Northern Cape York Peninsula
Northern Cape York
Travel Information
Once you leave Archer River and the central Cape York, things only get more exciting.
First the road improves a bit because you are getting closer to the largest town up here - Weipa.
Not far north of Archer River is the turnoff to the eastern coast - Lockhart River, Portland Roads and the fantastic Iron Range National Park.
Further north you come to the crossroads where you can turn left along the Peninsula Developmental Road to Weipa, or continue north towards the Tip of Cape York along the Telegraph Road.
This is the best part of Cape York when it comes to the amount of things to see and do.
Northern Cape York - Northeast
Lockhart River
Lockhart River is the largest community in central eastern Cape York, and the only place here to get fuel and buy groceries. But remember that it is an Aboriginal community, so alcohol restrictions apply. Its most spectacular part is of course the much photographed Quintell Beach.
Iron Range National Park
Continue north after the turn-off to Lockhart River and you come to one of the absolute highlights of Cape York - Iron Range National Park. It has the best rainforests on the whole peninsula, with all the endemic species that are found no-where else except in New Guinea.
Portland Roads
Drive north after the main section of Iron Range National Park and you come to an intersection where you can turn right to the famous Chili Beach, which is part of Iron Range National Park; and left to Portland Roads - a tiny community on a beautiful beach.
Northern Cape York - Northwest
Weipa
Back on the Peninsula Developmental Road - the main road in northern Cape York - the next intersection is the left-hand turnoff to Weipa. It also takes you to Merluna Station and a few Aboriginal communities. Weipa is a bauxite mining town amongst some great fishing spots.
Mapoon
North of Weipa, there is a road to the Aboriginal community of Mapoon. You pass by turnoffs to a few nice camping spots such as Stones Crossing, Tent Pole and Pennefather River. In Mapoon, there are a few nice beaches that are great to fish. Alcohol restricions apply.
Northern Cape York - Central North
Telegraph Road
Just north of the Weipa Turnoff is the start of Telegraph Road. It is a reasonably good, but unsealed road that goes past Batavia Downs, Wenlock River and Moreton Telegraph Station to Bramwell Junction, which is where the famous Old Telegraph Track starts.
Old Telegraph Track
This is the rough road that you absolutely need a proper 4WD to do. It has some steep sections, and many, many creek crossings with water in all year around. It is one of the absolute highlights of the whole Cape York with lots of adventure and some great camping spots.
Bypass Roads
But if you don't want the adventure, there are bypass roads to avoid the Old Telegraph Track and still get to the Tip of Cape York. They are reasonably good roads but get corrugated, and they have a few turnoffs to some great coastal camping and fishing spots.
Northern Cape
York - Jardine
River and National Park
Jardine River National Park
As you are driving along the Old Telegraph Track, you first enter the Heathlands Resource Reserve south of Dulhunty River, and later, in the northern end of the track, you enter Jardine River National Park as the road becomes sandy and the vegetation gets greener with grass trees and palms.
Jardine River
While much of this vast national park is inaccessible, in the northern end of the drive through it you come to Jardine River and some great camping spots on the southern bank of it. Here is also the Old River Ford, where people used to drive across this river - nowadays catching Jardine River Ferry is more usual.
Plan
Your Trip... the FREE Cape
York Travel Pocket Guide
Bring
to the Trip... the full Visit
Cape York Destination Guide
If you liked the books or this website, let others know about it!
Link to it from your website, your blog, your forum post... Share it on Facebook, Tweet about it...
Every link helps other travellers!
Thank you for doing the right thing and letting others know :-)
