Discussions at Copeton:

We have been up Cape York 3 times !! We love it. Fisrt time flew both ways, next we took several months in a cub camper trailer, very slowly up the old T.T and slowly down the bypass rd, calling in to several out of the way out places. Then went out to Cape Melville, it was devine. Not sure if a bushtracker could go there. However we are certainly going up the Bypass Rd. with our Bushtracker, we will go slowly both ways, too many wonderful places to visit and the camping is devine. The 3rd time we flew up and came back on the barge boat. Rosemary

Hi Jay After having dinner with Kerrie, Paul and David (Gadget_1) and Michael, Melinda and Jasmine (Deaf Nomads) last week we all put our hands up for a "Boggers to the Cape" in 2005!!!!!!! Do you think it would be mid-year (July/Aug or Sept) to be well and truly in "The Dry"? Food for thought. See you in September. Dominique and Rod Betts

Hi That makes it unanimous! At least in so far as tgintl, TassieTracker5, and Deaf Nomads are concerned. Regarding dates, we are totally open and if waiting until we are well and truly in "The Dry" is an option we are all for it. We are going to be in Tassie from the 1st Monday of Jan 2005 to sometime in late March early April. The only thing we have tentatively scheduled is to do the Bicycle Victoria Tassie Ride which I assume will be somewhere along the west coast since we did the east coast in Jan 2003. While in Tassie plan to do a kayak trip around the Freycinet, raft the Franklin, and do the walk from Craddle Mtn to Lake St. Clair. Other than that, who knows? What time frame are you going to allow for the trip? We have unlimited time as our BT will be our home. A critical consideration is that we all want to be back in time for the 2005 Boggers Ralley. As I previously indicated, since some Boggers might not be able to take a long trip, we could go up kinda quickly (whatever that means) and come back more slowly in a meandering sort of way to see the highlights off the main road (main road - ha ha ha). I am looking into different places where we could store the BTs before the final leg north. Were you planning on attempting to go all the way with your BTs. Suggestions from any of the Boggers that have done the Cape York journey? Any body else interested in a tentative committment to this land yacht regatta? Cheers, tgintl/jay PS to Ninaspud 11. Since we do not know which Bypass Road you are referring to (you used initial caps so is that a proper name of a particular road?), can you elaborate? Is there a road that you believe we can take a 21' BT on all the way to Cape York, or do you have some suggestions how far we can get and where we might store the BTs to finish the trip? Thanks, tgintl

Hi Jay Looks like a trip now. Due to work I would most likely only get 4 weeks off as one of the other workers is already having 6months off so a quick trip up and a slow one back would suit us that way when time ran out we could leave the group and drive back to the boat home. In regards to how far to go north with the BT's we would like to take them as far north as possible as with young boys all of us being in a tent would not be a very comfortable (one or two nights okay but not much more). I say end July trip would be good as that would leave time for those as they come back down to hook up with the 2005 rally in Sept?(if thats the time next year). Its always good to have future holidays planned so that there is a reason for going to work. Regards Rod

Hi Too true. You can look forward to leaving work again ! As to how far north with the BT, I have no idea. Will be something to discuss at Copeton and to research prior thereto. Cheers, tgintl/jay

I have only been to Cape York once and that was in a 60 series with a tent, but if the main road is anything like it was back then, then there would be no problem towing a BT all the way to the top. I believe that they have imporved sections of the rooad and put some bridges in since we were there. If the corrigations are too bad, just have to reduce tyre pressure and slow down. The Telegraph track would be too rough and had too many tight turns in it to take a van the size of the BT along it. When Kedron did it, they did it with a smaller van that was only 7ft wide and they damaged that. Not worth even trying it with our Bushtrackers. We would like to return there and do it at a bit more leasurely pace than last time. Imagine the advertising that BTI could get from a group of Bushtrackers going up to the Cape! Brian

Brian Does that mean you are in ? If you are !! Cheers, tgintl/jay