Queensland

a converted homestead where the track from Lakefield National Park joins the road; there's accommodation about 10km in towards the park at Lotus Bird Lodge (tel 07/4059 0773, lotusbird@iig.com.au; $150 and upwards), whose spacious wooden cottages are surrounded by much the same scenery as you'll find in the national park. Back on the road north, the next two hours are a wild roller-coaster ride – look out for "Dip" signs warning of monster gullies – down to COEN's (S)Exchange Hotel, 107km from Musgrave. Coen's Ambrust General Store handles camping, provisions, fuel, post office business and EFTPOS. The Homestead Guest House, on Regent Street, has beds (tel 07/4060 1157; $20–35) and can provide meals, while you can have any car problems fixed at Clark's workshop. Some 25km further north, a 4WD track west heads into the dry woodland and rainforest of the Mungkan Kaanju National Park; the ranger station lies 75km along at Rokeby station (tel 07/4060 3256), with camping at undeveloped bush sites. Back on the main road north, its 45km from the park turn-off to the Archer River Roadhouse (tel 07/4060 3266), which has a camp site and accommodation in units ($35–50), as well as the last reliable fuel on the main road before Bamaga, 400km away. Beyond are routes east to Iron Range (155km) and west to Weipa (190km).

Somerset Somerset

Established on government orders in 1864 to balance the French naval station in New Caledonia, Somerset was founded by John Jardine, who was succeeded by his son Frank the following year. Frank became a legend on the Cape and tales of his exploits assume larger-than-life proportions (fearless pioneer to some, brutal colonial to others). Though envisaged as a second Singapore, Somerset never amounted to more than a military outpost under constant attack from termites and local tribes. In 1877, after the pearling trade in the Torres Strait erupted into lawlessness, the settlement was abandoned in favour of a seat of government closer to the problem at Thursday Island. Today, Somerset is a large paddock with only a few cannon, machine parts and mango trees as signs of former habitation; the buildings succumbed to white ants or were moved long ago. Frank and his wife Sana are buried on the beach directly below (standing up, say locals), next to a Chinese cemetery and traces of a jetty into the Adolphus Channel. Exploration of the dense undergrowth above the beach to the left might uncover remains of a sentry post and a cave with stick-figure paintings, presumably Aboriginal. Past Somerset, a track continues onto another beach before circling back towards the Croc Shop.

North of the Wenlock Crossing creeks by 4WD

While Cape York's crocs make the standard 4WD procedure of walking creek crossings before driving them potentially dangerous, wherever possible you should make some effort to gauge the waters' depth and find the best route. Never blindly follow others across.