Lakefield National Park
It is the largest
national park on the peninsula, and the second largest
(after Simpson Desert) in Queensland.
You manage to see it briefly during your Cape York trip if you choose
to drive through it, but to
do it in detail this park is large enough to be a destination on its own.
And that is how it's
most often done - by people who come to fish and camp, and
stay for weeks each time.
But apart from fishing, there are also some walks, there is wildlife to spot, and there is even some great history.
Unlike many other places in the eastern Cape York, the vegetation in this national park is not rainforest.
Like
Oyala Thumotang it's eucalypt
woodland, but there is one big difference - Lakefield gets a lot more flooded
during the Wet Season, because there are a lot more large
rivers.
During
the Dry Season the
water levels drop back, the marine floodplains become
grasslands, but all the permanent waterholes and lily
lagoons remain, attracting birds and other wildlife.
Southern Lakefield National Park
In the southernmost section of the national park, there are camping grounds on Laura, Kennedy and Normanby Rivers - at Horseshoe Lagoon, Welcome Waterhole, Old Laura Homestead, Six Mile Waterhole and Twelve Mile Waterhole.
There is no camping at Lake Emma, but you may spot wildlife like a sand goanna. The best historical attraction in this part, and in fact in the whole Lakefield National Park is the Old Laura Homestead.
A
little further north is another lot of camp spots at Kennedy
Bend, Old Faithful Waterhole, Dingo Waterhole and Mick Fienn
Waterhole. There is no camping at Catfish Waterhole, but it may be
worth driving in and having a look.
Central
Lakefield National Park
In the
central section of Lakefield National Park are two areas of camping
spots: those along the Normanby,
and those along the North
Kennedy River.
The Normanby spots are Kalpowar
Crossing
(the central and most popular camping gound in the park, with most
facilities), Midway Waterhole, Hanush's Waterhole, Melaleuca Waterhole,
Orange Plain Waterhole, Top Whiphandle Waterhole and Bottom Whiphandle
Waterhole.
The central North Kennedy spot is Hann
Crossing - the second most popular camping ground, with
toilet facilities.
Along the main Lakefield road which goes between the two rivers, there are the White Lily Lagoon, Red Lily Lagoon, and the Old Breeza Homestead - another historical landmark, the second best in the park.
Northern
and North Western
Lakefield NP
North
from the Hann Crossing are the Basin Hole, Bizant River and Brown Creek
camping grounds.
And in the north west are Nifold
Plain, Rarda-Ndolphin Low Lake and Marina Plains, with
camping at Saltwater Crossing, Sweetwater Lake, Five Mile Creek and
Annie River.
Walks
and Wildlife
Lakefield
National Park does not have many bushwalks,
but there is one stroll you can do from Kalpower Crossing camping
ground. It is a four kilometres easy walk that goes to Normanby River
and back through vine forest and open woodland.
And you don't need to walk to see the park's most famous wildlife - the
crocodiles.
The photo above is taken from a drive in the middle of the day. Plan
Your Trip... the FREE Cape
York Travel Pocket Guide
Plan and Bring
to the Trip... the full Destination Cape York Travel Guide
Lakefield
Accommodation
In the Musgrave
end of the park is Lotusbird
Lodge. This is the closest
accommodation to the park, all the rest is camping.
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This site uses British English, which is the English we use in Australia.
Disclaimer : Although best efforts have been made to ensure that all the information
on this website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.
TM & © Copyright 2009 - 2023 Katrin Holmsten ALL RIGHTS RESERVED