Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 3

Sunday of week 3 started with a few of us booked into the local Weipa mine tour. The 3½ hr tour was very interesting and informative, we learned so much about the Weipa township, the impact Rio Tinto has played on Weipa, followed by look over the mining process of Bauxite. Returning to camp, the rest of my family had enjoyed a lazy morning catching up on some much-needed washing. After lunch we went out and did some further exploring. It was strange to see a town that actually closes down on Sundays. We checked out the ship loading facilities, the longest single lane bridge in Australia before returning to at some of the miner’s facilities. By days end we enjoyed a refreshing swim in the van park pool after a very hot 34deg day. Once again, the sun setting over the ocean was spectacular.

Monday dawned with us decided to stay another night at Weipa, instead of us packing up and heading out the peninsula, a decision that we’d later regret. By mid-morning we headed towards Mapoon to an Aboriginal community located on the Gulf of Carpentaria. After charging out the sights of the town we explored a few offshoots before driving to the beach oasis of the Pennefather River. We immediately regretted our decision to stay another night in Weipa, the beach setting where we enjoyed lunch was a beautiful spot and worthy of an overnight stay. We witnessed some turtle nests on the beach and an enjoyable swim in the shallows of the gulf. Pushing on, we wanted to see some old plane wrecks so we started trekking down the beach but with most of us pushing hard along the sand we opted pull the pin as some of our cars were overheating. Back in Weipa we enjoyed the last few hours of daylight with an extended happy-hour.

Tuesday was moving day, but not before we all got some last-minute supplies from Woolworths. Leaving the civilisation of Weipa we were quickly back on the dusty dirt roads, we managed a detour past the Botavia Downs cattle station before joining back on to the Development Road northbound. The main north/south road soon showed its true colours as parts of the road were heavily corrugated. We flew past a landmarks commenting that we’d seen them again on our return southwards. Just after lunch we arrived at Bramwell Station which was to be our overnight campsite. This working cattle station of over 300,000 acres opens its doors for travellers as a convenient rest stop offering dinner and showers. After setting up camp we headed to the beginning of the Old Telegraph track where we spent a few hours exploring the next days, options. Once back at camp we spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing around the cattle station. As night fell some of our group enjoyed a cattle station meal and entertainment while others mingled around our camp.

Reflecting on Wednesday, to date it’s been the best day of our adventure so far. The Old Telegraph track offered so much, it had a bit of everything for everyone. Starting at Bramwell Roadhouse we trekked along the single lane dusty track till we’d come across creek crossing. Dry or wet everyone of them was an adrenalin rush. Palm Creek had one of the steepest exits of the day and when 2 of the smallest cars in the group were able to climb the steep wall we had bragging rights over those bigger cars that struggled. After a few more dry crossings we e upon Delhunty River where we spent some time cooling off in the cool waters. Pushing further north there were numerous other crossings that challenged us all before we arrived at the infamous Gunshot. Those in the know have all heard of this place and the reputation it has amongst those who tackle the OTT. For 2 of our group the sheer rock face drop into the creek was in their sights. The near vertical wall requires an element of nerve because for much of the drop you have no control over the speed of entry but our 2 cars made it down successfully while the rest of us negotiated the challenging deeper water crossing. Pushing on there were more challenging creek crossings before we made it to Fruit Bat Falls. This spectacular low level falls spans a 50m wide river with plenty of opportunity for us to cool off in the water below the falls or directly under the thumping water. With more OTT to cover before days end we reluctantly pushed on. The Scrubby creek crossing offered one last highlight before we arrived at Elliot falls campground for our 2-night stay. After setting up in our respective campsites we enjoyed the atmosphere and dinner cooked on the open fire.

Thursday dawned early as I headed back the kilometres to Fruit Bat falls to capture the first light on the falls, unfortunately the light wasn’t spectacular but the early morning swim under the falls was beautiful. Returning to camp it wasn’t surprising to see the rest of my family were still in bed enjoying a lazy sleep-in. After a hearty breakfast we headed to the nearby waterfalls of Elliot and Twin falls where we jumped from the adjoining rock walls that dotted the waterfalls, we rumbled in the white-water before enjoying our float downstream on our pool noodles. The hectic pace and energy of the morning was too much for some us as a few of us needed a nana nap before returning later in the day for some more fun in the waterfalls. Our day ended with the whole group floating the creeks again, basking in what had been a beautiful day playing natures best natural features. As night fell we sat around the campfire toasting marshmallows, sipping port and reminiscing on how fun the past few days had been.

Friday was all about finishing the second half of the OTT, with most of the track done we only had 40km to go, but as the day unfolded it would be one of high impact. The last half dozen creek crossings were the most challenging and deepest of the whole Telegraph track. Steep drop-offs into the creeks, wombat holes that had us grabbing big air at times and water lapping at the bonnet were all too common. As the track neared its an end we had Logans and Nolans crossing to complete. Logans crossing depth was deep enough that we were waist deep in water as we inspected the right line to take, thankfully we all managed to negotiating creek successfully. Our last crossing was the treacherous Nolans Crossing. Rumour had that people count the number of times a car is drowned in the deep long crossing. Sure, enough as we arrived on the southern bank a plethora of people looked on from the northern bank, it felt like lambs to the slaughter. There were multiple lines to take across the creek, all with their own perils. Plenty of onlookers had an opinion of what line to take, of course they had the presence of hindsight as they sat and waited for our fate to unfold. Eventually we all picked our preferred line, we aired down our tyres and pre-prepared our cars with extra snatch straps in the event of a recovery. Our 2 biggest vehicles made it across easily, our 3^rd vehicle wasn’t so lucky and had to be recovered. For us we chose a line that was deep but short and were lucky to drive out the other side without taking any water onboard. Thankfully the rest of our group also made it to the other side without taking on any water. However, the news wasn’t all good, our 3^rd vehicle that had to be recovered had taken in a big gulp of water into the engine. We spent the following couple of hours pulling engine parts off trying to clear water from critical parts. Eventually with us not having a lot of success out in the bush we opted to tow the car 30km into Seisia where we were able to borrow some tools from a local mechanic and perfect the repairs needed. With daylight fading to hear the purr of a diesel start-up was music to our ears. Our evening culminated with an easy dinner and some NRL via the iphone.

Our last day of week 3 (Saturday) started very early for all of us, we were off to Thursday Island (TI) on the 7:45 ferry. Waiting at the dock we were enthralled by the locals as they fished from the high pier, some by regular fishing rods while a few used 6m hand spears very successfully. Our ferry weaved its way through the countless islands that litter the cape coastline and 80min later we were docked at Thursday Island. We’d arranged a local tour guide to show us around the small island which is steeped in war history. By lunch time we’d seen pretty much all of the island and were sitting Australia’s most northern pub for a counter lunch. Following lunch, we spent our last few hours on TI looking around the cultural centre and sheltering in the shade as the high temps and high humidity was getting a bit too much. Returning to the mainland many of the passengers grabbed 40 winks as the ferry rocked n rolled in the wind swell chop. By late afternoon we’d grabbed a few groceries to tie us over till our next major town. It was then time to relax as happy-hour and a spectacular sunset concluded a beautiful week in Cape York.

Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 2

You might say that week 2 was the official start of our trek to the Cape, even though we’d already covered some 280km already. All parties had a arrived in Cairns and the excitement had built nicely for what lie ahead.

We chose to be on the road by 9am on Sunday morning but a few had to get last minutes supplies etc so we assembled a few kilometres north of cairns for a team photo before hitting the bitumen in a northerly direction. Our first stop was the tourist town of Port Douglas. Having read and heard so much about this place it was nice t finally see it for ourselves. The resorts line the road into town before finding a bustling commercial district and the Sunday market, which was in full swing. We spent the next hour or so checking out the local culture before heading north again. We passed through the town of Mossman where every farmer was hard at work harvesting the sugar cane. For us though we kept going to the Daintree River where a short ferry ride transported cars and people to the otherside. Continuing north we quickly found ourselves in the lust Daintree Rainforest as the road snaked its way up down and around the mountains. By late afternoon we’d arrived at Cape Tribulation which was as far northward as we’d be going on this particular road. After setting up camp, we took in the splendour of the tropical coastline before enjoying a relaxing swim in the pool and a night filled with fun and laughter.

Monday started very early for some us as a shower of rain caught many of us with gear left out overnight. By 9am we were back on the road again as we retraced our journey back to the Daintree River and the short ferry ride. Our goal for the day was to tackle the infamous Creb track which until recently had been closed due to the wet season making parts of the track impassable. Our first challenge was getting across the river, which we all managed to do safely. From that point onwards the track undulated up and down the sides of mountains, across creeks, through farmland and rainforest. At one point we passed an uncontrolled fire that was burning beside the track before we scaled the side of a mountain literally going straight up to a spectacular lookout and our lunch spot for the day. Continuing onwards we soon arrived at Roar meg Falls, which was to be our overnight camp spot but it didn’t look ‘that’ so after enjoying a swim in the nearby cascades we pushed on. Surprisingly, by late afternoon we’d completed the 70km Creb Track wondering why so much hype surrounded the track, it was certainly one of those times when expectation was far greater than reality. With the Creb completed we drove to the small town of Bloomfield where we were welcomed at a lovely bush camp property for the night.

Tuesday morning and we checked a few local sights around Bloomfield before heading out of town, Sam chose to drive as we headed to the next attraction. Lions Den is remote pub which offers some worldly character in the middle of nowhere. Everywhere you look memorabilia lines the walls of those who’ve stopped for a drink, including us. Pressing on it was only a short drive to Cooktown where we stopped for lunch and some local sightseeing. With Cooktown not offering too many attractions a few of our group decided to head north to the remote campsite of Elim Beach. We opted to stay in Cooktown looking at the sights in a little more detail. The Captain Cook museum offered a good insight to the years when Cook first landed in the area. With the kids wanting a swim and temp in the high twenties we checked into a local caravan park for the night.

Wednesday dawned very early due to the birdlife but we had a lazy start to the morning before heading towards Elim beach, we stopped at Endeavour Falls and had a look through the Aboriginal community of Hope Vale before arriving at the beach camp of Elim Beach where we re-united with the rest of our group. Elim beach is known for its coloured sands and postcard scenery. We spent the remainder of the morning lazing around the beach, trying our hand at fishing and mud crabbing while keeping an eye out for crocodiles that frequent the area. By mid-afternoon we headed out for some beach driving to Cape Bedford where we found a shipwreck and turtles swimming nearby. From one beach we ventured across to another beach where the coloured sands offered some amazing colours. We returned to camp in time to enjoy the spoils of another happy-hour and a relaxing evening in a beach setting.

Thursday morning and it was a little sad to the leave the picturesque Elim Beach but there was a lot more to see. After a short period of time were experiencing our first major dirt roads for the trip and it was pleasing to see them in good condition, and we were able to make good time along them. A few of us cooled off at Isabella Falls before another stop at Lake Emma and the old Laura Homestead, which was a stark reminder of yesteryear. As we’d made good time along the dirt roads we kept pushing on Kalpowar, which was to be our intended camping spot, but we’d arrived for a late lunch. Kalpowar was a picturesque camping spot with a deep-water river crossing on the Normanby River. We decided we’d camp somewhere along the river and after some misguided directions we finally found a remote campsite to spend the night. For the first time, as a group we enjoyed the spoils of a campfire and some liquid beverages.

Friday saw us doing a lot more dirt driving, some slow through single lane often unused tracks while at other times we were belting along on wide open dirt highways. We drove to the roadhouse at Musgrave where fuel and ice-creams were on the menu. Heading back out into the bush we came across a few tricky creek crossings before making it to Port Stewart where we enjoyed lunch by the water’s edge. Back on the dirt road we headed inland to the small weathered township of Coen on the development road. Comically as we turned onto the highway the local Police stopped us all for a random RBT, the funny part being we left the RBT and went straight to the local S-exchange Hotel for a beverage. With the temp nudging 32deg we opted for the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicles and the 65km we had to our night’s destination. By late afternoon we’d arrived at the Archer Roadhouse where we setup camp for the camp. Having had 2 days in the dusty outback the roadhouse showers felt so good. Our night culminated with us all enjoying the renowned Archer Burgers before retiring for an early night.

Saturday dawned early as the sniff of rain and a few drops had us packing up in record time. We left Archer Roadhouse at staggered times as it wasn’t long before we were back on the corrugated development road and we weren’t far down the road when the rain showers blew across, all be it briefly and not enough to settle the dust. The road to Weipa was a mixture of bitumen and corrugated dirt which for most of the time was achievable at 90+km/hr. By late morning we’d arrived in the mining town of Weipa, which is known for its mining and exporting of bauxite. We quickly checked into the one caravan park in town where we were given a spectacular vista from our campsite. As Weipa is one of the last chances to stock up on groceries we did a big shop at the local woollies before catching up on some washing and a relaxing by the pool. Our day ended with an happy-hour a spectacular sunset over the water. Its not very often you get to see a Queensland sunset over the water.

Week 2 and we’ve done almost 4000km and to date the cape hasn’t disappointed us. Next week we take on the demanding Old telegraph track.

Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 1

After months of planning our Cape York trip, the day had finally come for us to start our trek northward. Leaving the blustery winds of the Illawarra behind felt right but leaving half the family behind didn’t feel good but knowing the girls would be joining us in a weeks’ time was reassuring.

Heading north through Sydney and towards Singleton the windstorm showed no letting up, at times the wind gusts were strong enough to move us across the road and tree branches often littered the roadside. Continuing north, we were hoping the wind would ease as we headed further away from the coast, but to no avail. By the time we reached Gunnedah the wind had eased a little but so had the temperatures, this was something that we weren’t prepared for. As it was only mid-afternoon, we decided to keep pushing north. By the time we reached Boggabri the sun was setting and we’d had enough for our first day so pulled into the showground where we took shelter from the wind in one of the sheds.

By Monday morning the wind had died off, but the temperature was in the low single digits and when you pack for a trip to the Cape the last thing you pack is winter woolies, so we quickly packed up taking shelter and in the car. Pressing northwards, it wasn’t long before the wind was back to gale force and this time it carried a layer of topsoil with it. For the better part of Monday, we drove through an endless dust-storm. At times visibility was that poor it felt like we were driving through a dirty fog. Driving into Mungindi we were alerted to a place called the "One Ton Post", after a short detour we out it was the survey marker where the NSW/QLD border goes from a straight border to the squiggly line that then traces the Tweed River and wit that we’d crossed into QLD. Pushing on with still dust in the air we stopped at Thallon where an amazing piece of artwork adorned 4 grain silos. Our day on the road concluding at the rural hub of Roma where surprisingly we managed to get a camping spot in the multipurpose gun club.

Tuesday dawned to an even colder morning than the previous day. The BOM said it was 1deg and with us wearing shorts we felt every bit of the chill. We grabbed a few fresh supplies in town before heading out to the biggest cattle saleyards in Australia. As luck would have it, it was sale day, so the yards were full of cattle and oversize cattle trucks littered the surrounding area. I said to Ethan "don’t raise your hand too quickly or you might unexpectedly own a few cattle". Sadly for us, the sales didn’t start till midday and we had to be long gone. Continuing north the landscape took on a real arid feel with signs of the drought hurting farmers in these parts. We detoured to the town of Blackwater which unbeknown to us is a huge open-cut mining region, its also home to the family of minions that line the highway. A quick pic and with more miles ahead of us we kept pushing on and soon found ourselves in Emerald, this was to be our planned overnight stop but daylight was on our side, so we kept going to the small town of Capella where we called it a day!

Wednesday was another day on the road but it felt so remote, we seemed to drive for hours without passing through a town and the only traffic we saw were the massive road-trains that would almost blow us off the road. The desolateness eventually gave way to the rural town of Charters Towers where we spent an hour or so checking out the sights which included a picturesque view over the town and heaps of WWII history. We got some advice towns further along the road for where we might stay before continuing northwards. By late afternoon we’d arrived in the town of Greenvale, which was once a thriving Nickel town. Here every building and dwelling looked the same, which was a little creepy as only 150 people lived in town. Apparently, the mining boom had long left Greenvale and all but a few locals stayed in town. We setup in the caravan park where we had our first campfire for the trip.

Thursday morning and the gps said it was only 300km to Cairns. We headed north with a planned stop at the Undara Lava Tubes. After a 30km detour the tubes turned out to be a huge let-down. We couldn’t self-explore and a guided tour cost more than a week’s wage, so we gave it a miss and headed back to the blacktop. For the first time in our trip the weather had taken a turn for the worse and we drove through some steady rain. That didn’t stop us from taking in the sights of Innot Hot Springs and Lake Eachem. Both offering a great perspective of the region. By 3.30pm we’d descended the Atherton range and were only a few km’s from Cairns. Our next task was to find some suitable accommodation for all of us. We finally settled on a van park close to town where we setup camp for the next 3 days. As the day ended 2 other families had arrived in town. Finally, our convoy was starting to take shape.

Friday dawned as a special day for me, I was off to the airport to pick the other half of the family who flew in nice and early. After a week apart it was great to have the Bere clan back together. We spent the morning socialising around camp before doing some local sightseeing around Cairns CBD and the waterfront before doing shopping for perishable items that we needed for our trek north. As the day ended, we took in the Cairns night markets while enjoying dinner on the esplanade. Returning to camp it was pleasing to see another 2 families had arrived at the van park. We all spent the remainder of the evening socialising with a few bourbons and the NRL footy finals.

Saturday was meant to start with a sleep-in, but the bird life and the planes coming and going from Cairns put pay to any thought of a sleep-in. By late morning with a hearty breakfast under our belt we headed out for some more sightseeing. We stopped at the Cairns Skyrail (very quickly), sadly the inflated prices had us quickly back in the car and heading up the coast to the beautiful Palm Cove. This place a picturesque postcard 24/7 and we fell in love with the place, it was beautiful, and we spent a few hours exploring the place, promising ourselves that we’d return some day. Heading back towards Cairns we detoured up the escarpment to Kuranda where we visited Barron Falls and the scenic railway that winds up and down the mountains. Returning to our van park its was great to see the remainder of our convoy had all arrived in town. We quickly settled into catching up on our trip so far around the pool with a beverages in hand. Our day concluded with a meal in town and the promise of our trek to the Cape starting the following day.

Week 1 of our trip was complete. Cairns was 2800km from home and it was a long week behind the wheel. Bring on next week where we start the serious part of our trip to the Cape.