fore departure rings true, “stay out of
the dust”, best to slow it down a notch
until vision is restored. The road is
a long strip cutting through bone-red
Outback that goes on for days without
a single turn. The Peninsula Devel-
opment Road is perforated with cor-
rugations; nasty little speed-bumps
created by the slipping tires of four-
wheel vehicles, that makes life for us
on two-wheels a bone rattling hell.
Over the Jardine Ferry, we hit the
northern entrance of the historic
Old Telegraph Track, a favourite with
4WD groups and the only means of
communication (via Morse code first,
then telephone) for the Cape York
Peninsula between 1885 and 1987.
TRAVERSE
49
When we reach the infamous Gun-
shot Pass, the group comes to a halt
at a three-meter vertical drop in the
road. Most riders don’t even attempt
it, preferring to hand their bikes over
to the guides.
After a short break that sees Roy
and Mark fix a stuck float bowl, we
rip off down a fast, flowing and very
fun 4WD trail. It winds down towards
a dodgy log bridge at the stunningly
clear Nolan’s Brook.
From there the twisting trail gets
rougher, with potholes and washouts
adding to the ever-present threat of a
4WD coming the other way. Roughly
20 minutes later we are greeted by a
number of tourists gingerly submerg-
ing their LandCruiser’s in the deepest
water crossing we encounter all trip.
The trick, we find, is to wade each
bike across with someone on each
side, lifting the rear wheel to keep the
airbox out of the water. Soaked to the
waist, we continue through more wa-
ter crossings and rough terrain to the
picturesque Elliot Falls. The falls are
a 90m wide limestone pool, framed
by tiered waterfalls like a scene from
a movie. A swim in the mineral-rich
water soothes our aching muscles
and bones.
Regrouping at Bertie Creek, Roy
leads us downstream for 200m be-
fore our secret campsite for the night
comes into view. It’s an awesome spot
at a curve in the river and Westy al-
ready has the firewood sorted and the
chairs out for us. Still hot and dirty,
we grab a well-earned drink and cool
off in the river, before settling in for a
hearty dinner.
Our ride today takes us down a blis-
teringly fast 30km trail to our refuel
stop at Bramwell Junction. Along the
way, Roy and I are in the lead battling
for clean air and position until he al-
most comes unstuck in a washout.
Little did I know, he was exaggerating
the manoeuvre to slow me down, this
guy is a legend on a motorcycle, no
doubt about it.
A long transport ride on the