adventurealive
Rich & Elaine's Overseas AdventuresCape York PeninsulaImagine the thrill of being in outback Australia and standing isolated on the most northern tip of the vast Australian continent. It is overwhelming to see the ocean currents surging from east to west and knowing that New Guinea is only 34kms away. The Cape York Peninsula is a long narrow frontier region with a vast unexplored landscape, the Coral Sea to the west, Torres Straight at the top and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the east just waiting for the outback Australia adventure traveller who loves camping, fishing and bird watching or simply exploring new highways and byways. The diversity of this outback Australian landscape will pull you in. The rugged mountains, tumbling waterfalls, crystal clear rock pools to swim in and wetlands with stunning colourful birdlife. See sacred aboriginal sites where you can learn of their ancient traditions, walk white sandy beaches with foot prints fading into the distance where wide tidal rivers with superb fishing flow to the sea. The Cape York Peninsula is sparsely populated and there are two distinct seasons, the wet and the dry, it’s where rivers are either dry or 10ft high and the roads are impassable. The dry season is from April to December and getting there is a complete outback Australian adventure.  Another exciting Australian outback adventure option is to drive your self in a 4WD vehicle. You should be aware that the roads on the Cape York Peninsula are some of the roughest in the Australian outback. Having an understanding of your vehicle and being able to carry out road side repairs is advisable. There are ‘Roadhouses’ along the way which we found friendly and helpful with fuel and fresh food available. They have excellent camp sites with large shade trees and good facilities.  We loved the ambience of these camps and the camaraderie was really special.Your Australian outback adventure holiday should start in Cairns, North Queensland, as it is a good place to gather supplies, check over vehicles and road conditions. Visit historic picturesque Cooktown, built along the banks of the Endeavour River and is the closest town to the Great Barrier Reef. It is a port for commercial fishing operations and a base for big game Marlin fishing. There are some excellent coastal walks, or climb through the tropical forest up Mt Cook (430m) for great coastal vistas. Driving north you will capture the flavour of the Australian outback. Weipa is modern coastal mining town with a population of 3500 where there are excellent camp sites and accommodation available. Travellers are lined up along the beach clicking that brilliant sunset. Further north the Jardine River is crossed by a ferry to the small Torres Island and Aboriginal settlements of Bamaga and 7km further on a sealed Road, Seisia, a great fishing spot where fishing tours and sightseeing trips to the Torres Strait islands depart. 25kms from Bamaga is beautiful Punsand Bay with 12km of white sandy beach. From here the road winds through the rain forest to where a thirty minute walk will take you out to the tip of Cape York.  There are 19 populated islands in Torres Straight. Thursday Island is the main centre and has an excellent cultural centre where a combination of remoteness meets today. There are excellent cafes, restaurants, and a picturesque harbour where freighters and sightseeing boats anchor and the locals fish for tonight’s dinner. It is also the centre for pearling operations. There are hospitals at Weipa, Bamaga and Thursday Island and the Royal Flying Doctor Service offer a 24 hour emergency service. Know your first aid, be self sufficient and be aware of the Australian outback hazards. Know the insects, marine life and snakes that are dangerous. There is wonderful wildlife, over 350 bird species and abundant marine life in this area. Enjoy it and live to love it as we did for eight fun filled weeks.  Rich & Elaine's Home Page ---> <--- Adventure in Australia |
