Cape York to Darwin short cut.

Gday G&V

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Qld Road reports

Cut & Pasted below some info

#10
Burke Developmental Road - Walsh River Crossing - (V5)
ALL CLEAR

Current Trouble Spot Status
No reported difficulties.

General Trouble Spot
(Description ONLY)
Walsh River Crossing 90km North West of Chillagoe - subject to flooding - water can reach heights of up to 1metre.
4WD VEHICLES ARE RECOMMENDED AT ALL TIMES.

#11

Burke Developmental Road - Dunbar to Maggieville - (V5)
CAUTION REQUIRED

Current Trouble Spot Status
Burke Developmental Road Walkers Creek to Mareeba Shire via Dunbar Station is open to all vehicles with extreme care.

General Trouble Spot
(Description ONLY)
Dunbar to Maggieville - subject to road closures due to flooding.
4WD VEHICLES ARE RECOMMENDED AT ALL TIMES.

# 13

Burke Developmental Road - Maggieville to Normanton - (V5)
ALL CLEAR

Current Trouble Spot Status
No reported difficulties.

General Trouble Spot
(Description ONLY)
Maggieville to Normanton - Deadmans Gully and Walkers Creek subject to flooding - flood waters can reach depths of up to 1 metre.

I would love an "experience report" on the logistics of this way to get to the Tip. I have long harboured a wish to go that way but from Normanton north/east after a Lawn Hill N.P. visit. I'd love to check out the birding and scenery up there. Good luck, Neil.

http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65399/IDQ65399.529024.plt.shtml

This shows the Mitchell River at Koolatah at 2.5 metres.
Had a look at Google Satellite and it looks like the crossing is probably a forde but hard to tell so 2.5m would be a bit much even for a BT.....yikes.

Phone numbers for Koolatah Station are

07 4060 3398 or 07 4060 3216

We are heading to the cape after the muster and will return via the Burke Dev Road somehow.

G'day Geoff,

We have just come across the Bourke Development Road from Normanton to Chillagoe and found it one of the better dirt roads that we have travelled on for a long time. About 8 roadtrains currently carting gravel from Chillagoe to about 30kms west of the Lynd River crossing, so if you are going that way be careful of all crossings particularly the Lynd. The drivers are very polite and call on channel 40 when they are 2 to 3 kms from all the crossings to let you know where they are.

Can't help with regard to the other road !!!!!

John D

Hello Geoff,
I came down through this area in late july. Two bushtrackers 20 and 21 feet.
We turned west at Artemis 24ks south of Musgrave,we then travelled west to the turn off to Alice River Goldmine
,past the now closed mine you will see a sign to Laura follow this road past the Killarney turn off you will then join the Kimba Laura road.Go 3km then turn right for Pinnacles left at there airstrip for King Junction cross the Palmer river no worrys then on to Gamboola and cross the Michell River a good crossing. This was a great way. The road gets narrow at times but was in good order. We then traveled the Development Road to Karumba. This route is about 780km with no fuel stops.
Regards,
Norton.