Cairns to Cooktown

[Black Ned]

Two ways to get there.
Via coast or inland route.
Any advice on better route i.e. time wise, condition of road, weather problems, better scenery, etc.
Places to rest in between.
Straight to drive - approximate time allowed.
Fuel stops?

Thanks in advance for input and suggestions.

[dazzler]

I thought the coast way was wetter, muddier and slower :D

[RETIRED]

I thought the coast way was wetter, muddier and slower :DYep 4WD.

The inland route is bitumen the whole way and a good run.

[RufflyRustic]

Thank goodness it is now bitumen the whole way. I don't think I'll ever forget the corrugations and the dust from when it was dirt the whole way, but even more memorable are the views and the mountains of rock and boulders!!!

[journeyman Mick]

Linden,
haven't driven it for a few years, but the coastal route is strictly 4wd and has a river crossing which shouldn't be attempted on a high tide or during/after heavy rains.

Mick

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeap, what they said.... when are you heading up this way?

[Black Ned]

Cliff,

Attending a wedding in Brisbane 29th September and then going to take a drive north to Cairns. Just trying to figure out if its worth going further to Cooktown.

[Cliff Rogers]

At that time of the year, it is starting to warm up & the first storms start appearing in October but nothing that will cut you off & strand you.

If you are coming the whole way to Cairns, you may as well go that bit further too.
You have posted in the MOTOR HOMES, CARAVANS & CAMPING section,
how are you traveling?

[journeyman Mick]

Cliff,

Attending a wedding in Brisbane 29th September and then going to take a drive north to Cairns. Just trying to figure out if its worth going further to Cooktown.


Umm, that's a bit like driving from Brisbane to Sydney and wondering whether it's worthwhile to check out the Blue Mountains. You've driven most of the way already, you might as well take the extra drive if you're interested. You have looked at a map I presume? :roll: There's a good twenty hours or so of driving from Brissy to Cairns.

Mick

[Black Ned]

I am driving a Navarra 4wd and we are planing to be away from home for a month. The trip up from Brisbane will be comfortable staying in motels along the way.
We do not have a caravan and made enquiries about them earlier in this forum for future use. So far we are still undecided.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I used to drive up there all the time before it was sealed and yes Wendy those corragations were a shocker! If you ever had to slowdown below 80 your car would shake itself to bits. Back then only the brave/foolish would go the QEB track (coastal) I heard it was a good walk though.

[Cliff Rogers]

I am driving a Navarra 4wd .....
You could go via the coast road but there is some dirt (mud) etc.
About 250Kms & about 4 hours depending on how long it takes to get across the ferry at the Daintree.
If you go the inland way, it is about 335Kms & about 4.5 hours if you don't hit a roo or a cow. :D

You could do it as a big loop & allow a whole day each way to look at stuff along the way.

Apart from the scenery, there isn't much to see on the inland road unless you are into birdwatching or early mining history.
There are about 300 different species of birds within a 20km radius of Mt Molloy.
There is also the Mareeba Wetlands, just north of Mareeba, the turnoff is at Biboorha.
Around Mareeba, there are a couple of wineries & some coffee plantations.

The coast road is wetter & slower traveling.
It also has lots of tourist traps.

[namtrak]

As an aside, Whatever happened to the Quaid Rd?

[Cliff Rogers]

AKA Southedge Road. (http://www.wettropics.gov.au/mwha/mwha_pdf/history/chronology.pdf)

[namtrak]

I guess its still there care of google maps (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=southedge+road&ie=UTF8&ll=-16.861062,145.461731&spn=0.285193,0.466919&t=k&z=11&om=1)

This is off topic as it is way south of the roads this post is all about.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Do people still refer to the coast road as the QEB track? I think it was short for Qld Electricity Board because they pushed it through?

[Cliff Rogers]

No, it isn't the coast road, the coast road is the now famous Bloomfield track build in '83-'84.

[rod@plasterbrok]

We did the Daintree up to Cook Town in 1990. It was wet and I spent half a day pulling cars up hills and out of bogs.

When we got to the Bloomfield it was almost high tide and there was a line up waiting for the tide. Being young and silly we deceided not to wait.

It was the scariest river crossing I ever did. The water was up the drivers side window and washing over the bonnet.

The worst part it is like a causeway that droped off either side. My Land Cruiser filled up to the seats by the time we got across. It is also a wide crossing.

Never again it almost was more that water needed cleaning up!!!

Rod

[Bleedin Thumb]

That reminds me of a time I was coming back into Townsville (with half a million bucks worth of Geo equipment on the back) via the Harvey Ranges and there had been some flash floods to the west. I came to this normally shallow crossing that was now swollen and flowing fast and brown. I decided to chance it as it was going to put another 80km to go around it.

Once the water got over the bonnet I could feel the landcruiser starting to slip sideways and I was about 1/4 of the way across - too far gone to reverse out.

I got across eventually but I almost had to change my undies afterwards!
I recon that I'd slipped about 3m downstream by the time I'd reached the other bank

[rod@plasterbrok]

If the water had been fast flowing I would never attemted this crossing. Have witness the results of bad judgment crossing a deep fast flowing river. The sheer width of this crossing coupled with the depth made is so scary.

[bobsreturn2003]

Quaid road is still drivable . But has gates to stop you getting to the coast ,from mt molloy road , the coast road to cooktown is well worth doing , crossed the bloomfield in a jackaroo old one. Following a brumby ute so not too challenging . Low tide ! Cheers bob

[bobsreturn2003]

ALSO dont walk across to check depth . untill crocs are fed . cheers Bob