How to go to Cape York on Motorcycle?
When to go?
In the Dry season (May to October) when the roads and river crossings are passable and the heat is bearable (it will still be more than 25°C most of the time). If you want to avoid bigger crowds try going outside of school holidays as well.
Our trip was from 28th June – 11th July 2021.
Road Conditions
The conditions of the 4×4 tracks and smaller roads vary every year and also through the season. Make sure to ask about the latest road conditions by speaking with the locals or other travellers. You can also try asking online on FB groups or forums. It’s also good to remember that a road that is passable by 4×4 may not be for other types of vehicles like motorbikes or caravans 😉
- Peninsula Development Road (PDR) – main road leading all the way up to the Tip. As of July 2020, it’s sealed up to Laura. After Laura, you will encounter both sealed and unsealed sections. There are no creek crossings on the PDR. The further north you go the more dirt and corrugation. The worst section when we rode it was some 20-30 km ahead of the Jardine River Ferry.
- Old Telegraph Track (OTT) – this (in)famous 4×4 track is for many a “must-do” when going to the Tip. It has lots of river crossings and passes through all kinds of terrain. Gravel, sand, mud – you’ll find it all. The water levels can be quite high, especially at the beginning of the season. You don’t need to take the track to reach the Tip and you can also do only parts of it. Or you can just take a back road and have a look at how other folks tackle the famous Gunshot Crossing.
Lakefield Road and Endeavour Battlecamp Road
– are both good gravel roads, with one or two shallow creek crossings (with causeways).Running Creek Road – good gravel road with several creek crossings (not deep), and lots of cattle gates to open. When heading from Coen towards Port Steward our GPS told us to turn right to join the Running Creek Road and we ended up on a short, but quite a sandy trail… So there is probably an easier way to join the Running Creek Road 🙂
Bloomfield Track – a bit muddy with lots of potholes, and some very steep sections, but the worst ones are sealed. One bigger river crossing at Emmagen Creek with big slippery rocks at the bottom. Wouldn’t recommend doing this track after lots of heavy rains.
Fuel
You can fuel up at the roadhouses and smaller towns along the way, but be ready to pay even $2 per litre. The distance between fuel stations isn’t usually greater than 300km if you stick to the main road.
However, if you’re planning to do some exploring away from the Peninsula Development Road, make sure you have enough fuel to come back! Sometimes, a roadhouse may run out of fuel or have a broken fuel pump, but they usually have it sorted out in a couple of days.
On our trip, we fueled up in Lakeland, Musgrave, Archer River, Bramwell, Injinoo (the cheapest fuel on the north side of Jardine River at the time), Coen and Cooktown.
Where to Sleep?
Every roadhouse on the way to the Tip has a camping ground and some of them even offer cabin accommodation. There are also free camping spots along the PDR and OTT. Around the Tip there are several caravan parks along the coast, the most popular one is at Punsand Bay.
We camped all the way, mostly at the roadhouses.
Hydration
Carrying enough water with you is very important, especially if you want to do a bit of exploration away from the main roads. The usual recommended amount of water for remote areas like Cape York is 5-7L per person per day. This can go up even to 10L for some very remote and hot places.
Think also about what you’re going to cook and if it requires lots of extra water (i.e pasta, soup etc). Always carry more than you need in case of an emergency. We regularly refilled our CamelBaks (2.5L and 3L) at roadhouses and campsites and also carried an extra 6-10L of water in our two MSR water bladders.
What to eat?
Every roadhouse offers some basic meals like burgers and sandwiches, but they can be quite pricey and the quality varies from roadhouse to roadhouse. If you’re vegetarian, you will probably find a meal or two on the menu, but for any other dietary requirements, it may be a bit challenging.
There are general stores in Laura, Coen and Bamaga where you can stock up on food & other necessities. Don’t expect cheap prices, a huge range of articles or lots of fresh fruits and veggies though. There is also IGA in Cooktown where you may find more fresh produce and more reasonable prices.
We cooked most of our meals, which included lots of rice with curry sauce, soups, tuna, pasta, cookies and muesli bars. Doesn’t sound too glorious, but that’s what can be easily carried on the bike and doesn’t cost a fortune.
We ate out twice. Once in Bramwell Roadhouse (good burgers for the price, but not the chips which were tiny!) and once in Musgrave (chicken burgers are not worth the price unfortunately!).
Places to see along the way
You may not have time to explore all the wonders of the Peninsula during one trip, but here are some of the more accessible “along the way” places you could visit while making your way up.
- Split Rock
- Laura and its famous Rock Art
- Old Laura Homestead
- Fruit Bat Falls & Elliot Falls
- Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park
Useful Apps + Websites
- Wiki Camps – useful app to look for all kinds of camping spots
- Fuel Map App – to check fuel stations and current prices (Internet required)
- Cape York Australia – regularly updated local information about interesting spots all around the Peninsula
- Hema Maps App – a bit pricey, but a good offline map, especially for 4×4 tracks
- Cape York Road Reports 2.0 – Facebook group for checking and asking about the latest road conditions around the Cape