Cape York (Australia) next year - companion?

I'm thinking of riding up Cape York for my tour next year - In June. Is anyone interested in coming with me?

I don't need anyone to come because i've done a lot on my own before now, but i thought it might be nice to try travelling with someone else for a change. You can be male or female but I'd prefer someone within a reasonable range of my age. I'd say 10 years each side. I'm 51 and female and i live in the vicinity of the start - Cairns in Far North Queensland.

Most of the route is on unpaved road. There will be lots of wild camping. Few shops along the way but plenty of water. I'm thinking of going in June. The route would take around a month. You can either turn westwards after this or take a boat back to Cairns. I'll probably take the boat.

Heres's a map of the probable route.
http://www.aptouring.com.au/~/media/aptouring/images/photogallerylarge/maps/australia/qld/owa-2014-map-gocy11_edit.jpg

Hi Newislander,
Your tour of Cape York is of interest. June would be a good month weather wise, for me it would be a race against time.
Last july I had a carVs bicycle accident then 2 major surgeries to rehab from. This year it is more about what I can do again rather than what is lost. Twice this year my 56yo frame has allowed me to do a short tour (330k) and the joy of cycling has returned.
The link you supplied will not yet work for me, you say there will be plenty of water. Does this mean water for swimming in? Also the boat back to Cairns sounds better than retracing our tyres. I always like to make a loop if possible.
Safe Cycling to you,
Cheers, Graeme

Getting a 404 on your route map link, NI...

Thanks for pointing out the map link was a dud. Hmm.
Your text to link here...

Try this one. Click on the picture you see on the page for big version. Essentially there's mostly only one general route.

The boat is quite expensive. I won't be doing the boat return. I might try to hitch a lift back or find some other way. I might not even do this trip as I've decided to go away for a year long tour from September. But i still might. Have to wait and see.

Water means for drinking. Swimming is not much advised due to presence of salt water crocodiles. You could still get water for bathing but caution is always advised around the rivers. Shall streams generally safe.

Thanks for the update.
Not being able to swim regularly would reduce my enthusiasm for such a cycle tour.
Where are you thinking to go in September?
I have booked myself for Tassie again from feb 9. First choice will be to do 10 days of cycle touring then hire a campervan with my partner. I look forward to going there again just 1 more challenge to overcome before then.

Thanks also, the new link to Cape York map is now working.
travel safely young cyclist,
..G

In september I'm going to head southwards from my home near Cairns towards Victoria. At first I was thinking of doing the BNT but I just can't get my head around the cost of the guidebooks which it seems would only give me details how to find the roughest tracks in australia for a bike. So rough you have to separate bike and panniers and carry them all quite separately, often up or down hills. Well the trail was designed for horses. Also the books give you phone numbers of property owners but i've decided the books sound like a ripoff as far as cyclists are concerned ($300 and they are not even up to date) and after reading one blog at least i'm going to make my own dirt road route down to victoria and beyond. That said, i will probably go through quite a number of the same places as the BNT

One other cyclist who did the 12th and most southerly and hardest leg called it the Big Nasty Trail as opposed to the Bicentennial National Trail which is its proper name. I think i'm going to call mine something like The Better 'n Nicer Trail. Or the Bicyclist's National Trail, though the latter is rather dull isn't it. That way people will find it when they search for BNT. If you can come up with another anogram for BNT that might fit lemme know. :-)

Also i'm probably going to skip large sections of queensland because its going to be too hot in October and November for the northern and central areas, though i may start out at the top since September should be ok up this end. I'll see. I'll take the train and start down somewhere near Fraser Island. That is the plan to date anyway. I must say its fun working out a route using google maps.

Just today i'm having a closer look at my cape york route. The national parks brochure gives plenty of enticing detail. I still have the problem of who is going to feed my pets while i'm gone. Normally it should be my father but he might well be otherwise engaged. Anyway i'll come up with something.

If you can come up with another anogram for BNT that might fit lemme know.

Bison's Testicles Neuter Trail?

Only a man would come up with something like that. But now you've got me going how about - Busted Nuts Trail.

But I'm a laydee so its going to have to be something else. And perhaps a change of tone before things get really out of hand. Oh before i do that how about, Bras Needed for this Trail.

Thanks for that reply, looks like a good idea to train it south to avoid too much heat.
Would you be interested in an idea of cycling more of Victoria and even a bit of SA as part of your trip?
The limestone coast of SA and western Victoria have the big wide oceans, extinct volcanos and friendly natives.
Lots more to say but this library computer is going to time out on me.
I'm definitely up for some good cycling this year, please keep in contact, bye for now.
Graeme

Hi Ki. Yes i that part of my trip is fairly fluid at this point. But since you are probably from there you may be able to help with a question that has come to mind lately. And according to my original overall route plan, i am going from victoria over to south australia probably via the GOR and then up to Uluru/Alice springs after adelaide. I'd like to be in the Alice in either May or june.

December January looks pretty dangerous in Victoria and parts of New South Wales. I think i am interested in riding through just those areas that are prone to bushfires and wondering if i should try to plan to avoid certain areas at that time and where could i try to be instead.

I'm not really a cold weather person and I wouldn't want to do the Alpine Trail hike or bike any this area any later than February.

Also with all the rain in Northern New South Wales, i need to make sure i'm out of that area by January. I guess when i'm on the road where not to be will become clearer but it might be handy in advance to have some alternatives ready to hand. Bearing in mind that apart from my first trip by train i don't want to have to jump on public transport to get about and except in southern new south wales and victoria, i don't want to be near the coast because i've driven that already several times and i'm bored with it.

It would be handy to have some interesting routes already plotted out as options. My atlas is arriving today i'm told.

Ki, also with regard to Cape York, i did some more research on the cape york route and swimming water may not be as scarce as I'd first thought. When i looked at these resources i was even more keen than i am already.

http://epicrides.com.au/epic-travel/capeyork/capeyork-overview/
I also found a good national parks online brochure which showed where all the

http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/pdf/cape-york-vg.pdf page 12 13 and others looks very useful. I"m not going to bother reserving any camping. It looks like a headache and besides i read that the rangers are fairly sympathetic to cyclists.

I have decided I'm going to fly up to Horn Island and ride home.

Hi New, I see you are choosing North to South. Have you checked out the wind?

I think you will have a headwind most of the time. Not so important if you are on dirt as you will be going slower, also maybe a breeze in the face may be welcome. Nonetheless days of punching into the wind can be wearing.
http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/wind/

Actually that's a good point Simon. I haven't and should have. I will check it out but i sorta think that there won't be much south easterly that far north and so early in the season. I'll get back to you.

BOM wind velocity maps

What a fantastic map. Thanks so much for the reminder Simon. It had completely slipped my mind. Looks like most of the wind is easterly which probably isn't too bad but I do hate riding against the wind and its on the nose at the tip. What a bummer. I should probably change my plans.That said, one of the blogs i read went up and back and didn't mention the wind as an issue.

Thanks New I, the 2 links you sent me make the Cape stand out as a fantastic cycletour for that time of year. There are some alternate routes possible. That would be nice if the rangers would be sympathetic to people travelling by bicycle. Cyclists do not need much space when camping. As for the swimming yes, plenty of warnings about being croc wise yet pictures of people swimming and other info regarding swimming spots.
Your latest plan is to fly to the top and cycle south? My interest in going there is back.
As I said previously Feb9-18 I have the chance to cycle in Tassie. I'd love to go up to the lakes of the central plateaux again, after not being over there for 2 years. I had my latest (final minor surgery after 2 major operations in 2014!) Jan13, 2016 and it went well. I'm back on the bike tho not yet allowed to go swimming. A car driver failing to give way on 3/7/2014 was the cause of my temporary demise.
The amount of cycling I can do in Tassie depends on recovering quickly. If I'm OK there then with 4 more months until june I would not expect to be some liability on a tour of Cape York.
Thanks again for those beautiful pictures and info on the relevant National Parks

Simon pointed out to me that my plan going from north to south was a mistake becuase of the wind. So i am going to have to do it the other way around. I am not excited by this becuase it means having to worry about arriving on time to catch a flight. I expect to pre-book my flight because I don't want to get caught out with high prices.

I'm going off the idea of riding in company if i'm honest. But you should do the trip anyway, when you are fully fit. Between those two sites, all the info you need is there. You won't be on your own much. The cape is full of people. And we cycle tourists get to meet just about all of them.

Summer is a good time to take a travel in Cape York. My friend who lives near New York loves travelling. If I saw this post earlier, I would suggest her contacting with you to arrange a trip. So, if you intend to celebrate another travel, please send an email to me? Thanks.

Cape York is in Australia.

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