David (Paul Patrol)
Hi Steve. Trip sounds great mate but can you please put up a little bit more info ie, which state is this trip starting from?

I wont be joining you unfortunately but look forward in reading all about the lead up & then about the actual trip. Have fun.

Steve (tasl)
I will be starting from Frankston, Victoria.on saturday the 12/9/15 Travelling North inland, We can organize to meet up anywhere along the route. Hoping to start the Tele track on the 18th as there is still 9 monthes to go, so a fair bit of organization to be done, including camping site booking, permits, etc. Plus still a few mods to be done to the car before then, most importantly a snorkel.

Steve (tasl)
Lets start with the planning for this trip. Last Labour day, a group of us were camping in Buchan. Keith, who had a new girlfreind, was roughing it in the on site Glamping accomidation. We were sitting around the camp fire, haveing a few ales when Louis put the topic onto 4wd bucket list trips. From there discussion went to doing the Cape. Keith who was driving a red holden cruise at the time started saying that he was going and was going to buy a 4wd. Everyone was thinking, "Sure Keith, just the beer talking , you'll forget it in the morning." But Belinda his girlfriend said, well if you want to go for it.

So the trip ends we head home, and I get a message from Keith saying, check this add out, what do you think of this fourby, etc. So the guy was serious. Eventually after test driving a few, he settles on his Prado, nicknamed the Beast beacuse his number plate ends in 666.

We tested the beast out in Bunyip a few weeks later, but the track {Anderson track} was heavily rutted, and full of slimey sticky clay mud, that stopped us in our tracks, For myself, my tyres were worn, still ok for driving bitumen, but no good for any mud.
Keith 's first run up the track saw him ending up side on to the track, and breaking his indicator/parker assembly, and some minor panel damage. Louis slid out and ended up sideon facing the oppisote direction to Keith, So with our tails between our legs we went home.
After a few more trips I came to the realisation that the current tyres were allergic to any mud, when I couldn't climb up Coopers creek track . This is a track I have gone up dozens of times with no problems.
So then June came, and the 4wd and fishing show at the showgrounds, I priced a 2" lift kit, and got that done, and also decided to put an elocker in the rear as that was on special.
Keith also got the rear elocker.

Keith Irving (keef)
Steve was right.......it had been quite a few years since i'd done 4WDing......almost (probably more than) 20 years... ....back then we all had Suzuki's and "from memory" they never missed a beat and it was the highlight of my youth but since then life/marriage/career/divorce had gotten in the way .

I went on the Buchan Trip cos in our Hey day it was where we went at least twice a year and i wanted to show my new partner Belinda how i used to live but i wasn't prepared for camping so we took up the Glamping tents at Buchan (which were quite pricey)..problem was it was far away from the action and we spent most of the time down with the real campers... That was a fateful trip the talk around the camp fire of my friends planning to go to Cape York made me long for the old days ...and here's me in a little Holden Cruze that could hardly get over a speed hump :) ihad to do something,
It rekindled my love for the bush and with Belindas blessing i was determined to get back to what i truely enjoy.....the bush and off roading...
So.. when we got back we went out and tested a few Patrols...... finding them OK i looked for a good deal.....but then i happened to test drive a rather run down Toyota prado and loved it...almost bought it...... but had to get something that wasn't so run down....eventually I bought a nice 2001 90 series prado that had already been lifted and had a winch and bull bar and never looked back.
We've been on a few trips since then, The Big desert, Bunyip, Snowy and Alpine (high country) national parks and loved it... infact i think I've spured on the outback adventure in all my friends... Since then (which was less than a year ago) I've upgraded my Prado with rock slider, bush bars,dual diff locks, light bar etc. Even splurged on a camper trailer (just to get that bit of comfort)
All with the passion of heading to the cape with my mates of old.
There was a lot of talk but no date had been set.
Steve has now set that date and i'm grateful we have a definite goal.....we will do it and it will be an outstanding adventure. i have to say a big thankyou to Steve ans Louie and especially Belinda for giving me a dream and making it happen .

Greg Keegan (Greg)
Hi Steve
Looking at doing our first trip to the Cape this year and not wanting to do it on our own. We're in Brisbane and can meet anywhere on the way up. Are you looking at going from Cairns to Cooktown and then up through Rinyirru National Park [Lakefield National Park]. We have an off-road camper but are thinking it would be better to keep it to just the car with the tracks we will be traveling on - probably a tent or roof top. Can you let us know the route that you are looking at ?
Look forward to hearing from you. Greg

Steve (tasl)
We are having some people fly into cairns or cooktown will let you know when more is confirmed. We hope to get to Dubbo on day one. Toowoomba day 2. Bundaberg on day 3. Wanting to tour the bundy rum fctory.
Day 4 make it 1/2 way to cairns day 5 cairns. Then meet up with those flying in.
Keith will be taking his camper, but i will be tenting. Louis hasn't decided what he will use as he has 2 kids and needs to buy a tent or a camper.
Probally t would be easier for you to meet at bundy. As toowomba to bundy is not a big day driving for us.

Steve (tasl)
Initial itinerary for the trip

Chris (cap8959)
We did the Cape last year around the same leaving date. We traveled inland and went via Charters Towers to Townsville. When on the Tele track we only saw 6 other 4wds and one group of bikes, most camps we were the only ones there, all crossing we were able to take our time with no other people waiting.

The first challenge is Palm Creek, and this was the hardest of the track at the time. Very tight and no room to change lines.
Gunshot had the easy and extreme options, we chose the easy.

Nolan's was a walk, just lower the pressures down, My challenger had 20psi and just drove straight across the middle, bonnet height at the start then top of wheel for the middle. A 200 Cruiser (not one of our group) the next day drove in with 40psi and was towed away after being swamped. RACQ guy told us that 95% of people that get swamped there do not lower tyre pressure enough with most over 30psi that he checked.

RACV total care is a good option as a fellow traveler was towed from Bramwell Station back to Cairns with a gearbox issue, no charge.
The Thursday and Horn island WW2 tour is expensive but very interesting, lunch included and plenty of food, more than our group could eat. Check out Peddles Ferry site for details.

Wish I could go again, but lack of holidays is an issue.

Steve (tasl)
Thanks for the info Chris, We plan to run the tyes about 20 for the entire tele track.
I have considered the charter towers route to townsville, which is shorter, but the towns it passes are smaller, so I was thinking less chance of getting cheaper petrol. Plus on of the guys is Duel fuel so bigger towns mean chance of getting LPG.

Steve (tasl)
So have researched three routes for the trip hme, two about 3600KM from Cairns, the thrd a fair bit shorter.
One follows the coast to Brisbane and Sydney and back through gippsland.

The other we head to Birdsville and then down the Birdsville track into south australia. A stop over in the Barrosa and then back through Swan Hill and Mildura.

The last is through charters towers and down the Newel.

The one we choose depends on time, money and people. The birdsville option needs a few cars to agree to go that way and fuel wise I see this as the most expensive.

The coastal route could be done by a single car as it is along a busy highway through major towns, and all on the bitumen.

The last option would only be if we decided to stay longer at the top and decide to do a mad run back down in a 3-5 days.

Both depends on how much time and money we have left.

Steve (tasl)
Anyone thinking of going to the Cape, Check out this face book Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CapeYork/390425197819777/?notif_t=group_comment

Danny (Bogg3d)
WITHDRAWN from Trip - Reason:

Steve (tasl)
At Gladstone. Keith had problems with his front end. Found a great mechanic in Bundaberg. Ken Day. Reasonable price, rushed the job to get us back on the road.