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Hi All. I have been back from my trek around the top for two weeks now and thought i had better submit my trip report before i got ready to go again. I must admit that this is my second attempt as i had previously been three quarters through writing it and hit the dreaded "control something" buttons on the keyboard and lost everything. So this is take two. I keep hearing .......SAVE NOW..........
I was going to say get the popcorn out and climb into your most comfy chair coz here comes the griswalds family outback adventure but i think if i want to stay a member of pradopoint i had better keep it sort of short.
Deep breath and here goes nothing.
Firstly well done Toyota.. What a magnificent vehicle the Prado is. I was very impressed with the power, the comfort and the fuel economy that came out of a 3lt turbo diesel. I do think that the DP chip that i purchased from TJM was a good investment. Overall a very capable 4WD vehicle.
My wife Robyn and I were travelling with a good friend and very professional 4wdriver Gary Carpenter and his partner Jane. Gary has a very well equipped 79 series Cruiser. This is my first attempt at a real 4wdriving experience and one i hope we don't have to call out the S.E.S. for.
We were going to spend 14 days driving to the tip and back along the full length of the Telegraph Track, down to Weipa and across to do the Creb track, Cook town and then home. Our trip was cut a little short when on our return along the Telegraph we were about to recross Canal creek and noticed a water leak coming from garys radiator.The fan had gone forward and hit the radiator. We think this happened as we went through the last water crossing which could have been Sam creek or more likely Mistake creek. More about that later.
We set off from cairns and drove through My Molloy and Mt Carbine, Lakeland, Laura and stopped fr a drink at Musgrave. After a short stop we travelled on through Coen and up to our first over night stay at Archer River.
The Peninsula developmental road was recently graded and for the most part in great shape.
We left on Saturday the 20th Sep.
Clean Vehicles........
The first day we made it to Archer River and stayed in there camp grounds. A great and easy start.
The next day we set off to Moreton telgraph station on the Wenlock River.
The sign in 15 metres up a tree shows the water depth during a flood. Thats a lot of water
The next stop was Bramwell Junction for a lousy Microwave heated sausage roll. We need something as this is the start of the Telegraph Track.
Our first crossing was a dry (Luckily) Palm Creek. No problems here just a few large holes on the way down.
Next was an easy dry crossing at Nth Alice Creek.
The Telegraph Track.
We decided to drive to Dulhunty river and camp there for the night.
Dulhunty is a great bush camp site and set off the next day for Loyalty Beach.
First crossing of the day was the Bertie creek.
A sandy entry but a very firm rock base and not to deep.
Some more of the telegraph Track.
The Cholmondeley Creek was harder to say than to cross.
The ever changing Telegraph Track.
So many changes over only about a 2 kilometre section.
The hair on the back of my hands started to raise aswe neared the dreaded Gunshot.....
Now who in there right mind would try and get down this in a normal 4WD vehicle. It would be okay if you had no front and rear end to worry about.
It would take more than balls of steel to go down this and as a mater of fact i think i can see the remainder of the last guys balls in the bottom of the hole.
Someone has started a spare parts division of Gunshot.
No Gary didn't try it...
This was second choice....
This was our choice of course..
A survey of the choices.. Not much thinking required..
On with the show.
Eeeaassy...
After a good laugh and a bit of fake bravado we came up to Cockatoo Creek.
This hard a reasonably easy entry and a rocky base with low and slow water.
Next along the way we had a short stop at Sheldon Lagoon. If you like turtles this is the place.
Again some of the changing conditions of the Telegraph Track.
Time for a swim and Fruit Bat Falls and Eliot falls are a great stop over.
Note the water colour at Eliot Falls is a bit cloudy and i can asure you it was not because of the pommy tourists having a free bath.( sorry poms).
Now thats better.
Canal Creek was next and with a soft entry and exit the creek bed was firm and okay.
Hey i hope you are still awake cause...you guessed it ........Theres more...
Next to cross was Sam Creek.
Not to deep and no real problems.
Mistake Creek was next with a dog leg turn at the exit.
Cannibal Creek had a soft run in and the same going out.
Surprise.. an old telegraph pole..
Coming up to the next crossing was Cypris Creek. A log Bridge of sorts...
The tricky part of this was the sharp right turn in sandy soft dirt just over the bridge.
Unnamed Creek was next and this one was probably the deepest up to now and the widest.
We had now reached Nolans Brook and set up camp for the night. What a great choice.
After a quiet swim to wake up in the morning we headed off to stay at Loyalty Beach.
First stop was the old Jardine river crossing. it was not that deep but with it being so wide i didn't fancy walking across to find out.
More of the changing Telegraph Track.
The Jardine river Ferry.
At last Loyalty Beach.
Hard to take ...
Looked at lots of sites around the place.Bamaga, Seisia. We took a ferry over to Thursday Island. Found a few plane wrecks around as well.
Couldn't figure out how to fit these bits to the prado.....
After another shitty day in paradise..
Thursday Island
Thursday Island Car park.
OHH Yer did i mention Loyalty beach....????
We set off for the tip with stops to see the abandoned 5 star resort at Pajinka. What a waste.
The walk along the bush track to Pajinka is all over grown.
These are the only residents now.
Getting close to the top.
We made it......
Yuk only Champagne..........
The next day we set off to have a drive around the somerset loop.
Ow well First time for everything. I had to get Snatched out after burying myself in the sand.
Thanks Gary..
The wind swept coast.
More of the somerset loop.
Back to Loyalty beach.
On our return we wanted to travel back the full length of the Telegraph Track.....
First stop was at Nolan's Brook. This was a lot deeper in just a week. We straped up in case.
Next was Unnamed creek.
Cypris Creek had lost a few more logs and was a bit more tricky.
Cannibal..
And a very dusty climb out.
Entering Mistake.
Sam Creek
And back to Canal Creek.
We waited for a couple of other vehicles to cross the creek and as we walked back to ours>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ops: ops: ops: ops: ops: ops:
That is the Ohhh Shit look. !!!!!!!! A leaking radiator... The water pushed the fan onto the radiator and cut a nice path.
We have now got to make a dash for Weipa and hopefully get it fixed there.
We took the Bypass road and cut across through Batavia Downs station on our way to Weipa. Stopping every 10 k's to top up the water.
Sailor creek.
The changing landsacape..
Batavia downs.
An out of control bbq on the way into Weipa
We made it to Weipa......
After spending the night in Weipa Camping grounds we searched the town for someone who could repair the core of the raditor. after couple of hours and no success we decided to fill the radiator with bars leak and head for home in the morning.
We travelled 780k's the next day and made it home okay. Gary's car has a new radiator and we are itching to get enough time off to go and do some more driving.
Hope i didn't bore you to much.
HEY>>>>>>>> YOU LOT >>>>>>>>>> Wake up............
I was going to say get the popcorn out and climb into your most comfy chair coz here comes the griswalds family outback adventure but i think if i want to stay a member of pradopoint i had better keep it sort of short.
Deep breath and here goes nothing.
Firstly well done Toyota.. What a magnificent vehicle the Prado is. I was very impressed with the power, the comfort and the fuel economy that came out of a 3lt turbo diesel. I do think that the DP chip that i purchased from TJM was a good investment. Overall a very capable 4WD vehicle.
My wife Robyn and I were travelling with a good friend and very professional 4wdriver Gary Carpenter and his partner Jane. Gary has a very well equipped 79 series Cruiser. This is my first attempt at a real 4wdriving experience and one i hope we don't have to call out the S.E.S. for.
We were going to spend 14 days driving to the tip and back along the full length of the Telegraph Track, down to Weipa and across to do the Creb track, Cook town and then home. Our trip was cut a little short when on our return along the Telegraph we were about to recross Canal creek and noticed a water leak coming from garys radiator.The fan had gone forward and hit the radiator. We think this happened as we went through the last water crossing which could have been Sam creek or more likely Mistake creek. More about that later.
We set off from cairns and drove through My Molloy and Mt Carbine, Lakeland, Laura and stopped fr a drink at Musgrave. After a short stop we travelled on through Coen and up to our first over night stay at Archer River.
The Peninsula developmental road was recently graded and for the most part in great shape.
We left on Saturday the 20th Sep.
Clean Vehicles........
The first day we made it to Archer River and stayed in there camp grounds. A great and easy start.
The next day we set off to Moreton telgraph station on the Wenlock River.
The sign in 15 metres up a tree shows the water depth during a flood. Thats a lot of water
The next stop was Bramwell Junction for a lousy Microwave heated sausage roll. We need something as this is the start of the Telegraph Track.
Our first crossing was a dry (Luckily) Palm Creek. No problems here just a few large holes on the way down.
Next was an easy dry crossing at Nth Alice Creek.
The Telegraph Track.
We decided to drive to Dulhunty river and camp there for the night.
Dulhunty is a great bush camp site and set off the next day for Loyalty Beach.
First crossing of the day was the Bertie creek.
A sandy entry but a very firm rock base and not to deep.
Some more of the telegraph Track.
The Cholmondeley Creek was harder to say than to cross.
The ever changing Telegraph Track.
So many changes over only about a 2 kilometre section.
The hair on the back of my hands started to raise aswe neared the dreaded Gunshot.....
Now who in there right mind would try and get down this in a normal 4WD vehicle. It would be okay if you had no front and rear end to worry about.
It would take more than balls of steel to go down this and as a mater of fact i think i can see the remainder of the last guys balls in the bottom of the hole.
Someone has started a spare parts division of Gunshot.
No Gary didn't try it...
This was second choice....
This was our choice of course..
A survey of the choices.. Not much thinking required..
On with the show.
Eeeaassy...
After a good laugh and a bit of fake bravado we came up to Cockatoo Creek.
This hard a reasonably easy entry and a rocky base with low and slow water.
Next along the way we had a short stop at Sheldon Lagoon. If you like turtles this is the place.
Again some of the changing conditions of the Telegraph Track.
Time for a swim and Fruit Bat Falls and Eliot falls are a great stop over.
Note the water colour at Eliot Falls is a bit cloudy and i can asure you it was not because of the pommy tourists having a free bath.( sorry poms).
Now thats better.
Canal Creek was next and with a soft entry and exit the creek bed was firm and okay.
Hey i hope you are still awake cause...you guessed it ........Theres more...
Next to cross was Sam Creek.
Not to deep and no real problems.
Mistake Creek was next with a dog leg turn at the exit.
Cannibal Creek had a soft run in and the same going out.
Surprise.. an old telegraph pole..
Coming up to the next crossing was Cypris Creek. A log Bridge of sorts...
The tricky part of this was the sharp right turn in sandy soft dirt just over the bridge.
Unnamed Creek was next and this one was probably the deepest up to now and the widest.
We had now reached Nolans Brook and set up camp for the night. What a great choice.
After a quiet swim to wake up in the morning we headed off to stay at Loyalty Beach.
First stop was the old Jardine river crossing. it was not that deep but with it being so wide i didn't fancy walking across to find out.
More of the changing Telegraph Track.
The Jardine river Ferry.
At last Loyalty Beach.
Hard to take ...
Looked at lots of sites around the place.Bamaga, Seisia. We took a ferry over to Thursday Island. Found a few plane wrecks around as well.
Couldn't figure out how to fit these bits to the prado.....
After another shitty day in paradise..
Thursday Island
Thursday Island Car park.
OHH Yer did i mention Loyalty beach....????
We set off for the tip with stops to see the abandoned 5 star resort at Pajinka. What a waste.
The walk along the bush track to Pajinka is all over grown.
These are the only residents now.
Getting close to the top.
We made it......
Yuk only Champagne..........
The next day we set off to have a drive around the somerset loop.
Ow well First time for everything. I had to get Snatched out after burying myself in the sand.
Thanks Gary..
The wind swept coast.
More of the somerset loop.
Back to Loyalty beach.
On our return we wanted to travel back the full length of the Telegraph Track.....
First stop was at Nolan's Brook. This was a lot deeper in just a week. We straped up in case.
Next was Unnamed creek.
Cypris Creek had lost a few more logs and was a bit more tricky.
Cannibal..
And a very dusty climb out.
Entering Mistake.
Sam Creek
And back to Canal Creek.
We waited for a couple of other vehicles to cross the creek and as we walked back to ours>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ops: ops: ops: ops: ops: ops: That is the Ohhh Shit look. !!!!!!!! A leaking radiator... The water pushed the fan onto the radiator and cut a nice path.
We have now got to make a dash for Weipa and hopefully get it fixed there.
We took the Bypass road and cut across through Batavia Downs station on our way to Weipa. Stopping every 10 k's to top up the water.
Sailor creek.
The changing landsacape..
Batavia downs.
An out of control bbq on the way into Weipa
We made it to Weipa......
After spending the night in Weipa Camping grounds we searched the town for someone who could repair the core of the raditor. after couple of hours and no success we decided to fill the radiator with bars leak and head for home in the morning.
We travelled 780k's the next day and made it home okay. Gary's car has a new radiator and we are itching to get enough time off to go and do some more driving.
Hope i didn't bore you to much.
HEY>>>>>>>> YOU LOT >>>>>>>>>> Wake up............
Snaga
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