Three months after heavy rains caused major landslips, the road in to Cape Tribulation in north Queensland is set to be re-opened again to tourists.
However, those in big rigs may still face issues getting in.
Douglas Shire Council has confirmed Noah Range on the Cape Tribulation Rd will open on Thursday, March 28.
The road will open under traffic management from 6am-7.30pm daily, for vehicles no longer than 12.5 metres, whether towing a trailer, campervan, or caravan.
The council told the Cairns Post that the road remaining open will depend on there being no further heavy rainfall events, but it said installation of barriers at the bottom of landslips has improved resilience.
Work to fix the road has been hampered by rain. PIC: Douglas Shire Council
Back in December last year, following Cyclone Jasper, three metres of rain fell in the north Queensland area within a week.
While the road into Cape Tribulation was re-opened in late January to residents, service providers and emergency services during specific times, it remained out of bounds for tourists.
Deputy Mayor Lisa Scomazzon thanked the community of Cape Tribulation for their patience while staff and contractors dedicated more than 7,500 hours creating a safe passage through Noah Range.
She told the Cairns Post it had been a challenging time since the 56-metre landslip at Noah Range, and she said the council was well aware of the ongoing stress the road’s closure had caused, both financially and emotionally.
“Many of the tourism operators have been without an income while the need for regular closures at Noah Range impacted on their ability to go about their everyday lives,” she said. “The safety of road users, staff and contractors was always council’s priority, but we realise it has been a long wait for those that rely on access to Cape Tribulation Road.”
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree chief executive officer, Glen Hingley, told the Cairns Post it was tremendous to see that the road to recovery would finally be open to the small businesses of Cape Tribulation.
“As one of Queensland’s true jewels in its tourism crown, having visitors again able to experience Cape Tribulation means that the eco-sustainable tourism businesses that depend upon year-round visitation can again operate, providing locals employment,” he said.
Julian and Jackie Pagani, who run Cape Tribulation Camping, said they had cleaned up and were ready for campers but were just waiting for the road to open.
“We haven’t had any tourist trade since the cyclone so we are three months in with no income, no trade,” Ms Pagani told the ABC.
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We hope to be in Cape Trib in July at the Cape Trib campground