Cape York - The Old Telegraph Track

The Old Telegraph Track

**unfortunately a lot of the 4x4 action shots in this blog are alittle blurry due to them being taken from various video footage.. 

Day 1
19 days after we left our caravans at Mt Carbine, 1850km of 4x4 tracks and corrugated dirt roads, we finally arrived at the beginning of the famous "Telegraph Track."
After a few quick photos we were soon on our way!

So many termite mounds!

In no time at all we had reached our first 4x4 challenge, the Palm Creek Crossing. 

Palm creek 

Exiting Palm Creek 

A steep drop into a hole not much wider than the car, into a puddle of mud, and a reasonably steep rocky climb out the other side greeted us.
Both cars tackled this crossing with no hassle, yeah!!! And we were soon headed towards the Dalhunty River Crossing. 

Arriving here we decided to set up camp here for the night. Although only lunch time, we were in no rush to complete the track. With some safe little swimming holes, we had a great day chatting with other people passing through.

Dalhunty waterfall 

Our little egg relaxing with a friend and a beer in the Dalhunty River. No cracks... yet!! 

Us!! 

Day 2 

Today we arrived at one of the more well known crossings, Gun Shot. 

With approx 8 different entry points, there were plenty of possible ways to tackle this one... With saying that, they all had extreme steep drops into varying depths of boggy mud below... 

The original Gunshot on the right. The one on the left is just as high... But not quite a vertical drop! 

Gary and I discussing whether I do or do not attempt this one... ;)

View from the top of The original Gunshot

The steep drop into the water below... 

The original drop though stood out from all the rest. This one is clearly for the clinically insane! A pretty much vertical straight down drop longer than the average car, that sent you nose diving into a deep, muddy puddle. 

This one was definietly off my list! Although I was considering taking its sister drop alongside.... Although not quite as steep, (not steep still equalled a nearly vertical drop.... But just not quite...) And still a deep, muddy puddle to make my way out of at the bottom... 

Arriving here we were greeted by a guy who had taken his trailer down one of the 5 smaller drops... And who's trailer had hit the back window of his car and flipped on the way down... Ouch....
Amazingly enough he was able to flip his trailer back over, and after covering his broken back window in cardboard and with a few extra scratches to his 200 series landcruiser, he was soon on his way again! 

Preparing to pull the trailer back upright with a snatch strap... 

The uprights trailer and the broken back window.. 

Before long atleast 15-20 cars had joined us and we all had a great time watching each other tackle Gunshot.
When my turn came around I choose to take one of the steep but smaller drops on the side. As tempted as I was to do the second biggest drop.... I was nervous about damaging the car when it sank into the near on 1m deep muddy puddle below..

Bit blurry... (These are still shots taken from a video of my turn on Gunshot..) 

Hitting the bottom!

Making my way out. I did it! Woohoo!!

Woohoo! Feeling pumped afterwards! 

Nobody out of the crowd who had gathered to tackle Gunshot that day was game enough to tackle either of the two big drops either!
Eventually though, one of the guys, Todd, who
had previously tackled Gunshot, said he would winch himself back up and take the third biggest drop back down again and offered to winch me back up and follow suite too!
I was possibly keen... Right up till the part where his car bottomed out whilst been winched back up gunshot and ripped the back side panel and bumper of his car off!!!
Unfazed and still managing to smile over the new modifications to his car, he soon showed the crowd gathered below how to tackle this part of Gunshot! He made it look easy and I was impressed! 

Todd winching back up.... And ummmm... Modifying the back of his car... 

Still smiling despite the damage :)

The crowd at Gunshot! 

Both cars at the bottom of Gunshot 

Our little egg was most relieved to of survived Gunshot 

After spending the majority of the day watching and assisting people tackle Gunshot, we eventually headed off towards Canal Creek.
Arriving here we set up camp right alongside the track which ran straight through the crystal clear waters of Canal Creek.
We then spent the remainder of the afternoon soaking in this little piece of paradise.

The girls enjoying Canal Creek 

  

Day 3 

Today we spent the day checking out and swimming in various swimming holes. From Eliot Falls, Twin Falls, The Saucepan, Sam Creek and then setting up camp alongside Nolans Brook.

Twin Falls 

Elliot Falls 

The girls relaxing near Twin Falls 

Fun times 

We crossed numerous water crossings, some deep and with steep drops into them. Most notable of the steep drops into water today was the Canon ball crossing.

Water crossing 

Dropping into Canon ball crossing  

The waterfall at Sams Creek 

Tyres off the ground action

We crossed the log bridge which made some serious cracking noises as we inched our way across, and slowly rock hopped the last 10km of the track to Nolan's Crossing.

The creaky log bridge 

The girls testing out the bridge 

Setting up camp again right alongside the track, we had a great viewing spot to watch as other cars crossed the deep, sandy crossing.
With deep crystal clear pools, some that were about 2m deep, rope swings and plenty of action to watch we had a great time camping here for two nights.

Nolans Brook 

Crossing Nolans

Tori sitting back at camp 

Day 4
Today we spent the day watching as other cars and even two motorbikes tackled Nolans. We cheered people on and offered them advice on where best to cross.
We messed around with the rope swings, and Gary built a log ladder for the kids to climb up. 

Day 5
Today we set off to finish off the Telegraph Track. We drove to the original Jardine Crossing, which is now only rarely used mainly due to the large water crossing and a large tree that blocks the exit.. (Though not impossible to manoeuvre around as we find out later in our travels when we heard that someone managed to make it across and around the tree!) 
The main way now is unfortunately via the Jardine ferry though...

 Ticking items of the Bucket List! 

Telegraph Track, DONE N DUSTED!

Our new sticker for the Car! 

Ella and I with our "I drove the Telegraph Track" tops! (Yes Ella did drive 15km of the track, crossings an all!)  

So after a few last small water crossings, some boggy sandy patches, corrugated and pothole filled road we had made it to the end of the Telegraph Track!!

Wow, what an adventure! Although with plenty of places on the Cape to still visit... And with plenty of rough roads to still tackle.. Our Cape York Adventure was far from over..... ;)
Next stop.. Mutee heads, Seisia, The Tip and everything inbetween!

Xx