Day 368 | Dougies, Port Douglas: Gee, those tents are packed in
68 km | zzOz total: 10,078km
Packed the panniers, time to venture north.
Yesterday I surprised myself and took the time to consider planning for the route up to the tip of Cape York, you know, working out how many days it might require.
My previous attempts at this task have been substantially off the mark, my Mawson Trail, slowest ever traverse at 31 days had been “planned” at 15, the more normal time, my travel tends to be way slower than originally anticipated. This time it looks as if 30 days will be a fair estimation for the 1350 km or so journey up to the end of Australia, I don’t want to rush it.
True confession time: I did have some doubts about Cape York, not the road so much, gee, after hacking my way over the 1100 km of the unsealed, softish Great Central Road, or that rugged 4WD track through the Gregory National Park, any track will be unlikely to faze me, gotta be less arduous.
My fears have been over the numerous river crossings.
Then again I did have to cross the South Alligator River on my way to Koolpin Gorge a couple of times, again on the way back where it all seemed a lot easier, the North Queensland creeks can be somewhat deeper and have the added feature of the possibility of encountering any resident, large, saltwater crocodiles.
Reassurance has come from perusing the images on Gaye and Ed Bourke’s website from their 2007 trip, after checking out the map I found I’ll be following their route closely, including the excursion into Chilli Beach in the Iron Range National Park, don’t look too terrifying. Much.
It’s not procrastination, when the going has been special, Kakadu, Karijini, etc, I’ve had the fortune to slow the trip down, take it all in, two nights somewhere often gives a whole new appreciation and perspective.
There’s sense in having more urgency on Stage 3 of this escapade, once I get as far north as is possible on this continent, ie, the tip of Cape York, there won’t be so much mucking around along the way, he says, after all it’s all downhill as I head south.
That proposed route: Ray’s place in Speewah once again to, maybe, finally meet him; Normanton in the Gulf, ie, of Carpentaria; Lawn Hill National Park back near the Northern Territory border; then due south to Adelaide via Boulia, again; the Birdsville Track; maybe even a backtrack over the Mawson, speedier this time; then up the Murray River on the wrong, ie, NSW side, to Jindabyne; rumbling down Barry Way to Bairnsdale; Wilsons Prom; and back to Melbourne via Queenscliff.
Maybe all in time for New Years.
Well, just maybe.
After all it’s just a plan.