The PDR Condition 2009

[geoffjy]

Yea hahhhhh. Finally home.

I left Mossman 8pm Monday night and got to Musgrave about 1.30am. I hopped out to check the wheels on the trailer as something felt a bit funny. Walking around it i noticed something wierd with the wheel on the left side and gave it a bit of a shake. There was plenty of movemet. I pulled out the 12volt light and had a better look, the nuts were loose and from all the bumps, the holes in the rim had enlarged and the studs were almost worn all the way through. I then had a look at the other side and although there was no wheel wobble, i could undo the nuts with my fingers.

Just before i left Mossman, i had taken the trailer around to get some new mud guards made up. To do this they had to take the tyres off. What those $%#^%^## forgot to do was tighten them back up when done.

Anyway, i waited until 8am for Mugrave to open but unfortunately, they didnt have any studs. I punched 3 out from the other side and put a new tyre on. I now had 3 studs on either side holding the tyres on. I limped up to Coen and called into the RACQ workshop and was given 6 studs and nuts. I went past Coen to the creek on the northern side to put them in. Alas, they were too small so i went back to Coen and was told they didnt have any of the larger ones. After about an hour of searching his house, the mechanic came back with 3 old rusted studs. I quickly whacked them in and was on my way again.

As for the road condition, there are rough areas north of Laura and Coen. There are also roadworks here so be very carefull if driving up. Some of the dips are also killers if you go too fast. Be very wary of the jump ups from dirt to bitumen as well as there are some pretty serious ones that will do some damage if hit at speed.

The road is reasonably dry except for the shallow creek crossings until you get to just north of the Y. From here this gets pretty slippery. Very hard to get traction as the mud really sticks to your tryes. Please note however the sign says that road is only open to local traffic from the Y north until officially opened. If you are caught driving it, you can be fined $250. Every few km or so the road would change from being dry and dusty then to wet and slippery. What appeared like a solid surface is in fact slippery and soft. There are several boggy areas and i will post a few pics later of them. The wet areas pretty much dissipate just before Bramwell Junction.

The road from Bramwell north is reasonably good with minor washouts and roadworks have commenced between Heathlands and the Jardine Ferry.

[ant]

Hi Geoff,
Must be a relief to be back home. Have you called the group that 'fixed' your trailer and let them know how happy you were with their service?

That road report was great too. Lets those know what to expect at present. Like any time of the year though, it is bound to change from one day to the next.

[Nedly]

Lucky you found the stud problem when you did, any later and the story would have been MUCH different.
Glad to hear you got back safely.

[geoffjy]

Thanks Ant and Nedly. Yes, i did make a phone call today to the people who did the guards. Needless to say i expressed how unhappy i was.

One thing i didnt mention was from the Y north to Bramwell there were lots of heavy but short showers of rain. The southern part of the Telegraph Track is passable as well if you are prepared to have water over your bonnet.

[pmack2711]

Great discription of conditions for us wanabe Cape York travellers at what point does the road become open to all traffic and not just locals. Only 12 more weeks till I leave but im not counting.

[geoffjy]

Great discription of conditions for us wanabe Cape York travellers at what point does the road become open to all traffic and not just locals. Only 12 more weeks till I leave but im not counting.

The road is currently shut from the Y junction north. The road to Weipa is open.

[geoffjy]

All these pics are from the Y north to Bramwell.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq69/geoffjy/DSCF1603.jpg

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq69/geoffjy/DSCF1604.jpg

[geoffjy]

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq69/geoffjy/DSCF1605.jpg

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq69/geoffjy/DSCF1606.jpg

[geoffjy]

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq69/geoffjy/DSCF1608.jpg

The Wenlock looking upstream from the bridge.

[Nedly]

Great shots Geoff.
The Wenlock certainly looks different to the couple of times I've seen it.
Lot less water in August :)

[geoffjy]

Thanks Nedly. From what i am hearing, the road has dried up a bit since last week. A local took his Commodore through the other day. Had to tow it through the boggy areas, but hey, its his car. :D

A have seen a few more tourists on the roads over the last 2 days as well.

[geoffjy]

The road is very slippery atm near the turnoff to Captain Bill Landing and there are several washouts. Road is still passable.

[bingham]

All this talk and photos has me very excited about the trip.. Hearing plenty of stories of melted bushes blown shockies etc etc.... but we shall have plent of spares.............................hopefully!

Give us the word please when its all officially open..

Cheers

Mark

[geoffjy]

Give us the word please when its all officially open..

Cheers

Mark

No worries, as soon as i hear i will post up here.

[geoffjy]

Just had one of the rellies drive out yesterday. Road is pretty slippery between the Jardine Ferry down to the southern side of Moreton. It has been raining pretty heavily over the last 3 days and is not showing any signs of letting up. On Tuesday night Moreton had 55mm of rain.

[plucker]

What's the go with the Jardine Ferry these days. Do they still remove it during the wet season or have they worked out other means.

[geoffjy]

It all depends on what is happening with the river itself and if the level rises.

This year the ferry was only out of the water for 3 days at the end of January for maintenance.

[Gobbo]

Hi all,

first post for me on the forum, I am a long time lurker. We leave in 5 weeks for the tip....travelling from rocky. (will post itinerary soon).

I see that the status for the PDR on the RACQ website is that it is now open to all traffic under 25t all the way to Bamaga.....can one of you local guys confirm this?

Cheers

Mat

[geoffjy]

Hi all,

first post for me on the forum, I am a long time lurker. We leave in 5 weeks for the tip....travelling from rocky. (will post itinerary soon).

I see that the status for the PDR on the RACQ website is that it is now open to all traffic under 25t all the way to Bamaga.....can one of you local guys confirm this?

Cheers

Mat

Hi Mat, welcome to the forum.

The main roads website states-

LOAD LIMIT ::: PENINSULA DEV ROAD, COEN TO WEIPA ::: 5 TONNE LOAD LIMIT

As at 4.00pm, 28 April 2009, a load limit of 5 tonne gross has been placed on the Peninsula Developmental Road from Coen to Weipa. This section of the road is closed to road trains, semi trailers and fully loaded rigid vehicles but open to other legally loaded vehicles up to 5 tonne gross vehicle mass.

There is plenty of rain up here still and cant see the road being open from the Y north to Bamaga yet. As mentioned in another post on the forum, there was an accident on the road Tuesday due to slippery conditions.

[Stacky]

Hi all,

first post for me on the forum, I am a long time lurker. We leave in 5 weeks for the tip....travelling from rocky. (will post itinerary soon).

I see that the status for the PDR on the RACQ website is that it is now open to all traffic under 25t all the way to Bamaga.....can one of you local guys confirm this?

Cheers

Mat

Hi Mat,
In 5 weeks from now you will be fine to get through all the way. Drive Safely and enjoy the scenery.
Cheers
Stacky

[geoffjy]

There was even a semi trailer scheduled to come up here this week. I would say thats been put off for another week or two.

Rain has stopped up here and blue skies overhead. Give it a week before its pretty dry again. You wont have any problems.

[geoffjy]

Oz Tours and Wilderness Challenge are up here atm on their first trip of the year. They didnt have any hassles coming up.

[Damo]

You could almost drive a sedan up the PDR & Bypass roads all the way to Bamaga.

The only thing that would stop that happening is a few of the dips that contain a bit of water.

Oh & the 3 rough sections that got really badly chopped up a week or so ago near Captain Billy's

[geoffjy]

Thanks Damo. I will be driving out down to Cairns Saturday arvo and getting down the early hours of Sunday. Leaving about 5pm Monday to head back up here. I hope there is not too much slippery stuff. Its raining a fair bit at Mossman.

[gupatrol02]

We are planning on coming up at the start of june, do you guys think everything will be open by then?

[geoffjy]

We are planning on coming up at the start of june, do you guys think everything will be open by then?

You wont have any problems. Road is still wet in certain areas but is drying up pretty quick.

[gupatrol02]

we were going to go through hopevale and up to cape melville, do you think this will be possible at the start of june?

[plucker]

Not a bad drive through that way, with lots of places to stay. Particularly National Parks. I have only been through that way in the dry and saw heaps of bulldust but could imagine it to be boggy in the wet. Particularly the Northern end.

The road can be slow going in some places.

I believe that the National Park rangers in Lakefield or Cooktown would know the up to date conditions of the road as they would have to travel it a fair bit.

Having said that by June it should be pretty good.

[gupatrol02]

just found that cape melville is closed to all traffic dus to the track damage from the wet. Lets hope it all comes good in 3 weeks

[Smithyworld]

just found that cape melville is closed to all traffic dus to the track damage from the wet. Lets hope it all comes good in 3 weeks

that's not good news. We are mean't to be going through there end of next week.

[Stacky]

Telegraph track is passable except Cockatoo ck, too much flow to cross safely. Nolans Brook is still to deep unless you have an Aquaduck or LARK. The track into all the falls have been graded roughly making it much easier to access.

I mentioned this in the Waterfall link and thought i better put a report in the road conditions.

Cheers
Stacky

[geoffjy]

Overall the road is pretty good from Lakeland's to Bamaga as the trip only took 11 hours.



There is roadworks from the Vrilya Point turnoff south for about 10km.

As Stacky said, the road has been lightly graded into Eliot Falls.

Near the turnoff to Captain Billy's Landing there are a couple of slippery areas but these are well on their way to drying out.

The bridge is under repair at Coen and is not usable. They have pushed a temporary crossing in downstream. It is well signposted.

There is a rough section of road on the northern side of Musgrave but this doesnt extend for very far.

There are road upgrades south of Laura as well as a new section of road that has been sealed.

[gupatrol02]

just at wei[a now been into cape melville, track not to bad, took 7 hours from kalpower. pdr great condition

[geoffjy]

The area around Captain Billy turnoff dried up last week but when i drove through there on Saturday, it was a real slippery mess. This extended nearly all the way to Bramwell Junction.

[No Barra]

Not long back from a fishing trip to Weipa. I found that the road was very good, apart for a couple of streches. There are several road crews doing work to the road so they seem to be maintaining it in a good condition. This was my first trip on the PDR but was suprised at how well the road it and that it is nearly sealed to Laura. I think it may be a sad day when the road it sealed all the way to Weipa or the top of the Cape.

Thanks to the friendly people of Musgrave Station and Weipa for a enjoyable holiday.

Jeff

[Scorcher]

Not long back from a fishing trip to Weipa. I found that the road was very good, apart for a couple of streches. There are several road crews doing work to the road so they seem to be maintaining it in a good condition. This was my first trip on the PDR but was suprised at how well the road it and that it is nearly sealed to Laura. I think it may be a sad day when the road it sealed all the way to Weipa or the top of the Cape.

Thanks to the friendly people of Musgrave Station and Weipa for a enjoyable holiday.

Jeff

Hey Jeff....any chance on giving us a run down of your fishing adventures on the "July Fishing Reports" thread?? A few brag photo's would also be welcome for us lot stuck at home this year....thinking about the Cape !

What did you get up to at Musgrave Station?

Cheers

Scorcher

[geoffjy]

Hey Jeff....any chance on giving us a run down of your fishing adventures on the "July Fishing Reports" thread?? A few brag photo's would also be welcome for us lot stuck at home this year....thinking about the Cape !

Yeah, me too. I am missing the fishing from the Cape atm as well.

[No Barra]

Hey Jeff....any chance on giving us a run down of your fishing adventures on the "July Fishing Reports" thread?? A few brag photo's would also be welcome for us lot stuck at home this year....thinking about the Cape !

What did you get up to at Musgrave Station?

Cheers

Scorcher

I really enjoyed our night there. The staff were very friendly with a nice green camping ground, where my son had his first night out camping.
Will post a fishing report.

Jeff

[shane0o7]

Not long back from a fishing trip to Weipa. I found that the road was very good, apart for a couple of streches. There are several road crews doing work to the road so they seem to be maintaining it in a good condition. This was my first trip on the PDR but was suprised at how well the road it and that it is nearly sealed to Laura. I think it may be a sad day when the road it sealed all the way to Weipa or the top of the Cape.

Thanks to the friendly people of Musgrave Station and Weipa for a enjoyable holiday.

Jeff

musgrave station is nice hey! i enjoyed it! they had hotwater probs when we were there but they fixed it in no time!
most of the pdr was pretty good but then there was the bad bad stuff that rattled the crap out of the car! i lost screws and melted bushes lol!
anyway probably saw a few of you there we called our self the cape krusaders!

[geoffjy]

anyway probably saw a few of you there we called our self the cape krusaders!

Nice stickers too. Really stand out. I saw 3 4wd's down at the Seisia Jetty with them.

[shane0o7]

Nice stickers too. Really stand out. I saw 3 4wd's down at the Seisia Jetty with them.

ha ha ha yeah that was us! having a flick,we stayed at loyalty , loved it up there! met a few locals including the spare parts guy in the same street as the bp in between the bp and the police station! what nice people!

[geoffjy]

Drove down on Thursay. Left Bamaga 9am and got to Cairns 8pm. Not a bad trip as the road is like a highway and was able to sit on 110km nearly all the way. There is lots of roadworks on the way down that you dont have to stop for, only slow down. The 2 worst sections was some corrugation north of Musgrave and another section between the turnoff to Captain Bill and the Falls.

There are also fires up and down the Cape at the moment and right beside the road so just have to be carefull.

The dust haze didnt start til i got to Coen. I dont recomend driving at night even with good spotties. Plenty of livestock on the road and visibility is poor.

I will be heading back up the Cape on Monday but have decided to take it easy this time and will be getting back up Tuesday arvo.

While sitting in a Cafe in Mossman typing this i am staring at a bottlo next door. Might have to sample a couple of beverages while there are no restrictions. :)

[ljboons]

Thanks for the update Geoff.
Leaving Gympie tomorrow and should be at Blue Lagoon on Wednesday as we are also tacking up a truck, ute, boat and my 80 series.
Leo

[Nedly]

Drove down on Thursay. Left Bamaga 9am and got to Cairns 8pm. Not a bad trip as the road is like a highway and was able to sit on 110km nearly all the way. There is lots of roadworks on the way down that you dont have to stop for, only slow down. The 2 worst sections was some corrugation north of Musgrave and another section between the turnoff to Captain Bill and the Falls.

There are also fires up and down the Cape at the moment and right beside the road so just have to be carefull.

The dust haze didnt start til i got to Coen. I dont recomend driving at night even with good spotties. Plenty of livestock on the road and visibility is poor.

I will be heading back up the Cape on Monday but have decided to take it easy this time and will be getting back up Tuesday arvo.

While sitting in a Cafe in Mossman typing this i am staring at a bottlo next door. Might have to sample a couple of beverages while there are no restrictions. :)

I had a look at the North Aust Fire Info site the other day, there were a lot of active fires showing on the map.
Looks like there is a fire at Vrilya and the northern bypass at the moment, 6-24 hour range.

[Scorcher]

Yes, it's a good site that one Nedly.

I expect that there will be plenty of new ones springing up while you guy's are up there also.

[Nedly]

Yes, it's a good site that one Nedly.

I expect that there will be plenty of new ones springing up while you guy's are up there also.

I can assure you that none of them will be as a result of our activities.
I'm sure the fishing will be hot, but really........

[Scorcher]

Nedly,

Hopefully you lot will be able to get onto a hot fishing session. With the arsenal of fishing gear being taken by a few, it would be dissappointing not to get amongst a few.

Yes, certainly no reference to you lot being responsible for any escaped fires, but with the likelihood of many nights sitting around the camp fire, spinning tall yarns till the wee hours, knocking back a few sherberts, I'd be wary of the "thunder box" !!

Actually, it's really interesting at this time of year looking at the Northern Australia Fire site. The amount of active fires at times can be awesome. I can't recall the % of the Cape that burns each Dry Season, but it is very high.