Maytown to Laura Track, Cape York, QLD

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/a...psa0a71a79.jpg
The road into Maytown.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps12339c4d.jpg
The Palmer River Crossing. A few rocks, but nice and easy.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa26d5362.jpg
You can camp on the banks of the Palmer River itself, or...

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psa7ad51c0.jpg
at the North Palmer River.
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9f2dc234.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfc95f318.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8980f5b8.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6e657ddd.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps55031e7c.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps735327ff.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf95d6313.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...pseb04706a.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2c1f1f9f.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0f28c33e.jpg
Try that again...

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbfbbea50.jpg
The point where the Landy's winch stopped caring and packed it all in.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc8127ad2.jpg
Camp Oven Pizza!!

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse8f9058e.jpg

Further to follow.

Departing Maytown for Laura starts to get you up into the Sandstone Bluffs where much of the track was originally hand cut for the bullock carts.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps32d10891.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps435910b4.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc3e59282.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps991c4630.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd1bdc6e1.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd9a61bb1.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb6cc2102.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psea104880.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps0425de5e.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd9bf5b8c.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psac3224d5.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2e0f3dbd.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb2420453.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps69963a03.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf5952c81.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps1f66970c.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5edcbb4c.jpg

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/a...psf8438b44.jpg

What a fantastic looking track with beautiful scenery.

Spectacular really.

I should add that the Cairns 4WD club rates it at a difficulty of 4/5, with some little diversions quite often requiring a winch up or a snag with a snatch strap.

It is very slow, takes ALL day and there is no camping once you start on the track itself. Get going from Maytown early and aim at making it to Laura by nightfall, or alternatively some stay at Jowalbinna Station, which has camping facilities. I have only ever done the track from South to North, and the first time, had to use the winch on that rock ledge jump up. There are some places where I would not want to run into oncoming traffic as it would be a nightmare to turn around or find somewhere wide enough to pull off the track.

great piece of history, did you wet a line?
Great country that's for sure, thanks for sharing

It`s a great track, we did it a few years back north to south with a camper in tow .
I believe some body did it in a truck a couple of years back and destroyed all the tyres on the drive axle.
If going to the cape this track and the history with in the gold fields is well worth the diversion
Thanks for the memories Ben as it was a highlight of our trip to the cape

Thanks for sharing mate
realy enjoy seeing this type
of trip on here

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by threedogs

great piece of history, did you wet a line?
Great country that's for sure, thanks for sharing

---

Didn't wet a line, although there were a few Sooties in the river, and could see quite a few Blue Claw yabbies too. When I cleaned out the camp oven the buggers were just about jumping into it to get at the scraps... Next time there will be an Opera House pot waiting.

@pearcy - the first time I did this track, we came across a bloke and his family towing a camper from North to the South by himself (no accompanying vehicle). He was in a stock standard Colorado and had obviously bashed it badly. The camper looked smacked around as well and his wife looked half terrified. He had taken the easier route and avoided that jump up in the Sandstone, but had no idea what he was still in for. It is not really a track that I would line up to take my camper on and it would certainly make the day a lot slower.

He still had his tyres at full pressure too which would have made for a hell of a rough trip! I ran the BFG KM2's at 20psi for most of the track just to soften the blows.

I must admit I wouldn`t do it again and would not recommend it, but we did not have any problems apart from the missus getting out and walking a couple of times. Took us around 7 hours to go from Laura to Maytown which from memory is only about 40K and 15 of that is across grass lands. There were 4 vehicles 1 80 series 2 GQ`s and a GU and combined 4x4 experience of around 70years. Only 1 minor piece of damage were I took the bottom center rail out of my alloy bull bar
My camper is an 1988 Track Shack and only ways in at 700KG fully loaded, this is because we travel light.

For some reason the first part of my post is missing.
I said that I towed a camper from Laura to Maytown and I wouldn`t tow through there again. But I would defiantly go back and spend more time there

Awesome,
Thanks for sharing