FNQGU
14th May 2014, 04:26 PM
Many of you may have visited Cape York, done the Creb track and the Old Telegraph Line, but here are a few photos of another challenging little (76klms) track with a lot of history all wrapped up in the Palmer River Gold Fields. Maytown and the old Coach Track to Laura.
I've done the track a couple of times now and it is a lot of hard driving on rocks, in low range, but it has some spectacular scenery if your vehicle is set up to handle it. You don't need anything too special, as generally there is an easier route around most obstacles, but a 2 inch lift would take away some of the pain, as would a decent set of side-steps/sliders. I've included a few photos from the different trips to cover the area a bit better.
Access to Maytown is via the Peninsular Development Road, just short of Maitland Downs Station, South of the Palmer River and Lakeland Downs, and is a good dirt road for 80klms into the old township itself.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3162_zpsa0a71a79.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3162_zpsa0a71a79.jpg.html)
The road into Maytown.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3165_zps12339c4d.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3165_zps12339c4d.jpg.html)
The Palmer River Crossing. A few rocks, but nice and easy.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2860_zpsa26d5362.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2860_zpsa26d5362.jpg.html)
You can camp on the banks of the Palmer River itself, or...
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3191_zpsa7ad51c0.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3191_zpsa7ad51c0.jpg.html)
at the North Palmer River.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3183_zps9f2dc234.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3183_zps9f2dc234.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2868_zpsfc95f318.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2868_zpsfc95f318.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3174_zps8980f5b8.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3174_zps8980f5b8.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2866_zps6e657ddd.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2866_zps6e657ddd.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2865_zps55031e7c.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2865_zps55031e7c.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_0039_zps735327ff.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_0039_zps735327ff.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_0046_zpsf95d6313.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_0046_zpsf95d6313.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3203_zpseb04706a.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3203_zpseb04706a.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3194_zps2c1f1f9f.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3194_zps2c1f1f9f.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3195_zps0f28c33e.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3195_zps0f28c33e.jpg.html)
Try that again...
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3197_zpsbfbbea50.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3197_zpsbfbbea50.jpg.html)
The point where the Landy's winch stopped caring and packed it all in.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3190_zpsc8127ad2.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3190_zpsc8127ad2.jpg.html)
Camp Oven Pizza!!
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3178_zpse8f9058e.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3178_zpse8f9058e.jpg.html)
Further to follow.
I've done the track a couple of times now and it is a lot of hard driving on rocks, in low range, but it has some spectacular scenery if your vehicle is set up to handle it. You don't need anything too special, as generally there is an easier route around most obstacles, but a 2 inch lift would take away some of the pain, as would a decent set of side-steps/sliders. I've included a few photos from the different trips to cover the area a bit better.
Access to Maytown is via the Peninsular Development Road, just short of Maitland Downs Station, South of the Palmer River and Lakeland Downs, and is a good dirt road for 80klms into the old township itself.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3162_zpsa0a71a79.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3162_zpsa0a71a79.jpg.html)
The road into Maytown.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3165_zps12339c4d.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3165_zps12339c4d.jpg.html)
The Palmer River Crossing. A few rocks, but nice and easy.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2860_zpsa26d5362.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2860_zpsa26d5362.jpg.html)
You can camp on the banks of the Palmer River itself, or...
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3191_zpsa7ad51c0.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3191_zpsa7ad51c0.jpg.html)
at the North Palmer River.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3183_zps9f2dc234.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3183_zps9f2dc234.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2868_zpsfc95f318.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2868_zpsfc95f318.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3174_zps8980f5b8.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3174_zps8980f5b8.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2866_zps6e657ddd.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2866_zps6e657ddd.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_2865_zps55031e7c.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_2865_zps55031e7c.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_0039_zps735327ff.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_0039_zps735327ff.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_0046_zpsf95d6313.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_0046_zpsf95d6313.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3203_zpseb04706a.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3203_zpseb04706a.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3194_zps2c1f1f9f.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3194_zps2c1f1f9f.jpg.html)
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3195_zps0f28c33e.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3195_zps0f28c33e.jpg.html)
Try that again...
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3197_zpsbfbbea50.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3197_zpsbfbbea50.jpg.html)
The point where the Landy's winch stopped caring and packed it all in.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3190_zpsc8127ad2.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3190_zpsc8127ad2.jpg.html)
Camp Oven Pizza!!
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/BenKDJ/IMG_3178_zpse8f9058e.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/BenKDJ/media/IMG_3178_zpse8f9058e.jpg.html)
Further to follow.