Cape Melville National Park

It is not exactly remote, but it's still far enough from the Peninsula Developmental Road in the west, and Cooktown in the south, that it is less visited.

Most Cape York travellers don't usually get time for it, and it is more popular with long time campers who only come here and stay for weeks.


It is a great place to camp and fish, or go bird watching or mud crabbing.


Most people enter the park from the west, coming either from Musgrave or Laura on the Peninsula Developmental Road, and then driving through Lakefield National Park.



This is a reasonable gravel road, not like a small four wheel drive track.



Others come from the south via Cooktown, Battlecamp Road and Starcke Wakooka Track. 



This road starts off being a reasonable gravel road, but ends up being a slow and narrow four wheel drive track, which is a lot of fun!



Whatever way you do, you finally get to the northern section's park entrance north of Wakooka.



Then pass some granite boulders, after which the road is quite rugged all the way to the Cape, and four wheel drive only (even in case you would not use the 4WD gears, you need to travel in a 4WD vehicle just because it's higher).



At Cape Melville, there are camping spots next to the beach that starts on the left hand side of the carpark.



In both ends of that beach are creek mouths that are great for fishing and mud crabbing.


But you can also turn right before the carpark (right as you come in = east), and after a few tracks ... 



... you will get to the northern beach, from where you can drive along the beach, at the low tide, to the tip of Cape Melville.



At the actual cape, there is a monument for the 300+ pearlers who were killed in 1899 in the tropical cyclone Mahina. 


On the way to and from Cape Melville, about half way to Wakooka, is the turnoff to Ninian Bay. The track is narrow and at times almost overgrown. 


Once at the bay, there is a beautiful beach. In the northern end of the beach is a rocky headland where you can climb to the top of the hill for views over the bay.


In the southern end is is a river mouth with mangroves - which, as you would know, means good fishing and mud crabs but also crocodiles.

Plan Your Trip... the FREE Cape York Travel Pocket Guide

Get this 50 pages guide totally for FREE. It contains information that helps you getting started with planning of your trip. You get to make early-stages desicions such as when to go, how long time you should take, how to get there and get around, where to stay (general info), what will it cost.. and a short insight to what is there to see and do in Cape York.

Plan and Bring to the Trip... the full Destination Cape York Travel Guide

This complete 300 pages travel guide is all you need before and during your trip. Besides the background chapters on the peninsula's history and wildlife; and the comprehensive detail about all the places (down to prices, opening hours and full contact detail), it has invaluable information on at least 10 four wheel drive tracks, at least 30 guaranteed FREE camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to the Cape), at least 40 best swimming holes, all mapped; as well as practical things - from fuel, roads, wireless internet and mobile phone reception, how to deal with the national parks booking rules; and Aboriginal land entrance and camping permits and alcohol restrictions - to vehicle preparation and accessories and necessary recovery gear by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner). Not to mention locals' tips on how to spot that croc and palm cockatoo ;-)

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