This
page is for buying the Destination Cape
York Travel Guide is as
a
present.
PLEASE NOTE ON
THIS PAGE YOU GET A PRESENT
CODE!
IF YOU
WANTED TO
BUY THE GUIDE,HERE
IS
THE PAGE :-) The
way it works
is that the present buyer clicks below and goes through with the
purchase:
BUY
THE GIFT CARD
BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE:
A code is sent to the present buyer
and they
forward it to the present receiver
(whether you like to send it over the phone or write it into a
Christmas card is up to you).
The present receiver
then clicks below
and enters the code to the "Discount"
field (which makes the amount to be payed $0) and goes
through
with the
FREE
purchase and receives the download link (which is the same link as in
every other
purchase).
PLEASE NOTE - If
the below shopping
cart has more than one item (they sometimes sneak in
there,
it's just the way those carts work).
If that's the case - you need to remove
the other item/s first and update the cart - there
are more exact instructions below :-)
CLAIM YOUR PRESENT
BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE:
In other
words:
1. Remove any possible
other items
- leaving
only the Destination Guide in there.
2. Update the cart.
3. Put in your present
code in the
Discount Code field.
4. Update the cart.
5. Go through with the
purchase - it's
FREE with the code (each code
can only be used once and they are completely randomly generated).
6. You will receive the link which is your present.
PLEASE NOTE that if you
redeem your
present before the 2021 version is
out in early January 2021 - you will receive the 2020
version (but will still receive
the 2021
version for FREE as soon as it is out! Two years of updates are
included in the price of any purchase, including the presents).
If you redeem your present after the 2021 version is out you will get
the 2021 version.
In other words - it doesn't matter when the gift card is purchased, it's when the gift
is redeemed that matters for what year's version you get.
Scroll down to all
the information, including what changes were made
this year :-)
If you
are planning an
independent trip to Cape York:
* whatever your budget (FREE camping or top accommodation);
* whether
you are a first
time four wheel driver
or an expert;
* whether you are from overseas or elsewhere in Australia;
* whatever your travel experiences in Australia or elsewhere in the
world;
You will find this guide
INVALUABLE for your Cape York trip. Why? There are a lot
of things in Cape York that most people don't know about and they are
not on this website.
There are also a lot of things you don't know unless you are a LOCAL.
It's most likely your ONLY
trip you will ever do to Cape York - compared
to the cost of your
trip it is a VERY cheap way to make sure you got all you
wanted out of it!
And if you plan many - all the better - you've only got more time to
make the most of it. Confused
about a HARD
COPY BOOK vs an E-BOOK
and what kind is this guide?Must read!
(opens in a new
window so you keep this page open).
Plan
really
well by knowing:
* Full detail about what
there is to see and do in each place, with maps; hints about why would you (not)
include a place in your plan (everyone is different), and how long time you're
likely to spend in the place.
* Full detail
about all the extra fun in each place - scenic flights, fishing trips, crocodile spotting tours
(recommended to do on your way back if you didn't spot a wild one); and
all the trips and tours
to the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Islands
(including how to get to even the remotest ones). Prices, description of what each
company offers, and full contact details. * Full detail
about all the accommodationfrom
top class to dongas
with all the prices, addresses and contact details.
* Full detail
about all the camping on all price levels,including
FREE camping spots.If you know
them, you can camp for
FREE during your whole trip (and the first free night has paid for this
book!)
Please
note that Wiki Camps has no idea and I am not relying on them for a
second. The local scene changes way too quickly for them!
* FREE camping
spots along the way TO
Cape York from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Northern
Territory.
Thankyou
Katrin,
Much appreciated, and might I add your book was the best Cape York
resource that I found. Well done.
-- Geoff, Australia
I would love to say thank
you!
Your
guide book is by far the best on the
market.
I know that because I am
a very accurate person, and I spent hours with planning my trip and get
all the information sorted.
Your
book stands out between all the others
and also the web information.
Congratulation!
--
Achim, Germany
We will tell other about your book and site - you
provide the best
information we have found.
We
would love a similar source
for other regions.
--
Richard Northway, Australia
Prepare
really well by knowing:
*
Practical information about vehicle
preparation.
* Tips on what to bring.
* How long is it between fuel stations - do you need jerry cans?
* Should you stock up
camping food?
* Do you need to bring cash?
* Where to check if a
road is open?
* Where to check the current weather and cyclones?
* How to contact all the tourist info centres,national
park rangers
and indigenous councils?
* How to contact
that remote roadhouse or cattle station the contact details of which
you just cannot find anywhere??
I
have found the Guide invaluable in planning my trip.
-- Bill Horrigan, Australia
Dear Katrin,
You have done a great job with
it.
I
understand much more about it
all now and feel
much more informed to choose places to go.
Your
guide is not the first one I
have read but it is by far the best.
Many thanks,
-- Joan
Rockliff, Australia
Love
your guide and newsletter. Timely,
full of essential
information.
Planning to come up to the Cape in late August. Regards from an avid
follower.
--
Willem Goeman,
Australia
Click
here for more feedback in case you
are
interested
(now on five pages because as it grows, it became too much for one)FEEDBACK Page 123456 (opens in a new
window so you can keep this page open)
Be informed on
your trip by knowing:
* Full contact details
and opening hours of your
closestpharmacy,medical centre,hospital and Royal
Flying Doctor Service.
* Full contact
details and opening hoursof your closest car mechanic and RACQ.
* Full contact
details and opening hoursof your closest post office, bank, and info on what places do/not have EFTPOS
facilities.
* Full contact
details and opening hoursof your
closest grocery shop, pub and
bottle shop.
* Full contact
details and opening hoursof your closest restaurant
and food outlet. Even what they serve!
Hi, just
wanted to thank you for the website, guide
book and newsletter. All are informative,
fun and easy to read.
Love
the no bull approach.
Please
keep up the good work
and may the wet be safe and
as
long or
short as you would prefer. Thanks again.
-- Dave, Australia
A
lot
of people don't know about your book, but those who have it are singing its
praises.
There's lots of
information in it that just simply can't be found elsewhere.
-- Dee Bond, Australia
Thank you for your two wonderful books I have been
madly
reading.
--
Noel Whitford,
Australia
Click
here for more feedback in case you
are
interested
(now on five pages because as it grows, it became too much for one)FEEDBACK Page 123456 (opens in a new
window so you can keep this page open)
Stay safe
by knowing about:
* How to safely cross creeks
and rivers.
* What you should check
daily on your vehicle.
* Tag along tour
companies with prices and full contact details.
* Remoteness,
how it can be dangerous,
and how to stay safe.
* What dangerous animals
are found in Cape York and how to stay safe.
Why
this Book by Me?
I
did not write this book about a corner of Australia that I visited. I wrote this book about the
corner of
Australia where I live.
I
have lived here since 2003 so the book, and this website, are written
by a local.
I am a passionate traveller who
always does
all the back tracks so I surely do my research work in
detail
;-)
But
I haven't always been a local here, I have lived down in Sydney, so I also know what questions you
will have as a
traveller. And I am
originally from Europe,
so I also
know what questions you, international travellers have before you
visit Cape York and the rest of Australia.
My old Holden Jackaroo.
I am obviously also a woman,
something that has not been of any disadvantage!
I
did my first trip to Cape York on my own
and with no four wheel drive
experience. That
means, I also know how you feel, and what you need to know if you are a
total stranger to four wheel driving.
However,
most of
the time I talk for Mark, my partner, who is the one to drive us around
nowadays :-)
Stay legal
by knowing:
* Quarantine
rules
that also apply to you as a traveller.
* Aboriginal land alcohol restrictions and where exactly do they apply - there are tricky bits, yet you are
responsible (and the penalties are up to $75,000 fine, 18 months' imprisonment, and confiscation of vehicle -
not joking!).
* In which places on Aboriginal land do
you need an entry permit, and where and when do you
have to apply for it.
* In which places on Aboriginal land do
you need a camping permit, and where and when do you
have to apply for it.
* The new rules about camping in national parks,and
how to get around them by
perfectly legal FREE camping.
* Fishing, yabbying and
mud crabbing rules in full detail
- size limits, bag limits, no-take species, closed seasons, restricted
places, special rules for fishing in the waters of the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park, which reaches right to the shore.
Hi Katrin
I'm planning a trip up there
this dry season with a mate [towing his camper] and am amazed at the info in your
guide.
Best I
have ever read
and thanks for all your hard work.
-- Graham Clarke, Australia
Am just returning from the top
and am in Lightning Ridge on my way back to Melbourne.
Just a note to say how
much I appreciated the Travel Guide on my trip.
It was invaluable.
Thanks again Katrin; your guide is so
comprehensive; I
don't know how you did it.
-- Terry Wade (Rye, Victoria), Australia
The destination
guide is a great read,
full of information, well
done on a great effort.
-- Robert, Australia
Click
here for more feedback in case you
are
interested
(now on five pages because as it grows, it became too much for one)FEEDBACK Page 123456 (opens in a new
window so you can keep this page open)
Make
the most of your trip by knowing:
* What
are all the good four
wheel drive tracks that you should not miss?
* Where are the best
spots for fishing, yabbying, mud crabbing?
* Where are the best
swimming holes for a cool dip?
* Where are the best places for bushwalks?
* Where can you see the famous carnivorous
pitcher plants?
* What are the best places to spot palm cockatoos, cuscus and other birds and animals unique to Cape
York and Papua New Guinea (not seen anywhere else in
Australia)?
A
question that
I
do get - why buy an
ebook?
Why
this
E-book Travel Guide Is Much Better
than a Normal Book:
1) You
get it instantly. No
need to go to the shop or
wait for the order to arrive at your house - plus no shipping costs.Pay and start reading straight
away!
2) You
can use the links - incredibly handy to be taken to the
website of a tourist attraction,
accommodation,
tour company etc - where you
find even more information about the place. 3) LAST BUT NOT LEAST!You get much more updated
detail in the guide! Ebooks are much easier
to update and can therefore have much more detail than 'normal' books.
That's particularly
important when it is a travel guide! You can have all the prices,
phone numbers,
opening hours etc and have
them updated every year - never happens with 'normal' book guides!
* Full info for the best
planning including FREE
camping spots (the first FREE night
has paid for the guide!). * Full info for
the best preparation including contact details to national
park rangers, indigenous councils,remote
roadhouses
and cattle stations. * Full info for
all you need on your trip including contact details and
opening hours to your
closest doctor,hospital,car
mechanic, RACQ, grocery shop and bottle shop. There are not that many! * Full info on
how to stay safe including remoteness, snake and spider bites, and how to safely cross creeks and rivers. * Full
info on how to stay
legalincluding
how to always know
whether you are on
the land with alcohol bans or restrictions. * All the best
spots for the best activities including spotting that
cuscus or palm cockatoo you have never seen even if you are an Aussie.
Just imagine how
many hours you'd spend to get that info together - and there are many things that you
would still NOT get - the ones that require local knowledge. Your trip will cost
you thousands of dollars. Once
you are on the road, you
realise just how little money AU
$29 is - you pay it for your first camping night,
you pay more if you are a family. Fuel is more expensive than at home,
food is more expensive
than at home, everything is expensive in remote places.
Any tips that
help you cut those costs are invaluable
both during your planning and during your trip. AU $29
is an incredibly cheap way to get the locals' tips to ensure you made
the most out of your big dollars you will pay for the trip!
I would love your feedback about that
point after your trip :-)
Also note that the price is in Aussie dollars.
Most often when you buy on the internet the price is in US dollars,
which makes it a lot more expensive than it looks! Twenty nine Aussie dollars equals only
21 US dollars. On top of all -
it is TOTALLY RISK FREE - should you get the guide and not
like it - just let me know and I
will refund your money :-)
Thanks
for the book, it is the
best and most comprehensive I have come across.
-- Anthony Stewart, Australia
Congratulations
on one of the most
informative Cape
York Guides I have ever seen,
you just can't beat local
knowledge.
Keep
up the excellent work.
--
Kind Regards Tim, Australia
Your
guide is GREAT value for
money
- especially since you allow previous purchasers to update as well!!!
-- Carolyn
Gee, Australia
The
information I had been
receiving from your emails were handy and your book that I downloaded was just so informative.
Worth every cent
of the $25-$30.
Recommend no-one should
go without it.
Regards,
--
James
Regan, Australia
Destination
Cape York Travel Guide
Here
is where you can
buy the guide. Click on the icon below and you will be
taken to
Pay
Pal, where you can simply and securely pay for the book (haven't got Pay Pal? Scroll down).
Right
after your payment you
will receive an automatic purchase confirmation email which has the
link where you candownload
the guide into your
computer, where you can read it on the screen as well as print it out
to get a paper copy - all
within
minutes!!
Occasionally,
I get some people saying they cannot get through the process, things
don't open or load. If that happens to be you - it is a glitch
that is
not in my end. Please
try doing exactly the same thing on a different computer / iPad / phone
/ any other device .. and it will
solve the whole problem! :-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand..
UPDATE - Monday 24 April
2023 The
prices have been updated in the 2023 Guide.
These are the last updates of the year - a great time to buy!
Two years worth of updates are included in every purchase :-)
UPDATE - Sunday 1
January
2023
The
2023
Edition is Out!
The
2023 Edition came out in the afternoon of 1. January, 2023 :-)
All you need to do is to
click on any of the many links on this page to buy, and they all take
you to the new, freshly updated version that is now up there :-)
I do recommend you to read this page
to the end, as there is much more in the Guide than this year's
updates!
2023
Updates
So, what was done this year?
Firstly - all of the content of the Guide was reviewed and updated,
* including roads and tracks,
* remote camp spots with the latest, and free camps reviewed.
* and the latest fuel prices, of late 2022, on the way to the Tip!
FREE camps and saving on fuel alone save you more than the price of the Guide :-)
Much of the focus this year was a massive overhaul of all the local businesses.
As so many had closed due to COVID, the Guide was in a need of a clean-out, and it was heartbreaking to see how many needed deleting.
There were also some new ones added that had popped up, so all the
* accommodation, camping and caravan parks,
* things to see and do in places,
* places to eat - cafes, restaurants and pubs,
* shops, food vans, local seafood outlets,
* tours including fishing, 4WDriving and croc watching,
* scenic flights over rainforest and reef,
* car mechanics and car rentals,
* events and local markets,
* museums, ice creameries, tea and coffee farms, tropical fruit wineries,
* station stays, service stations and roadhouses,
... are all as up to date as it was possible to do.
Plus all the rest ...
* National Park openings updated
* Mobile phone and internet reception reviewed and updated
* The old payphones reviewed - incredibly you would not think but they become very handy in remoteness where there is no reception!
* Local radio stations reviewed
* Free drinking water reviewed
* Toilets chapter reviewed
* All other chapters reviewed and new info added where needed
So, what was NEW this year? (in case you know that I like to include something new each year).
The big new thing was Gulf Savannah.
After
so many questions about a similar Guide on the Gulf, I decided to do
the research in the area and put it into a new Guide.
Very handy if you'd like to do Cape York on a loop trip, one way via the east coast and Cairns, and the other way via Karumba and the rest of the Gulf.
Putting it together is a big work that is underway, and it is hard to say at this stage when I get it out.
But as soon as it is out, there will be a Gulf Savannah Guide written in the same style and detail, that so many people have been asking for!
I will let you know any news on it in the newsletters :-)
Destination
Cape York Travel Guide
Here
is where you can
buy the guide. Click on the icon below and you will be
taken to
Pay
Pal, where you can simply and securely pay for the book (haven't got Pay Pal? Scroll down).
Right
after your payment you
will receive an automatic purchase confirmation email which has the
link where you candownload
the guide into your
computer, where you can read it on the screen as well as print it out
to get a paper copy - all
within
minutes!!
Occasionally,
I get some people saying they cannot get through the process, things
don't open or load. If that happens to be you - it is a glitch
that is
not in my end. Please
try doing exactly the same thing on a different computer / iPad / phone
/ any other device .. and it will
solve the whole problem! :-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand...
2022
Updates
Like every year before, the Guide
has again been reviewed, improved and updated on every detail.
Events, tours, accommodation, pubs/bars and restaurants, and everything
else that has changed since the last year, has been updated, every
single line. Plus:
* Exciting new tracks!
* Latest fuel price
comparisons between roadhouses, late 2021, first hand as always
* New station stays!
* New camping spots :-)
* New lodges and accommodation
* New glamping and holiday house stays
* New tours and fishing charters
* New charters to
amazing remote places!
* New places to go gold prospecting
* New hunting safaris
* New events, and old
ones updated :-)
* New helicopter flights
* New car mechanics
* All of the above and
lots more, added
to the wealth of the information that is already in there.
* FREE camping spots on the
Peninsula reviewed
* FREE camping spots on your
way here from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Northern Territory
reviewed
* National Park openings updated
* Mobile phone and internet reception reviewed and updated
* The old payphones
reviewed - incredibly you would not think but they become
very handy in remoteness where there is no reception!
* Local radio stations reviewed
* Free drinking water reviewed
* Toilets chapter reviewed
* All other chapters
reviewed and new info added where needed
* Lots of areas revisited particularly in the north, in the western
Cape, and the Cooktown area :-)
* New tracks we only did
for the first time!
* Plenty
of money savers - I even tell you every year where are the current
cheapest fuel stations to fill up before you leave Cairns and - that
alone pays you more than the price of this book ;-)
* And much, much more
- all the
invaluable information that was in the Guide ever before, has been
updated, improved, and added to!
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2021
Updates
Like
every year before, the Guide has again beenreviewed, improved and
updated on
every detail. Events, tours, accommodation, pubs/bars and
restaurants, and everything else that has changed since the last year,
has been updated, plus:
* New chapter on vehicle
recovery /
roadside assistance
* Latest fuel prices -
December 2020
- of all roadhouses on your way up
* Daily car
maintenance
info added
* A chapter on ground
tent vs roof
top tent - what is best to bring and what suits YOU?
* Bog recovery gear
- should
you bring Treds or Max Tracks?
* Many FREE
camping spots
added - that alone
will save you more
than the price of the Guide :-)
* Some cheap station
camps added * Toilets
chapter
reviewed
and new info added
* Local radio stations
reviewed and new
info added
* Mobile reception
reviewed
and the new spots added
* All other chapters reviewed and new info added where needed
* More maps,
such as major
rivers handy to know if travelling early in the season
* Info added to roadhouses, local pubs, shops, cafes, service stations
etc with more detail on their services
* Despite the year that
didn't make
the travels easy, the best was done to visit and revisit
places
as much as was possible
* Tracks in Irvinebank
and Emuford
areas, now with a map
* Our trips to Cairns updating first hand info on places along the main
road down
* First hand updates on Marina
Plains
and Bathurst Bay
* How to drive to the tip
of Cape
Melville
* Western Cape, and of course the tracks in the northern Cape and at
home in the NPA
which we do
all the time
* And how can you fly to
the remote
stations - see the Cape from the air, Dry season or Wet :-)
And last but not least - links to the Index and Table of Contents are
now in the end of each page, to make the navigation easy :-)
Plus, there
are plenty of
money savers
like where are the local cheapest fuel
stations to fill your tanks before taking off from Cairns
- that alone
saves you more than the price of the Guide - let alone all the time,
hassle and regret-saving local tips :-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2020
Updates
The
latest - the 2020 edition
of the
Destination Guide came out in the early hours of Friday 3. January 2020.
* A chapter on tyre
pressures
* Latest fuel prices -
December 2019
- of all roadhouses on your way up
* A chapter on toilets
- where
to go when you got to go
* Four wheel drive parks
to
get up your confidence before hitting the tracks
* Which Old Telegraph Track crossings have water late in the season (=
nice to camp), and which
crossings
are the best camping, in that order :-)
* How much alcohol you
can buy in
places, and what are the restricted hours for certain
alcohols
(each place is different)
* Menus of the best restaurants and cafes only, plus
menus of ALL roadhouses on your way up
* Free drinking water,
payphones,
mobile reception chapters
reviewed and new info added
* More maps,
more events
and more information on
places
* Where to see carnivorous
plants
* Free camps on your way up from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and
Northern Territory - freshly
updated
and more info added about each spot
* Info added to roadhouses that turn your power off at night because
they run on generators (they need to, but you also need to know)
* Lakefield, Cape Melville, Oyala Thumotang and Iron Range National
Park, Captain Billy Landing, Eliott Falls, Ussher Point and Jardine
River camping detailed
with
facilities, mobile receptions and on what sites are generators allowed
* All camping sites in Lakefield and Oyala Thumotang National Park were
visited (and most camping sites in the rest had been visited before) so
this year, first hand
information
about shade etc at almost all national park camping sites
was
added to the Guide, so you know which one to choose.
* Other places revisited
this year
(meaning more fresh info added to the Guide than some other places)
were: Cape Flattery,
Cape Bedford
and beach drive
to Coloured Sands
and Kiters'
Cove, Cooktown, Hopevale, Elim
Beach,
Starcke Wakooka Track
including Starcke boat ramp, Battle
Camp Road, roads
through Palmerville
and Mount Mulligan
revisited
for updates since the new lodge etc, and the coastal road between
Cairns and Cooktown, including Bloomfield
Track
* Old Telegraph Track
(done
every year), so you have any new chicken tracks and any other
modifications created in 2019 (and all the earlier ones); East Coast Drive
from
Captain Billy Landing to Ussher Point, crossing Orford Bay
* And the northern tracks at home which we do all year: Ussher Point and Sadd Point, Mutee Head and Jardine River mouth,
Larradinya mouth,
Roonga Point,
Roma Flats
and other tracks in the
NPA
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2019
Updates
The
latest - the 2019 edition
of the
Destination Guide came out in the early hours of Saturday 5. January 2019
(you
now get the new edition when
you buy through this page).
Like
every year before, the Guide has again beenreviewed, improved and
updated on
every detail. Events, tours, accommodation, pubs/bars and
restaurants, and everything else that has changed since the last year
* Which rivers go up
enough to cut
the PDR and how to check them any time of the year?
* Travel times on the
peninsula
vs travel distances.
* Do you need to book
accommodation and camping?
* Peninsula's four wheel
drive tracks
list and map reviewed and tracks added.
* Mobile phone reception
reviewed - and the old
payphones
were added that can still be very handy in the remoteness where there
is no reception!
* The list of FREE
campsites,
and the ones on your way here from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and NT,
reviewed and updated as everything else in the guide.
* Firewood
- is there plenty
to collect or should you bring some up with you (as I get the question
asked!)
* Quarantine rules
explained
better with the Torres Strait included (this is in your interest as it
protects the rest of Australia's agriculture more than Cape York).
* Rubbish - LOTS more
rubbish tips
and landfills added across the peninsula so you don't have
to
dump it in the bush or carry it around for too long :-)
All of the above and lots more, added to the wealth of the information
that is
already in there.
This year's research work
was done in
the northern Cape and Torres Strait (to those who don't
know,
each year there is a different area that gets done in more detail).
Still, the southern
locations were all
reviewed line by line in the Guide and updated, places
like
Yarrabah, the new Cooktown waterfront and many more were added.
In the north, tracks and
places around
Weipa, NPA such as Ussher and Sadd Point, got revisited and updated,
festivals were added along with more detailed information.
* the Old Telegraph
Track got done in
its full length in October 2018 and all new chicken tracks
(that
now pop up almost yearly) were added to the Destination Guide.
It's as fresh information
on the full
track as you can get, in a written form that you can bring
with
you to your trip (each crossing explained one by one).
* Torres Strait got
revisited,
improved and updated, including Turtle Head and other
closer
islands.
* Thursday and Horn
Island
with more detail on places and Horn Island with new tracks added.
* The question I get a lot - where
to
leave your vehicle on the mainland while you are on the islands - is
answered in detail.
* Friday Island
lunch details
- absolutely delicious and professionally made seafood that you will
remember forever!
* Prince of Wales
- tracks and
waterfalls :-)
* Outer Islands
was this
year's big trip in case that you missed the last newsletter.
Badu, Moa, Saibai, Boigu, Yam, Poruma, Warraber, Masig, Erub and Mer
all got a little chapter
about what
is there, how to visit, and what it costs :-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2018
Updates
The
2018 edition of the
Destination Guide came out in the early hours of Saturday 13. January 2018.
Like
every year before, the Guide has again been
reviewed, improved and updated on every detail.
* This year was a
massive overhaul because I made a more extensive
research trip than the year before, so lots of places
got added more detail, chapters rewritten, or even new chapters made,
particularly (but not limited to) the places in the southern and
central parts of the peninsula, including Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw,
Running Creek and Kendall River areas, and the tracks through from the
PDR
to BDR (Burke Developmental Road) via Kimba - Gamboola and Dixie -
Koolatah roads, and the back track between Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw,
only to mention a few.
In the book, everything
was updated (every single line) but
some things
got upgraded a little more, and here are only a few of
them:
* Mobile phone and
wireless internet reception, with new detail,
including a map
* More vehicle
accessories, spare parts and recovery gear were added to
the list (reviewed by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner at the time)
* An extensive list on
what to bring and how to pack your vehicle so that
you don't have to spend your valuable camping time on looking for
things, plus some simple things that become very useful
* The "Getting Here" chapter got new, straighter
routes from Melbourne,
Sydney, and the western side via the Gulf
Savannah was also reviewed - all
with FREE
camping sites along the road.
* FREE camping spots
on the Cape were again reviewed, and added some
information about what is usually legal and illegal (deep down every
situation is different and I explain how)
* All the four wheel drive tracks on the peninsula plus a map with all of them
* The means of communications chapter got added a write up about the
difference between EPIRBs and satellite phones, and in
what ways they help you differently in different situations
* Satellite phones got outlined which
network and which provider is the best
in Australia and on Cape York
* The "When to Go" chapter was added an important point about the difference between the
late and the early season trips, depending on what you
want out of your trip
* A chapter about where
to get FREE drinking water, with a map
* Maps
improved and updated, all the links checked and fixed like each
year
* Plenty of
money savers
like where are the local cheapest fuel
stations to fill your tanks before taking off from Cairns
- that alone
saves you more than the price of the book - let alone all the time,
hassle and regret saving local tips :-)
* And much, much more
- all
the invaluable information that was in the Guide ever
before, has been updated, improved, and added to!
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2017
Updates
The
latest - the 2017 edition
of the
Destination Guide came out on Saturday
7. January 2017 (you
now get the new edition when
you buy through this page).
Like
every year before, the Guide has again been reviewed, improved and updated on
every detail (and if
you look lower down
on the previous years additions - all the older improvements
are of course still there). Only some of the
things added in the 2017 edition were:
* More FREE camping spots
(info about others updated)
* More local radio stations
* More detail
in the mobile phone and
internet coverage chapters
* Moreremote stations' contact details
(yes, the full detail of how to contact places like Silver Plains and
other remote stations/homesteads)
* Maps improved
and updated, all the links
checked and fixed like each year
* RACQ
phone numbers now also to
each local work shop so that in addition to the general
road assistance number you can also talk to the particular workshop
directly
* The
chapters by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner at the time: vehicle
recovery gear, spares, accessories and tools to bring
reviewed and updated * Plenty
of money savers - I
even
tell you every year where
are the current cheapest fuel stations to fill up before you leave
Cairns (it changes) and - that
alone pays you more than the price of this book ;-)
* When To Go chapter was added paragraphs about when does each track open for the
season, as well as the local school holidays.
* The Do You Need Cash
Chapter - the EFPTOS facilities map was added the information of banks
(north of Cooktown there are less than 5!), post offices (=
Commonwealth), and also ATMs (as up here EFPTOS does most often not
mean that you can get cash out).
* The swim spots chapter was added the swimming
opportunities in towns
and camping grounds
- it's hot here - and ocean is not a place to swim!
* While on the subject I even added fitness
opportunities in places like Cooktown, Weipa, Bamaga and
Thursday Island ... there is not that many and it might be handy to
know :-)
And last but not least ...
* If you need to rent your vehicle/van - what companies allow you to do
the Old Telegraph Track, and all the other fun tracks?
Very few allow the OTT - the big companies do not. Rules about the
other tracks vary, and in many cases make no sense - they
don't allow you to do the Old Telegraph while allowing a lot harder
tracks
- showing they have no idea about the actual challenges and risks on
every track, heck - many don't even know about the other
tracks! :-)
* Chapter on Bringing
your Dog/s
* Chapter on Bringing
your Caravan
The last two subjects are the first that I am planning to turn into
separate booklets during this, 2017, Wet Season (hoping to get them out
in February - March). There
is no need to wait until then with the purchase of the full guide, as
the conditions of getting them will not be affected by when you
bought the full guide.
* Plus all the invaluable information that was in the Guide ever
before, has been updated, improved, and added to!
P.S. From now on the
Guide has the year of the issue and the purchase details on each page
- making things easier for you as well as myself :-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2016
Updates
The
super
fresh 2016 version of the Destination Guide came out on
Saturday 9. January 2016 (you now get the new version when
you buy through this page). Only some of the
things added in the 2016 version were:
* New tracks,
new places -
Kondiparinga,
Fairview/Palmerville, and other tracks; also Turtle Camp, Stones
Crossing, Crab Island; tracks in the NPA, and the Jackey Jackey and
Escape River area; and many others were reviewed and added info.
* FREE camping spots
reviewed in the light of the new Native Title Laws and
land ownership changes
* Alcohol
restrictions reviewed,
national park openings updated, events 2016 updated, maps added and
updated, and much, much more.
* Local radio stations
to listen to on your trip :-)
* Is there LP Gas?
* Where do you actually
have internet reception?
* Hunting info, places to put your rubbish
reviewed and added, all the permits
info reviewed and updated
* All emergency numbers now in the
beginning of the book,
including local police stations and hospitals; where to ring for
vehicle recovery, flood and cyclone emergencies, and Royal Flying
Doctors' Service. * Northern Peninsula Area
info and companies added - since it is now where I live :-)
And last but
not least - for the Guys ...
* Vehicle spares, accessories and
tools to bring - reviewed by my vehicle-recovery-guy
partner at the time.
* The five most
important recovery gear to bring - in the order of
importance - by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner at the time.
* Tips on crossing
Jardine River at the Old Ford - my
vehicle-recovery-guy partner at the time (well,
I drove through following his tips, and I am sure if I got through
without trouble, they have to work! Video is in the
Destination
Guide:-)
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2015
Updates
... and the
Older Additions Are Also there of Course
The
version you get now was
launched in January 2015,
after the guide was again updated,
reviewed, improved, cleaned up from info no longer
relevant, and added lots of new information.
UPDATE
April 2015 -
all the prices(accommodation,
any extra trips and tours, museums, attractions, boat trips etc, etc,
etc...) were all freshly
updated one by one in April
2015 and will apply for the whole 2015 season
- you can trust you have the correct price! Only some of the
things added in January 2015 were:
* New tracks,
new places - Falls Track, Skardon River, Old Coach Road, Albany Island, Restoration
Island, and many, many more!
* The peninsula's best swimming
holes,
now with a map.
* Lots of FREE
camping
spots
added :-)
* Others taken down,
that are no longer free due to the latest
changes of rules on
some Native Title lands.
* Alcohol
restrictions
updated,
some more detailed than before.
* National Parks
camping updated with
information on where to book once you're closer to the park
- they have made it easier by providing phones, agents, and touch
screen facilities. * National
Parks Wet
Season closing times
- the re-opening time for the Dry
season is different in every park - find out what park may still be
closed in May, June, some even July.
* 4WD tracks
that open
later
were also added the info about when they usually
open, and the note that you should not plan one into an early season
trip.
* RACQ - what does
it actually give to
you for your Cape York trip,
considering the fact that the distances and conditions are different
from most other places. After I talked to all the local
RACQ mechanic shops, read what they do/not and decide whether it is
worth for you.
* And finally, with so
many people writing to me that they did not see one single croc on
their trip,
I decided the info was needed - why
do locals see lots of crocodiles while most travellers do not - you
have to know
where to look, when to look, how to look!
* And the same info
went in for some other north
Queensland icons
like cassowaries,
tree
kangaroos,
and amethystine
python
- Australia's largest snake.
* And the same info
also went in for our Cape
York icons - palm
cockatoo,
eclectus
parrot,
cuscus and
green
tree python.
Destination
Cape York Travel Guide
Here
is where you can
buy the guide. Click on the icon below and you will be
taken to
Pay
Pal, where you can simply and securely pay for the book (haven't got Pay Pal? Scroll down).
Right
after your payment you
will receive an automatic purchase confirmation email which has the
link where you candownload
the guide into your
computer, where you can read it on the screen as well as print it out
to get a paper copy - all
within
minutes!
In
case
you get any problems with anything in the process contact me
and I will give you a hand.
2014
Updates and Older ...
I
have not kept
on this page but they are all there :-)
This
book has been gradually
growing since I started the website in 2009.
Each year it is updated on all detail, plus always added
new information-
to make sure
that for each and every year, it improves !!!
Haven't
Got Pay Pal?
If you haven't got Pay Pal,
you will
still be taken to the same page, and on
that page you have the option
to pay with your credit card - or
sign up with Pay Pal.
And you should do that
anyway.
Pay Pal is the safest way to pay, where nobody will see your bank
account details.
When you pay with a bank card, your card details are forwarded.
When you pay with Pay Pal, all you use is an email address that is
connected to your Pay Pal account.
It is the safest way to pay, and a website that does not
offer PayPal payments is nowadays unusual (and considered suspicious).
There is now a brand new Trailer Guide
which is a supplement to the
Destination Guide, and found inside it.
With 41 pages of detailed information about:
*Should
you bring your trailer (all
info covers camper trailers as well as other trailers)
* The
reasons why you should consider not bringing your trailer
* The
condition of the roads
*
The timing of the gradings
*
Where to leave your trailer at the bottom of the Cape – there are
several FREEstorage
places, there are
also the locked / undercover spaces, and the ones in a shed
*Bring your trailer
* Hire
a trailer
*
How
to avoid the damage
*
How to still get to do the adventure: places where to leave your
trailer up the Cape and go off to do the tracks
* What
mechanical workshops do fix trailers up the Cape
*
What
roads and tracks are you going to get through with your trailer
* Dump
points – where are the public ones, and also which camping
grounds have them (not nearly all up the Cape!)
*
Where are the FREE camping spots that are large enough for trailers
(not only on the Cape but on your way here from Melbourne, Sydney,
Brisbane and the Northern Territory)
*
What commercial camping grounds / caravan parks have sites large
enough for trailers
*
What places actually have powered sites – the majority do not up
the Cape
All
for the very cheap price of $7 !!
Completely
unique information
found
nowhere else.
Put
together inside the Cape, based on first hand experiences, local
knowledge and direct research (not
from other books or web information - just like the full Destination
Guide itself!).
The
Caravan supplement is available inside the Destination Guide :-)
Since March
2018
There is now a brand new Caravan Guide
which is a supplement to the
Destination Guide, and found inside it.
With 41 pages of detailed information about:
* Should you bring
your caravan
* The reasons why you should seriously consider not
bringing your caravan (so you can really make a well informed decision!)
* How much of the road is
actually sealed and what is the prediction by a local who drives it more than 10 times
a year and sees the progress constantly
* The unsealed parts and their condition
* Where to leave your van at the bottom of the Cape –
there are several FREE
storage
places, there are also the locked / undercover spaces, and
the ones in a shed
* Bring your caravan
* How to avoid the damage
* How to still get to do the adventure: places where to leave your van
up the Cape and go off to do the tracks
* What mechanical workshops do fix
caravans up the Cape
* What roads and tracks are you going to get through with your caravan
* Ferries that you have to take
* RV events to enjoy
* Where are the FREE camping spots that are large enough for caravans
* Dump points – where are the public ones, and also which
camping grounds have them (not nearly all up
the Cape!)
* What commercial camping grounds / caravan parks accommodate vans – and
what length can they fit – for each park
* What places actually have
powered sites – the majority do not up the Cape!
All
for the very cheap price of $7 !!
Completely unique information
found
nowhere else.
Put
together inside the Cape, based on first hand experiences, local
knowledge and direct research (not
from other books or web information - just like the full Destination
Guide itself!).
The
Caravan supplement is available inside the Destination Guide :-)
Since March
2017
There is now a brand new Dog Guide
which is a supplement to the
Destination Guide, and found inside it.
With 41 pages of detailed information about:
*
Should
you bring your dog/s
*
Leave your dogs at home
*
Leave your dogs in Cairns
*
Bring your dogs to Cape York
*
Practical
Information
*
Vets throughout Cape York and the area (up the Cape they are far
between!)
*
Where to buy pet gear
*
Dog events with dates
*
Dog Services
*
Where
are dogs allowed on the Cape
*
Which national parks are you actually allowed to take your dog/s
through, and what about camping?
*
What about dogs on the FREE camping sites?
*
Where are the leash free areas in town parks
*
What 4WD tracks are they/not allowed through!
*
With maps and photos of the signs, including the remote spots :-)
*
Which are the places that you are going to miss out completely if you
travel with dogs?
*
and what about Thursday Island and other Torres Strait Islands?
*
And all the accommodation and commercial camping grounds that accept
dogs, each with their own doggie rules :-)
* UPDATE 2018 As
the Doggie
Guide was updated
in
January 2018 - amongst all the other things -information was added
about where to
(specifically, and generally) - find the 1080 poison
bait areason
your
travels on the Cape - so that you can travel with your dog/s safely :-)
* UPDATE 2019 As
the Doggie
Guide was updated
again in
January 2019 - amongst all the other things -information was added
about the extra
vaccinations that you
should consider - against some
fatal dog diseases that thrive extra well in the tropics and Cape York.
* UPDATE 2020 As
the Doggie
Guide was updated
again in
January 2020 - amongst all the other things -information was added
about the ticks that we have in the tropics
and Cape York.
* UPDATE 2021 As
the Doggie
Guide was updated
again in
January 2021 - amongst all the other things such as updated lists of
vets and other dog services (as every year) -information was added
aboutwhere to get help if you have a
dog emergency in the NPA (most likely applies to other
communities with no vet).
All
for the very cheap price of $7 !!
Completely unique information
found
nowhere else.
Put
together inside the Cape, based on first hand experiences, local
knowledge and direct research (not
from other books or web information - just like the full Destination
Guide itself!).
The
Doggie supplement is available inside the Destination Guide :-)
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.