Page 167 - Ebook Explore Cape York

Explore Cape York 161
How Long Will it Take for the Roads to Dry Out After the
Wet?
You’re generally looking at days rather than weeks. The creeks
and rivers on the PDR, Bamaga and Telegraph Roads drop quite
quickly once the rain stops. The road crews may not have
started on repairs, so there may be a few washouts to navigate.
The tracks usually take a little longer.
How Long Will it Take to Get to the Tip – or Anywhere
Else on Cape York?
There is a simple formula for this X ÷ Y = travel time, with X
being distance and Y the speed at which you’re travelling.
Simple!! Not really, the unknown variable, the condition of the
road, will dictate the speed at which you will be able to travel.
Assume your speed will be 80kph on dirt roads – generally
anything less and you won’t get on top of those marvellous
corrugations.

How Much Fuel and Water Should I Carry?
None, unless you’re planning on spending weeks closeted in a
far-flung corner of Cape York. All fuel stops have water
available, although it may pay to bring your own water hose
and fittings - they’re the sort of thing that tend to go
walkabout.

What’s the Road Like?
This question is asked on social media on an almost daily basis
during the dry season. The road is constantly changing
depending on the weather and the amount of traffic on it. The
old saying ‘what a difference a day makes’ certainly applies
here. What you can be sure of is that it will be dusty with some
– or a lot – of corrugations. There are scattered bitumen
sections along the PDR and Bamaga Road.

When Will the Road be Sealed to the Top?
Not in the foreseeable future. Many people are under the
impression that the PDR stretches all the way to the Tip - this is
not the case. In fact, you’ll be travelling on three different roads
on your way to the top. The PDR stretches from Lakeland,
heading west at the Weipa turn off, and finishing at the Rio