After leaving Captain Billy Landing we were on our way to one of our favourite campsites in the whole of the Cape region – Chili Beach. First up it was a stop at the Bramwell Junction roadhouse for a few of the vehicles to top up fuel (and our tummies!)
There are two ways you can reach Chili Beach, down the main road or via the more exciting 4WD track, the Frenchmans Track – I’m sure you can guess which way we chose to go! Two of our vehicles took the main road to Chili Beach, but 4 of us wanted a little more fun.
Not long after starting out on the track we hear over the CB “ah, hang on guys I think we’ve got a flat” …. not too bad, 10 days into the trip and the first flat tyre on any of the vehicles. After a short stop on the track while Stewy did a tyre change we were all on our way again.
This can be a difficult track and it’s recommended for experienced drivers with high clearance 4WD’s, but it’s definitely a lot of fun. It’s not so much the track itself that is difficult, it’s the river crossings. Generally it’s well into the dry season before tackling this track is even possible, due to the depth of the river crossings.
This track crosses the Wenlock River and the Pascoe River. The entry/exit banks can be a little challenging and many say that the Pascoe River crossing is the hardest of all on the Cape as it’s very deep and the current is quite strong. The depth of the Pascoe can easily be 700mm or so.
If you are interested in reading a little of the history of the Frenchmans Track click here and you will be taken to the Cape York Australia Trip Planner page. For anyone planning a visit to Cape York, this page is a great source of information, written and constantly update by a Cape York local.
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