SE QLD - Duck Creek Rd

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

Decided to take the kids out up Duck Creek Road today. Thought the recent rain may have spiced it up ,but alas it was very dry on the trail. A standard prado wont have any trouble with it at all. Just a nice leisurely afternoon drive and a fair amount of wildlife out and about as well. A couple of photos of how dry it was.

Going up to Teewah/Double Island Point late next week for the day for some beach fun.
Cheers

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

A couple more photos

[FamilyGXL Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FamilyGXL]

Does the gate at the base of Duck Creek road still have the cup asking for a gold coin donation?
It has been a while since we last traverse that track.

Thanks for sharing pictures of your trip.

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

It was still there 6 mths ago when I was there last...

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

Does the gate at the base of Duck Creek road still have the cup asking for a gold coin donation?
It has been a while since we last traverse that track.

Thanks for sharing pictures of your trip.

Yes it does. Disregard the road closed sign though, it must have been left over from when it was really wet up there and they never took it away.

[georgev Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close georgev]

Can anyone tell me, I heard Duck Creek road is currently closed due to heavy rain falling in Jan 2012. Can someone pls confirm if this is true? Has anyone been up to Oreilly's in April 2012?

Thanks

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Give O'Reilly's guesthouse a ring on 1800 688722 a ring and they can give you the latest info on the track as they usually have a bus (4wd) travelling this track daily

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

I camped near there over Easter and did the track twice to show different people in our group. The first time I didn't know what to expect and was hoping for a good fun track, but it's pretty basic (no remotely steep parts at all except for one little 40m side track that may require lockers to get over one stepped up hump) and still would be basic in wet weather except for the first couple of short causway crossings that may be up to 60cm deep and too fast flowing. Normally they're a meer still puddle a few inches deep.

The completely idiodic thing about the gold coin donation bucket at the gate is that it's signed to upgrade the track (apparently). Who in their right mind wants to upgrade an already simple 4wd track? Bugger donating money towards that pointless effort. The only thing that really slows you down are the occassional deepish diagonal ruts, but while I drove the there were X-Trails and Ford Territories driving it.... There are a couple of nice views along the way and some quiet places to pull up for a break.

[disco Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close disco]

We went up Anzac day and the sign road closed at the junction was up but it was still open

[A10 Member Find all posts View Profile Close A10]

The sign at the bottom junction says road closed ahead - but there is no actual road closed sign. I went up it a few weeks back after checked with the council first who said it was open. Had been closed due to a landslip somewhere but all OK now.
It has obviously suffered from all the rain with a lot of ruts but no problem for the Prado.

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Duck Creek Road

I have spoken to a lovely lady at O'Reillys reception who advised me that the road is 'Technically' opened but suitable to 'real' four wheel drives only (they get non 4 wheelers trying it seems). Having said that she didn't recommend using the track but did say her information on the track is from people and staff that come up and down all the time so I guess it would be the most up to date. It was also recommended you call two days before in case they have rain and there are further landslides.

I should be up there week end so soon find out.

Hazza

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Duck Creek Road

Sunday I made my way up the track with a first timer 150 Prado owner (stock standard) in tow. The track was easy and even though deeply rutted in places the 150 my freind was driving on his first off road experience cruised up there with ease. He suffered a couple of under body (bash plates probably) nudges but that's all.

I would recommend putting your lights on once you enter the rain forest just for on comming vehicles.

I also come back down on the Monday and must say an enjoyable drive.

We drove both ways in 4x2 and at no point felt the need to lock the centre diff.

As for the donations, you can take it or leave it. National parks advised me 80,000k was raised last year and this did go towards repairing the road from three landslides and some grader work. 80k doesn't go fare.

Yes I would hate to see it 'too well' looked after but without funds this privately owned road going through a number of different titles with no or little council input would probably close.

Hazza

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Track Update

Has anyone been up Duck Creek road in the last couple of weeks? A work colleague just spoken to Parks and Wildlife re conditions of the track before venturing up on their very first offroad trip in a new Jeep Cherokee and was advised that the track is in very poor condition with 1 metre deep ruts!. The P&W landruiser was on 3 wheels on quite a few occasions and recommended experienced drivers with high clearance 4WD's only. They did not however state that the road was closed... Sounds like a challenge!!!

[pradogang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pradogang]

I went up with Bidla last Sunday and yes it is quite different now. Your description is accurate. We started with highway pressures as last time I drove it, it was easy. Had to lower them about two thirds of the way up as it got a bit slippery on one section. No worries after that. This section has black soil with lots of plant matter in it. Bidla wanted to try out his new lockers so he engaged the rear one but it wasn't really necessary.
Enjoy, it was fun.

cheers

Jim

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Was the track badly rutted? would it be suitable for a stock cherokee?