Finished 2w at Palmerville Gold. Took me 10days to 1st gold and ended up with a 0.5 and 1.2 but saw enough to convince me so I'll be going back next winter.
Whites Ck Rd is a perfectly good council maintained rural unsealed road. Wide enough for 2 vehicles, white post markers and all crossings have hard bottoms. Is entirely hills and curves but that is the nature of the country.
Palmerville Roadhouse is an hour away from the campsite if you need fuel,alcohol,pub meal, laundry. Mareeba is ~2hrs with full facilities.
Station tracks in the Day Pass area are the ones around the campsite dams and Uncle Charlies Dam and the main NS one which Ys at Butcherbird ~ 2 km after Big Barra Dam into Lantern Ck/ Stony Ck track to the SW and Tyre track to the South. More than a dozen EW tracks run off the main ones but all start as 4wd and become side x side/ quad tracks within 100m to 1km. Nothing at all technical required on main tracks, just take it easy. Expect to average 20 kmhr so 40 min to SW Day Permit area boundary.
The country is totally messed up geologically _ convoluted mudstone sheets intersected with quartz ranging from big veins to stockworks. decomposing granite, hillsides white with quartz, red volcanic clay, waterworn stones sitting on top on hills... It all looks good but probably wouldnt manage more than a 4km round trip walking each day given the country.
Grass was long near the N bit of the main track but much lower in other places. I guess it depends on geology and how long since that bit burnt ( aim is to burn each bit every 3y ish ). Much easier detecting in last days when burn had gone thru but hills werent any lower
Ben, Michael, his wife and the traditional owners are all working hard to improve the facilities and accessibility.
