End of the road (tarmac)

Sometimes you’ve just got to scratch that itch to see how far the sealed road actually goes. From Cooktown, we decided to head north on the Peninsula Developmental Road to find out exactly where civilisation gives up and hands over to proper outback tracks.

The drive takes you through some classic Cape York country - vast stretches of savanna woodland punctuated by the occasional creek crossing and cattle station turn-off. First stop was Lakeland, which is barely a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sort of place these days. Used to be a proper mining town back in the day, but now it’s mainly a fuel stop for those heading further north.

Laura’s got a bit more going for it - still a small town by any measure, but it’s the gateway to some significant Aboriginal rock art sites and serves the surrounding pastoral properties. We didn’t linger, but you can see this is where the last vestiges of suburban Australia finally peter out completely.

Beyond Laura, the country opens up even more. The road stays sealed, but you’re definitely in frontier territory now. Cattle grids become more frequent, the properties get bigger, and the signs of regular human habitation become increasingly sparse. This is where you start to appreciate just how bloody big this continent is.

About 15 kilometres before you reach the Hann River crossing, that’s where the adventure really begins - or ends, depending on your perspective. The sealed road simply stops. Just like that. One minute you’re cruising along on decent bitumen, the next you’re looking at a dirt track disappearing into the distance toward the Hann River and beyond.

Standing there at the end of the tarmac, you realise you’re at a proper crossroads of Australian geography. Keep going north and you’re committed to dirt roads, creek crossings, and the kind of remote country where a breakdown becomes a genuine problem. Turn around, and you’re heading back to the relative comfort of sealed roads and regular fuel stops.

We chose to turn around - didn’t have the right setup or supplies for a proper Cape expedition and the motorhome was back in Cooktown. But there’s something satisfying about knowing you’ve driven as far north as you can go on sealed roads from the bottom of Australia. It’s about 60 kilometres NW of Laura, in case you’re planning your own pilgrimage to where the bitumen runs out.

The drive back to Cooktown felt almost civilised by comparison.Читать далее