Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw Caravan access

Stillgone · Member

Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw Caravan access

Possum3 · Guru

In June 2000, I was travelling bob-tail with companions in LC100 series towing camp-trailer - was the first vehicles in after rainy season up to Limmen River fishing camp nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park/find-a-park-to-visit/limmen-national-park -
The roads were so bad and wet that I had to hitch the LC behind my Pajero (both in L-4WD) to get enough traction to pull the camper trailer - In short the Gulf roads are not suitable for caravans.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I have travelled some of the "off the beaten track" locations of the Cape, but not to those communities.
Looking at my maps of the area I would expect no problems accessing the communities themselves, but beyond that it would depend exactly where yo want to go (and where you are allowed to go).
I suggest that you will need to talk to the communities concerned direct.
I would also not assume that these communities will open to visitors at the same time as the rest of Queensland. They are "private property" and are treated quite differently.

The heavy dotted roads are likely to be OK. The light dotted lines maybe, maybe not.

Cape York.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
In June 2000, I was travelling bob-tail with companions in LC100 series towing camp-trailer - was the first vehicles in after rainy season up to Limmen River fishing camp nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park/find-a-park-to-visit/limmen-national-park -
The roads were so bad and wet that I had to hitch the LC behind my Pajero (both in L-4WD) to get enough traction to pull the camper trailer - In short the Gulf roads are not suitable for caravans.

No outback roads are suitable for any traffic when wet, let alone caravans.

Plenty of caravans drive the the Gulf section of the Savannah Way when it is dry and after the end of wet season grading.

Cheers,

Peter

Stillgone · Member

Thanks for the replies. Especially yours Peter n Margaret and especially for taking the time to post a map. I have sent emails to both communities and will ring them after I get a reply. I know we could camp on the Chapman River but that is only two kilometres from Pormpuraaw and I am a bit cautious about that having had negative experiences in Marpoon once.

Possum you took the time to post an opinion even though you haven't been there. Thanks for that. I think the off road capabilities of caravans may have improved in the last 20 years so I probably won't take your 2000 Limmen experience as a guide. Funny you mentioned the Limmen though because that's exactly where I go for three months every year. And I go another eight kilometres through the scrub past the fish camp to be a bit more isolated and closer to the mouth.

I have become friends with a bunch of retired folk who also go there every year and one of the reasons I bought a van is I was about the last one coming in a camp trailer and they all looked a lot more comfortable than me. I go from May to August and it is the best three months of my year. For you to have such an experience in June 2000 it must have been a very late wet season. That happens and as Peter says the best idea is if it is too wet don't go. From my experience people who do go when its still wet destroy the road into camp from the Savannah Way and aren't to popular with anyone.

Anyway it can't be too hard to get to the Limmen in a van because a lot of my mates are Mexicans and their doing it. Lets hope corona dies down and the powers that be have a change of heart and open the boarders in early July. If I can get five weeks in before the heat and mossies start I will be going for sure.

Cheers,
Russell

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I will slip in this very short video clip as a warning to those who are new to some of this country.
We were exploring some areas along the Wenlock river and its anna branches not far from Stones Crossing, near Weipa and came across this little creek crossing.
It was only about 2 or 3m across, but caught us by surprise.
Knowing it was there on the way back I got Margaret to catch this video clip.

Don't take anything for granted :)

And another map for Russell showing some of the camp grounds, if he has not already seen it.
Cape York 2.jpg

Cheers,
Peter

EDIT: The maps are from HEMA by the way, reproduced with their permission, but I am amiss for not acknowledging that.

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Wednesday 20th of May 2020 07:11:23 PM

jab160 · Senior Member

Ok.....been all over Cape York last 50 yrs, lived weipa 8yrs. Been to both your intended places several times, but in no hurry to return, there is really nothing to draw you there. There can be issues, best you PM me.
So you want to go fishing.....weipa is your place, good caravan park, shopping centre/hardware/woolies etc etc. Road is quite trafficable for your caravan, good stopping/camping spots all the way there. Fishing.....brilliant, ill give you some secret spots, guaranteed barra etc. You can hire tinnies if you need a boat.....cheers

Stillgone · Member

Thanks for your reply Jab. I have sent you a PM

Cheers Stillgone

wendyv · Guru

Kowanyama can be rather volatile at fairly regular intervals. Google it and see what comes up.
I suspect that aboriginal communities/areas will remain closed longer than other parts - a good job has been done keeping the virus out of these vulnerable populations, and the authorities would not want to risk "outside" contact too soon.