Cape York or bust May 2012

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

Started out from Darwin with my wife Helga to meet up with a mate Pete and his brother-in-law Dillon with a white Hilux from Brisbane, meeting point Lions Den.
Our aim to do the OTT and various other side trips at the Cape. The area officially opened 4 days before we left Darwin, so the excitement was overwelming, the first major trip with the Prado. Left Darwin on friday morning and got to Borrollola and camped the night. The next day had some creek crossings on the way to Hells Gate, all easy and the road was is good condition, abit dusty in parts. Stayed in Normanton that night, the caravan park near the purple pub was ok, wicked showers, hot and heaps of pressure. Sunday morning left early to reach Lions Den that afternoon to meet my mate. Had a message on the phone when we went thru one of the little towns that my mate smashed his window near Mackay and he wont make Lions Den that afternoon, a few hours waiting getting it replaced. About 10 in the morning same thing happened to me, pulled off the single lane highway to give the car the full road but he continued at speed 1/2 on 1/2 off the road spitting up a rock the size of a 1 cent piece into the window chipping it. 10 minutes later the chip was a 2" crack and growing. Decided to head into Cairns to replace the windscreen. Windscreen Obriens quoted us $800 plus and they had to order it in, rang Instant Windscreens and was quoted $450 plus they would fit it there and then on a sunday. Rang my mate Pete and decided to meet him at Port Douglas that night. The next day we had the Lions Den drink and continued along battlecamp road which is a great little drive. That night we camped at Musgrave, a great little camp ground out back of the roadhouse and could also run my generator.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

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

Sounds like a good trip! Pity about the mongrel that didnt slow for you..
Yep living in the far north has its down points mainly that everything costs more $$$.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

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at Hells Gate...

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

With the new windscreen fitted in Cairns by Instant Windscreens = great people

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

old truck at the Old Laura Homestead, abit of history there.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

At Musgrave that evening another group of 4wds turned up and camped, the group consisted of 5 vehicles, 1 patrol ute, 1 100 series, 3 79 Series utes all with 33" and 35" muddies and air lockers. They were also doing the OTT so we knew we would be criss crossing each other on the track, turns out we became 1 big bunch tackling the track. Next morning we left Musgrave, destination Bramwell Station to camp. The road there was excellent, no corrugations at all. We reached Bramwell Junction alot quicker than we thought and was told by the owner there that only 9 vehicles have attempted the OTT so far and all required winching at Palm Creek with the average time of 3 - 4 hours. We headed up to Palm Creek to have a look and make plans on how we will do this, the owner was right, entry into Palm was bad, big rock and drop off midway down, exiting had a steep exit with a big deep mudhole midway up. We headed back to Bramwell to fill up the rigs and met the group of 4wds from the night before, they said they were going to do it, so after filling up and being retold we be all stuck there we headed back to Palm to see if anybody had got to the other side.

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

Great read. Hurry up with the next bit



Please............

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

On arriving back at Palm Creek we found 3 of the other party on the other side with 2 more to go, the first one over had made it without winching (79 series 4" lift 35" muddies) and was positioned on top on the other side as an anchor for the others to winch from, Pete and myself decided to join up with them and waited in line to tackle Palm Creek. Pete in his Hilux went before me and being guided down the south bank over the rock drop off hit his passenger side step, damaging it and a hard hit to his rear bar. That is going to cause problems this year, all vehicles will need side steps or rock sliders or a 4" lift. Pete made it up the other side to the bog hole midway up and set the winch to winch from there, he has a 12000 avenger winch and the speed was slow so i dropped over the rock edge on the southside and heard a loud bang and scrap and knew i did the passenger side step as well.



I waited in the creek until Pete was up and clear and went up the other side, it was slippery and the others had made the ruts deeper but the traction control took me to the mud hole where i sunk. Hooked up my winch and everybody was surprised at how quick it pulled me up, i have a Runva 9500 which is almost a 1:1 with an 8hp motor, i think some of the boys are looking at buying one. That was the first time i used that winch and was rapped the way it went. Palm Creek along with Nolans Brook are the hardest we encounted on the OTT, the others still need planning and care.

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At the bottom of Palm Creek on the way out, entering the mud hole.

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At the top on the north side of Palm Creek we all had a beer and inspected the vehicles and found out the group we just joined called themselves Tip Trippers so we became new members of the group. Total time to get 7 vehicles thru Palm Creek was 50 minutes, a far cry from 3 to 4 hours per vehicle. The destination to camp that night was Dulhunty Creek so we pushed on with the South Alice Creek and North Alice Creek between us and Dulhunty. The track was slow in parts with deep ruts but both Alice crossings were easy. We pulled up at Dulhunty with plenty time to set up camp and swim around.

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Our camp at Dulhunty Creek



Pete's set up, he has a rapid wing which was i liked, but AJ120 wing is the go from what i've seen on here.



A burnt out wreck from last year on the south side of Dulhunty Creek, make sure all wiring in your rig is properly fused is what i can think of.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

We woke up after a night of good times at Dulhunty, little did i realise the consequence of this day on this trip. As the afternoon before i brought up the rear, last in line. Some good 4wding before the next creek crossing, there was a section that we called pin stripe alley, amazing sight of these stunted trees / bushes for miles and miles.

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After pin stripe alley and just before Gun Shot there was a small creek with a big jump up, 4 of the group went up no problem but with their diffs locked it made it worst for the next vehicle, Pete was third last and couldn't do it and had to be snatched up, next up was the patrol ute that looked more than capable but he too had to be snatched up, my turn, approaching gently put the nose over the edge and gunned it, the traction control worked a treat, nobody thought i could get up that bank but the Prado proved more than capable. Everybody was impressed, Pete said he could see the traction control working and that it walked the Prado up the bank. Next stop was the infamous Gun Shot.

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Before Gunshot Creek there was Dulcie Creek, a deep fast flowing creek, we took the line thru this on the left hand bank, this was one of the deepest crossings on the trip, i don't know if i have a photo of the Prado going thru as i'm still waiting on my mate's photos but one of our party posted some of the crossing on facebook, Pete's Hilux is in these.