Welcome to the information pages of the forthcoming completed

Touareg to the Top 2004 Expedition

Updates:

6/8/04 Motoring output from DR here and here
5/7/04 The two vehicles complete the trek undamaged! Stay tuned to this page for more updates.
23/5/04 Welcome Resort Bamaga
23/4/04 Welcome Outrigger Resorts. The team will relax after the trip at the Cairns Outrigger Resort.

Objective:

Conduct and document a 4WD journey to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula and produce video, editorial and pictorial content for tourism and motoring media.

The journey will involve the use of a showroom standard 4WD vehicles and will not involve hazardous or potentially damaging routes.

Projected Outcomes:

Several illustrated editorial features will be produced and offered to major national and international print media, predominantly in the tourism and motoring segments.

Digital video in MiniDV format will be shot throughout.

Copyright-released material will also be made available to corporate participants and sponsors.

Confirmed Participants:

Tourism Queensland
Volkswagen Australia
Voyeur Magazine (Virgin Blue Inflight)
Queensland Rail
Holden
Rainforest Habitat
Peppers Bloomfield Lodge
Munbah Retreat/Hopevale Community
Cairns Outrigger Resort
Resort Bamaga
OutThere Magazine

Vehicles:

Volkswagen Touareg 4WD 3.2 V6
Holden Adventra V8 4WD

Timetable:

Sat 19 June: Depart Sydney by road
Sun 20 June (0855): Depart Bris aboard Sunlander train.
Mon 21 June (1600): Arrive Cairns

(Tony Walsh TQ) We will meet Damien and Rod and Peter in Cairns on arrival of the Sunlander then drive up to Port Douglas for overnight.

Tuesday 22 June: 8.00am Have breakfast with the birds at the Rainforest Habitat which is a fantastic experience. It is housed in a free-flight environment and features hundreds of tropical birds including the very rare rifle bird and cassowary. There are also freshwater crocs. Checkout the website www.rainforesthabitat.com.au

Drive on to Wujl Wujl, located upstream on the Bloomfield River north of Cape Tribulation and do an eco and bush tucker and medicine walk with Aboriginal women of the Kuku Yalanji tribe.

Afterwards towards late afternoon, catch the boat to Peppers Bloomfield Lodge for overnight.( The lodge has its own undercover lock-up garages adjacent to where the launch departs)

Wednesday 23 June: Estuary and offshore fishing, croc spotting on the Peppers craft. - overnight Peppers.

Thursday 24 June: 8.00am Depart Peppers by launch for car park and drive to Cooktown for inspection of the outstanding museum, historic Lions Den Hotel, Black Mountain National Park etc.

Depart afternoon to connect with the low tide, drive on to Hopevale Aboriginal Community and down on the beach beside towering cliffs of coloured sands to Les Gibson's Munbah retreat. Overnight Munbah

Friday 25 June: Experience the bushcraft and bush tucker skills of Les with great photo opportunities of the environment - Overnight Munbah

Saturday 26 June: am Depart Munbah for the Cooktown Road where my colleagues and I will return to Cairns in our 4WD for on-flight to Brisbane while you, Peter and Rod head for the Cape before returning to Cairns for connection with the Sunlander ex Cairns on the 3 July ( You will be able to complete your research and photography for the Voyeur article on you way back into Cairns by coming in via Mareeba and the Atherton Tableland)

27 June - 2 July Independently to Cape York (details coming)

Sat 3 July (0835): Depart Cairns by Sunlander
Sun 4 July (1600): Arrive Brisbane
Mon 5 July: By road to Sydney arriving late pm

Duration: (SYD - SYD): 17 Days
Distance: (Cairns - Cape York - Cairns) approx 2000 kms

Key Locations:

Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Cooktown, Munbah Beach Retreat/Hopevale Community, Cape York, Thursday Island

Media Production:

• 35mm Transparency
• High Resolution Digital Images
• MiniDV Digital Video

Co-Ordinator:

Experienced travel and motoring photojournalist, Roderick Eime, will co-ordinate the exercise. Numerous published results are available from previous journeys.

2001: Overlanders' Highway; Tennant Creek to Townsville (Ford Escape)
2001: Sydney to Adelaide via Victorian Alps (Hyundai Santa Fe)
1999: Sydney to Darwin via Bourke and Alice Springs (Ford Explorer)
1998: Sydney to Darwin via Melbourne and Adelaide (Holden Suburban)
1997: Sydney to Perth and return (Ford Explorer)
1996: Sydney to Perth via Melbourne and return (Nissan Patrol/Ford Explorer)
1996: Sydney to Adelaide via Big Desert NP (Daihatsu Terios)
1996: Sydney to Adelaide via Broken Hill and Menindee Lakes (Holden Jackaroo)
1996: Dubbo to Gold Coast via Longreach (Daihatsu Rocky)
1995: Sydney to Adelaide via Sunset and Wyperfeld NP (Jeep Cherokee)
plus numerous shorter excursions during this time.

Contact:

Roderick Eime
Mob: 0418 214028
E-mail: travel@monolith.com.au

Other Contacts:

Tony Walsh TQ tony.walsh@tq.com.au 0419724890
Julie Sinclair QR Julie.Sinclair@qr.com.au
Damien Reid damienreid@bigpond.com 0403 530 849
Peter Duke highseas@ozemail.com.au 0407 014 499