nifold Plains. We also cross the Laura, Hann and Morehead Rivers. Our camp tonight is on the banks of the stunningly beautiful Saltwater Creek where you can try your luck for a Barramundi. Tonight our campsite will be decorated with a chandelier of stars. * (B / L / D / Bush)

Day 3: Our destination for today is the Archer River, one of Cape York's largest river systems. With its headwaters in the Great Dividing Range on the eastern side of the Cape this magnificent river flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria on the Western Cape. After a relaxed start we join the Peninsula Development Road (PRD) at Musgrave Station Roadhouse, one of the few remaining original telegraph stations. The telegraph stations were built as fortified outposts and you can still see reminders of this bygone era. Continuing north we come to the town of Coen, once a thriving centre for the gold rush days. You may want to spend some time in the Coen Historical House or meet the locals and fellow adventurers at the sExchange Hotel. The beautiful Coen River is the place for a dip to cool off before travelling on to the Archer River Roadhouse, a green oasis beside the Archer River. Prepare to be amazed when you view the flood level marks on the side of the Roadhouse. * (B / L / D)


Day 4: A leisurely start today - our next destination, Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, is only two hours up the road. We continue north to Moreton Telegraph Station, another of the original telegraph stations. Situated on the banks of the Wenlock River, Moreton is steeped in the history of the pioneering days of Cape York. Take a stroll along the tree lined banks of the river where clear water flows over a sandy bottom, watch for Archer Fish as they shoot insects off low branches with jets of water - or just sit and enjoy the sounds of the abundant birdlife that inhabits the river valley. This deceptively calm river becomes a raging torrent during the wet and, until the introduction of the bridge, was one of the major impediments to travel along the Cape. The campground at Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, set amongst a backdrop of giant termite mounds, is one of the prettiest on the Cape. Our hosts, Jamie and Gail are real characters and can have you in hysterics with their stories of life on the Cape. * (B / L / D)

Day 5: Today we take the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL), the last remaining sections of the original OTL begin at Bramwell Junction. Our first challenge for today will be Palm Creek with its almost vertical approach and a steep rutted departure. The OTL is a place to slow down and take time to enjoy the magnificent wilderness that we are travelling through. Further up the track we stop at the Delhunty River for a morning tea to be remembered. Rejoining the PDR we continue on to Fruit Bat Falls for a refreshing swim followed by a visit to Twin and Elliot Falls. Continuing north we come to the Jardine River, Australia's largest perennial river. Even at the peak of the dry this river flows at approximately four million litres of fresh water a second (no - that is not a typo). Tonight we camp beside the river and once again have a chance to wet a line in the hope of gaining bragging rites. * (B / L / D)

Day 6: There is a lot more to Northern Cape York than just visiting 'The Tip' (Pajinka). During World War II this area played a strategic role in the defence of Australia and today we will visit some sites that are a reminder of that era and the men and women who committed to that effort. Starting at Jacky Jacky Airport we visit the wreck of a Beaufort Bomber and the remains of the American base that it operated from. Then it is off to the DC3 wreck that crashed, with no survivors, on approach to the runway. Muttee Heads is our next stop where the radar tower stands as a silent sentinel to the past. This part of the journey also takes us to secluded beaches and the mouth of the Jardine River. At almost a kilometre wide it truly is a sight to behold. Today's journey also takes us through the communities that were established by Torres Strait Islanders who moved to the mainland after WWII. This afternoon we finish off the day with sundowners on the beach and hopefully, a magnificent Torres Strait sunset. * (B / L / D)

Day 7: An early start today to catch your charter boat for a trip through the Torres Strait to Thursday Island. The Island has been populated for thousands of years by the Melanesian Torres Strait Islanders, who named the Island Waiben, thought to mean 'no water or place of no water', owing to the scarcity of freshwater. In 1877, an administrative centre for the Torres Strait Islands was established by the Queensland Government. By 1883 over 200 pearling vessels were based on the Island. During World War II, Thursday Island became the military headquarters for the Torres Strait and was a base for Australian and United States forces. As a result, the Island was bombed by the Japanese in 1942, which saw the evacuation of civilians. Following the conclusion of the War the Island tradition of 'no footwear' was reinstated in respect for the ancient spirits believed to reside there. Your journey today will also take you to Horn Island and the Heritage Museum. * (B /L / D)

Day 8: Cape York, named by Cook in honour of the Duke of York is properly know as Pajinka, commonly referred to as 'The Tip', whatever you call it, there is a magical feeling to stand at the end of our continent and know that there is no-one further north than you on mainland Australia. On the way we pass through Lockerbie Scrub, isolated pockets of monsoonal rainforest more at home in Papua New Guinea than Austraia. We also visit Somerset, the failed 'Signapore of the Pacific', established by the famous (and sometimes infamous) Jardine family. We complete the day with a drive along the Northern Beaches interspersed with craggy headlands and giant termite mounds that stand defiant to the battering of the winds. *(B / L/ D)

Day 9: Time to pack the bags and head south. After crossing the Jardine River and continuing along the Northern Bypass Road we come to Heathlands Reserve. This vast, remote wilderness is an ancient sandstone landscape. Sediments laid down when the area was a shallow sea have been shaped over millions of years of weathering to form today's gently undulating landscape. Clear freshwater is abundant, not only in the mighty west-flowing Jardine River, which dominates the landscape, but also in swamps, boggy gullies and numerous smaller streams. This, along with the absence of food for horses and cattle, prompted early European explorers to call this place the 'wet desert'. A break at Bramwell Junction has us completing our Northern Peninsula Circuit before we retrace our journey on the PDR to Moreton and Batavia Downs. It is here that we leave the PDR for a journey to Weipa and the world's largest bauxite mine. Our campground for tonight is on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. * (B /L / D)

Day 10: Start the day with a tour of the bauxite mine where one rail car of bauxite will make 1.2 million aluminum cans. After the tour we rejoin the PDR for our journey to Musgrave Station Roadhouse, our destination for today. Musgrave was first built as an overland telegraph station in 1887, along with Palmerville, Fairview, Coen, Mein, Moreton, McDonnell and Paterson. It was named after Sir Anthony Musgrave (1828 - 1888) who was Governor of Queensland from 1883 to 1888. Called a repeater station, it had great banks of batteries and a generator to boost the power in the telegraph line. During the early years when the Aborigines were hostile the centre of the house was taken up with water tanks as it was unsafe to venture outside at night. Holes were made in the walls of the verandahs for shooting from when the Aboriginals staged an attack. The old wooden pole at the front of the house near the public phones is one of the few original remaining poles erected when the line went through. Under the mango tree across the airstrip are the graves of some of the early poioneers. Depending on the time of year it is possible to spot freshwater crocs in the dam behind the campground. Wildlife abounds around the dam and includes wallabies, wallaroos and a range of bird species. *(B / L/ D)

Day 11: Twenty kilometres south of Musgrave we once again leave the PDR and travel through a number of cattle stations with names such as New Dixie, Kimba, Killarney and Koolburra. We also visit the Alice River Goldfield and processing plant. This is one of the largest gold mining leases in Australia covering an expanse of 2400 square kilometres. Our camp tonight is in the heart of Quinkan (the mischievous ancestral spirits of the local indigenous people) country. The campsite sits above a stunning river that has been shaped and decorated by thousands of years of floods and dries - passages carved through the sandstone stand as sentinels to the nature of time. The escarpment above our camp and a canopy of stars at night add to the mystery of this ancient location. An amazing place to spend the last night of your tour. * (B /L / D/ Bush)

Day 12: Rejoining the PDR we make our way into the small town of Laura. Step into the Laura General Store and you will feel that you have stepped back in time. Have your photo taken with the fully restored Baby Austin, the same model of car that made the first overland trip to the Cape setting a record of twenty five flat tyres in one day. While in Laura we visit the Quinkan Cultural Centre to learn more of the indigenous history of the area before visiting Split Rock to view some of the world renowned art that this area is famous for. At Lakeland we return to tarmac roads however our journey is not yet over. Crossing the Byerstown Range we are treated to stunning views both back up the Cape and to the south. We cross the Palmer River, once the site of one of Australia's richest alluvial gold rushes, before coming to the regional centre of Mareeba. As we travel down the Kuranda Range we will pause for a spectacular view of Cairns and the surrounding coastal plains where your journey ends and your unforgettable memories begin. *(B / L)

Operator Name:

Off Road Adventure Safaris

Operator Description:

Off Road Adventure Safaris offer guided tours to Cape York, Great Dividing Range (NSW) and private charters anywhere in Australia. We specialize in small groups (6 passengers) with an emphasis on comfortable camping. All our camping tours can be converted to accommodated* if required and itineraries can be refined to cater for special interests. (*Must be a group booking to be converted to accommodated). We look forward to taking you on tour to Cape York with Off Road Adventure Safaris!

Additional Info:

Tours depart on selected dates from 28th of May to the 27th of September. Check dates on the price calendar for availability and rates.

Highlights:

Qld's version Great Ocean Road
Mossman
Daintree National Park & Ferry Crossing
Cape Tribulation
Bloomfield Track & Falls
Lion's Den Pub
Black Mountains
Little Annan River Gorge
Cooktown (James Cook Museum)
Endeavour & Isabella Falls
Battlecamp Range
Old Laura Homestead
Coen
Archer, Wenlock, Laura, Hann &
Morehead Rivers
Musgrave & Moreton Telegraph Stations
Bramwell Junction Roadhouse
OTL (Overland Telegraph Line)
Palm & Dulcie Creeks
Delhunty River
Fruit Bat, Elliot & Twin Falls
Jardine River Ferry Crossing
Seisia
Cape York & Somerset - The Tip!
Northern Beaches
Thursday Island, Torres Strait & Horn Island
(Heritage Museum)
Jacky Jacky Airport - Beaufort Bomber, DC3 wreck
Muttee Heads & Mouth of the Jardine River
Heathlands Nature Reserve
Weipa (including Mine Tour)
Gulf of Carpentaria
Batavia Downs
Alice River Goldfield
Kennedy River
Laura
Quinkan Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Split Rock Art Site
Lakeland Downs
Byerstown Range
Kuranda Ranges

Our tours have been designed to suit a reasonable level of fitness. Being able to do some walking along nature trails and cope with remoteness is essential. People suffering from a lack of tolerance, or who are not of general good health should not consider these tours. Note: Clients over 70 years of age are required to have a clearance certificate from a General Practitioner. If you need special medication, it is advisable to bring your own adequate supply for the duration of the tour. There are no Chemists once we pass Cooktown.

If you are unsure ???

We strongly recommend that you consult with your General Practitioner for the all clear before booking on to one of our trips.