The Coral Sea is to the east of the Peninsula, the Torres Strait to the north, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the west. Cape York is one of Australia's few remaining large wilderness areas, with few inhabitants or facilities. The eastern edge is rainforest, but west of the Great Dividing Range the land is mainly eucalypt woodland, scrubland and grasslands. Click here for a map of the Cape York Peninsula. You can fly into or out of Thursday Island and make the land trip on the Cape one-way, if you're short of time.
Many people drive in their own vehicles.
If you do this, be aware that although it may be possible to drive all the way up the Cape without 4WD, you'll need a lot of luck and a sturdy vehicle with good ground clearance, and you'll need to stay on the main road, thus missing some of the more interesting sights. Travelling without a 4WD is definitely NOT recommended. If you want to rent a vehicle, you'l have to rent a 4WD, because the rental company contracts specifically forbid taking anything else beyond a certain point. You then have the advantage of a support vehicle and people to help our if you get into trouble. If you're not experienced with 4WD travel, but don't want to be cooped up in a bus with a group of strangers, a tag-along trip is an excellent compromise.