As we were staying at Walkamin they arranged to pick us up on the way as the route
took them right passed the caravan park. We all had UHF so we joined the convoy and headed towards Mareeba. One other couple, Vic and Norma met us there as they had been staying in Cairns. First stop was just out of Mareeba at Bruno Manobertoli’s Coffee Plantation. He and his wife and daughter run this and it was the very first coffee plantation in the area. Bruno and “Mama” are both is their 80’s and are very much “hands on” Mama even has the oldest Singer sewing machine there and makes all the Hessian bags for the coffee. Bruno has a 100year old roaster that he bought out from Italy that is still used to roast the coffee. The coffee “cherries” here are laid out in the sun to dry and they use their feet by shuffling through them to turn them!One of the things we quickly learnt on this trip was the incredible knowledge base that Len and Dot have. This led to lots of “Show & Tells” along the road each day. One of the first of these was a plaque by the side of the road marking one of the camps of Kennedy and his group (an early explorer). We travelled onto Chillagoe through the tablelands of coffee, sugar cane and mango plantations.
At Chillagoe we stopped for lunch before heading out to our Chillagoe cave tour. A Ranger met us and guided us through one of
the caves. Beautiful formations and some close encounters with both bentwing and horseshoe bats. Also some lovely huntsmen 
spiders whose eyes glow like diamonds in the torchlight.Back on the road and then the rain came! And boy did it some down…..the car did not stay clean for long! After about 35 kms the road was dry and the rain ceased. Our first night out was to camp on the banks of the Mitchell River. Len and Dot had been telling us our lovely this campsite was. However when we got there it had changed completely. The wet season had flooded the river and the normally pretty grassy site had been covered with a foot of sand! We all managed to drive in and find a spot but some had trouble with anchoring their pegs in such soft stuff. We were lucky as we had some sand pegs with us.
Dot (cookie) provided us with a lovely camp oven meal and dessert before we tucked ourselves off to bed in the tent. It rained again during the night so we had a wet and sandy tent to pack up next day but that’s camping! My turn to drive so I was behind the wheel for the next days driving and this involved quite a few creek crossings. Whoever was last got to open and shut the gates (and it wasn’t us this day) and there must have been about 20 gates! We passed through the gold rush area of Palmerville (1880’s) before arriving at Hann River Roadhouse where we spent the second night. They had showers and toilets here – quite civilized! When bush camping though, Len erects a bush toilet and shower if we want it. The shower only went up one night on the whole trip as there were lots of beautiful creeks to swim in. He put the shower up the night that the creek where we were camped at was also the home of some File Snakes!
There are Road trains on this track 
and when they are approaching you have to pull right off the track. The dust they kick up is incredible and you cannot see a thing for 5 mintues after they pass!
From Hann we traveled to Moreton Telegraph Station on the Wenlock River. Again lots of stops for show and tells and each night we also had a firewood stop to collect 
wood for the cooking fire. Scenery just kept changing from plains to Open Savannah and then pockets of rainforest. The bird life was also so diverse, Blue Wing Kookaburras, black cockatoo’s, water birds and cranes of all varieties, dingoes, emus, agile rock wallabies, Tawny Frogmouth owls and it goes on and on. Flood level indicators at Moreton blew us away. The 1953 flood was above my head and the camp site itself was 20 metres above the current river level! That is one huge lot of water…
We joined the Old Telegraph track the next day and some amazing creek cr
ossings. We all had to walk the river with Len first to work out the track we were going to take through the stream and to find out how deep it was running. The wet season ensures that no creek stays the same! We all decided to bypass the Gunshot Creek crossing (by its reputation for breaking many vehicles) but come back on the other s
ide to have a look at it. When we did this we found we all could have negotiated it quite easily as Telstra had put a D9 through it! But note the photo of the old approach!
We camped again in the rain at Dulhunty Falls. Getting there though was slow for us as we had the misfortune to have a sharp piece of mulga pierce the side wall of the front left tyre. The group was great though and assisted us to change the tyre and get back on the road. We had a lovely swim in the creek whilst Dot was preparing dinner and then again down came the rain. Dot was saturated but still managed to serve us another incredible meal. Even the most amazing damper and golden syrup.
Next day we were headed for Seisia but stopped for a swim at Fruit Bat Falls. These are the prettiest Falls and such grea
t swimming. To get to Seisia though you first have to cross the Jardine River. This is a large, fast flowing river full of crocodiles. The local aboriginal group now runs the ferry and it is a massive $88 for a 70 second trip! (Thank god it is a return price!!!!) But if you want to get to the top you just have to pay the fee!
Through Bamaga to Seisia and suddenly you feel in another part of the world. Seisia is an islander village and lovely place. We stayed in the caravan park there for 2 nights. Next day we had to be at the whar
f by 8 a.m. for catch the ferry to Thursday Island. It is an hour’s trip over to T.I. and it was actually fine and sunny! T.I. is gorgeous,
I could live there. We had 1 ½ hour bus trip of the island which is only 2miles X 4miles long. Amazing history, particularly of pearl diving and WWII. Then we were dropped back on the wharf and caught the next ferry to Horn Island. Lunch was provided here before another bus trip. This trip was very interesting, plane wrecks and airfields that were important to the defense of Australia in WW11. After ferrying back to T.I. then to Seisia we all took our chairs down to the beach to watch the sunset. What happened? It rained again so we had to pick up our chairs and run like rabbits for shelter!
Next day was a very early start to drive out to Cape York. We wanted to be there before the other 1,000 tourists! From the car park it is an 800 metre walk but what a thrill when we were finally standing at the very tip! And to top it off, Dot & Len provided Champagne and fruit cake!
This night’s camp site was Elliot Falls. This is National Park’s camp site but right at both Elliot and Twin Falls. Very pretty and good swimming again in crystal clear water.
The road next day was through Batavia Downs and only 2 creek crossings heading
towards Weipa. We camped at Weipa Caravan Park right on the beach (croc territory ag
ain though – no swimming). Beautiful sunset here over the Gulf. After a late start next day as the bus for the tour broke down, they found a smaller bus and we toured the town and Weipa Bauxite Mine. Very interesting. We had lunch beside one of the eight lakes there and then headed out on the road towards Coen. This night we camped about 5 kms outside of Coen on Coen Bend. Very pretty river. Len filled up his water containers and found 2 File snakes in the creek. There are only 2 varieties of File snakes in Australia (both non venomous) and this one was the Arafura File snake. It did put people of swimming here though! Len put the shower up this night!!
The next day we were supposed to head toward Lakefield National Park but we found out that they had had so much rain that the road had been washed away. This meant a diversion 
for us down to Musgrave, then to Laura and Old Laura to enter Lakefield from the bottom end. We headed up the track for 75kms to the Red Lily Lagoon. These are amazing. This is the only place in the world where these red lotus lilies grow. After viewing the lilies we travelled back down the track to Kalpower and camped the night here. This is on the banks of the Normanby River and most definitely CROC TERRITORY. We were quite safe where we were camped but after tea we went “croc hunting” with torches. We went down to the crossing and shone torches up the sides of the river and we spotted 3 sets of glowing red eyes! The sign of the snappys!
From here we negotiated a few more creek crossings and headed into Cooktown. After setting up the tent we all headed into town for a lovely feed of fresh grilled barramundi and salad on the waterfront. Walter and I didn’t worry about running around to try and see everything as we are heading to Cooktown with the van for 2 weeks so we will be able to take our time then and see everything.
Each night during Happy Hour, a fine session was run with Tail End Charlie being the Fine Master for the day. All money raised is going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Len also runs asession on the last night in Cooktown and also an Auction. We all are considerably broker and we will be interested in finding out just how much we raised!
Our trip the next day was to head down what is called the Bloomfield track through Cape Tribulation on our way home. Again though, so much rain found part of the Bloomfield track closed. We drove down to Weary Bay, the Lions Den Hotel and Bloomfield Falls before back tracking on to the main highway and home. We hope that whilst we are either in Cooktown or in 
the Daintree we might be able to go back and do this part of the track as a day trip. It apparently is one of the most beautiful scenic drives although the track is 3:1 in places on a red clay base. Hence why it was closed.
Back in Walkamin now and have spent three days washing and cleaning everything up. Wouldn’t you know it, the weather now is gorgeous. Another couple here in the caravan park came to us yesterday as they are leaving on the same trip with Len and Dot next week and wanted to pick our brains. I bet they have lovely weather!
We still think it has been one of the best value for money trips we have ever done and we have seen parts of Australia we certainly couldn’t have on our own.
Til next time,
The Intrepid Travellers, Rob & Walter
1 comment:
Interesting to know.
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