This is part of a series of articles about how to have TWO EPIC WEEKS IN THE CAPE FOR $1500! If you haven’t read the first part we recommend heading back to Part 1 and reading through for an absolute cracker of a time up in wild and wonderful Far North Queensland!

DAY 5: BATHURST HEAD TO ARCHER RIVER ROADHOUSE

One of our favourite things about Cape York is pulling into a roadhouse every couple of nights for a cold beer and a hot shower. Everyone’s there having an absolute ball, sharing stories and advice and camping together. Archer’s got a beaut grassy, shady campground which is a nice change from camping on the dirt and the sand out in the scrub. Top up the tank of an arvo so you can get an early start in the morning without waiting in line.

Distance travelled: 170km

Rough fuel cost: $50

Camping fees for the night: $10/person per night

DAY 6: ARCHER RIVER ROADHOUSE TO PENNEFATHER RIVER

Weipa’s the biggest town on the west coast. It’s largely a mining town but it must be one of the most picturesque mining towns anywhere in Australia! It’s about three hours up into Weipa from Archer River, so you should roll in late morning. Fuel up, grab any tucker or camping supplies you need from town and then point north towards Mapoon, keeping an eye out about 40km north of town for the turn-off to Pennefather Beach. When you get to the beach, you’ve got two choices – a run up the sand (it’s bloody soft) or the tracks on the back side of the dunes which can be a bit boggy (avoid the water holes) and closed over with lantana. Either way, the reward is the mind-blowing camping where you can unroll a Swag or unfold your Rooftop Tent right on the mouth of the Pennefather River. Epic fishing too!

Distance travelled: 70km

Rough fuel cost: $40

Camping fees for the night: $0

DAY 7: PENNEFATHER RIVER TO FRENCHMAN’S TRACK

Here it is – the legendary Frenchman’s Track. You can do it in either direction but we like to avoid doubling back on ourselves wherever possible so head south on the PDR til you get to the Lockhart River turn-off, then keep a really good eye out on the VMS 700HDX Offroad GPS for the un-signposted turn off left to the start of the Frenchman’s. There’s two crossings on this track – the Pascoe, which is deep, fast-flowing and should be approached with extreme caution – and the Wenlock, which is wider, sandier and a perfect camp for the night. There’s a nice little spot at the top of the northern exit to the crossing that’s flat and grassy.

Distance travelled: 250km

Rough fuel cost: $70

Camping fees for the night: $0

To be continued…