3 days at Mission Beach....beautiful....

The drive from Flying Fish Point to Mission was all of about an hour, so it was nice to have an easy journey for a change. We stopped to pick up some presents from Kmart for Zander’s B’Day and had a nice coffee and some really fattening cakes before we moved on.

When we arrived, the boys eyeballed a waterslide and playground before we’d even hit the driveway, so we knew we might get some down time by letting them off the chain and just watching them.

After checking in we got a site right beside the dunnies which was not ideal but what do you do in school holidays with an oversize camper trailer. As it turned out it was a great spot and relatively quiet and dark at night. A lot of van parks light the amenities up like a Xmas tree but not here.

Zander again infiltrated some families to find new friends within minutes and clung on to this 6 yr old kid called Zane, who tried to (and did) convince Z Mann his name was Zander so he thought that was pretty cool. As it turned out this little kid was a real pain in the ass and his parents need to pull their heads in and start parenting.

More on that later.

We managed to get some beach time and pool time in the first day, sus out around the local area (which was South Mission Beach) and a few drinks and nibbles later we all found ourselves playing UNO and laughing uncontrollably at how the boys have figured out how to cheat at such a young age. They had Friday movie night after this and they were out like a light...

Day 2 we went into the main township for a look and whilst there is not much there, it really is a nice spot. We could easily have a holiday home here for the winter if we had the coin....The sand is grainy and a yellowy colour, which isn’t ideal but still nice all the same. You can still see scars from Cyclone Yasi also which must have been a massive storm, but to their credit they are very resilient and bounce back like true Queenslanders.

We arrived back to find out from some quality friends of Zander’s that the so called other Zander was just coming into our campsite and pinching the boys bikes to ride. Pretty cheeky if you ask me. I told him when I saw him it wasn’t on and he knew what I meant. During the stay he also became very pushy with the boys and started coming over to bludge food also. On the beach he pushed one of the kids into a hole we had dug (I gave him a serve after that) and was hogging the football from all of the other kids. By this time we were over him and all the while, we didn’t see his parents once over the 3 days. He was in the pool on his own, down at the beach on his own, in the playground on his own, and generally annoying all the travellers......on his own. It was good to see the back of him....Pool time again and some swims on the beach rounded the day off. The good thing about having them so busy all day is that they go to sleep fast, which enables us to have some us time.

Day 3 we just lazed by the pool and beach. Some quality sunshine whilst our friends and family froze in single figure rain affected conditions in Brisbane. Bugger.

We built a massive boat on the beach with the long handled shovel and then played footy with a number of kids. It was really cool and we are enjoying this time with the boys travelling on our own again. Up early tomorrow for a long drive to Airlie where the word is  the park is super for kids.

Mission – if you haven’t been here it is somewhere you must come for a look at this time of year, safe swimming beaches and friendly people. Great stay.

Jase & Nat.

 

How to get kicked out of a caravan park.....

Today we had all the sheets and clothes in the washing machine by 8.30am.  Well Daddy did anyway because Mummy didn't want to....
The good thing is that it will dry quickly in this weather so we will be all good by this afternoon.

The boys wanted to play mini gold, go to the beach and spend some time in the pool, so given we are alone now it is a good opportunity to have some time with them, so the plan was in place.  Washing hung out and mini gold done - check....
We needed to get some spades and buckets, and some gear to service the Prado, so we went into Innisfail to get it afterward.  A great deli made us a nice coffee and a short drive around the town made us think what a nice area this would be to live in winter... Flying Fish Point is beautiful too with some very nice and expensive houses beachside.  The area was recommended to me by a couple of old work mates to visit while we were up here and they were right....nothing here but that is just how we like it!!!!

On our return I walked across to the beach to see how the tide was.  On my way out a gold Magna came hooting around the corner into the park via the exit and passed the no entry sign, almost hitting me.  As they went past, an overweight woman (thing) in the passenger seat said to me "gee your lucky mate".
Obviously this aroused any irritations I might have about what happened so I went over to their cabin (they are permanent residents) and asked them to come outside.  A bloke that looked about 20 and like a women came to the door and I asked if they just came in the park in that Magna.  He said yes so I asked him if he could slow down as I have 2 kids that are riding their bikes around.
He said he didn't come in effing fast and I didn't know what I was talking about.  So I looked at the waste of a human in the eye and said idiot, you did, you nearly knocked me over, and you came in the exit a hundred miles an hour.  Then his fat Mrs stood over him and started whining about something to me which pissed me off even more and then told me to mind my own business and then shut the curtain.  I then said just make sure you don't do it again or we will be talking again.
They told me to F off.
I then mentioned it to Nat in the scaled down non aggressive version and said I had concerns about the welfare of our belongings given grubs like this will do anything to get back at people.  So we just put everything in the car if we were away from the camper.  Another couple from Narangba in Brisbane arrived in a camper and reversed in right beside them, which made me smile given the quality of neighbours they now had.  I wandered the boys up for a swim with the intent to tell the park owners when I was finished and I saw Nat talking to them as I went.
Shortly after Nat came to the pool and said the shit had hit the van and the grubs were getting evicted!  Apparently the guys from Narangba overheard them fighting and swearing etc (I might have riled them up a bit) and he went over to ask them to stop.  This bloke isn't big but he doesn't look like he will take crap and then they gave it to him too.  He didn't back down either and gave it straight back.  The owner drove past in the golf buggy and was waved down and told by the new arrivals to move them or they are getting out and telling everyone about the scum that live her (much the same as I was going to tell them) and he on the spot told them to piss off!!!!
Good on him.
The idiots then kept going and then whinged about having 2 kids and homeless because of the "travellers" carrying on about nothing!!!
Bloody funny in the end.  They packed up, pissed off and took their friends from a couple of cabins up with them.  Great story for us to laugh about over a few beers before the footy tonight.

Down to the beach we went and did volcanoes, monster trucks and sand castles.  Believe it or not we have our children back and they are once again starting to listen and do as they are told.  Lets see how long it lasts.

There is a free sausage sizzle and nibbles for the origin tonight on the big screen in the BBQ area of the park.  Streamers up everywhere and quite colourful to be honest which is great.  We will head up and watch the maroons square the series hopefully!

Go the maroons - Jase

Flying Fish Point

We decided last night that we would press on tomorrow and stay at Flying Fish Point for 3 nights instead of 2.  We needed to wash all our clothes and high pressure water blast the dust off the boys... and the trailer/car.

The drive was about 500km and around 180 of the last we will see of unsealed road on this trip.  There might be a little beach work and a couple of national parks, but we can wash the dust off now and feel a little cleaner.

Once we made it through Laura and pressed on to Mareeba and the peanut country of Tolga and Atherton, we were amazed at the landscape changes once we turned east and headed for the coast via Malanda, Milla Milla and the Palmers region.  The ranges through that sector were simply beautiful and we didn't know they existed.  Had we known we probably would have planned to stay a night or two up there.

It was around 4.30pm when we arrived at the van park after getting supplies at Innisfail, so we had enough time to devour a BBQ chicken and get organised after setting up.  The boys were pretty tired to be honest and given they had nothing but their socks to play with on the 6 - 7 hour journey today, we were happy with the way they behaved.  This was confirmed by the no fuss bed time when we asked at 7.15am.
Needless to say they had made 4 new friends by the time tea and no doubt will be trying to stalk them tomorrow.

It looks like a really nice place here and we think we will enjoy our little stay.

Jase and Nat

Lakefield National Park and a big dick.....

After a nice hot shower this morning and a coffee from the local grocer, we caught up with the oldies and headed south once more bound for Lakefield.

The trip was only a couple of hundred k's at best so not too bad a day.

Zander and Mav made sure they said their good byes to the Mackay family as soon as first light was even a possibility!!!!! We just can't stop them.....

We stopped at Musgrave Sation again for a break and then only had about 80klm to go to the reserved campsite.

Along the way we were approaching quite a steep decline into a dip and I said to Nat tell the guys quickly on the UHF. She quickly grabbed it and said "guys there is a big dick coming your way" This was the funniest bloody thing I have heard or seen since Zac had his panic attack. She looked mortified and we just lauged for 10 minutes solid. Se couldn't even hold the microphone. I was still having spurts of laughter hours after just thinking about it. Geez it was funny.

When we arrived it seemed a little like déjà vu and we thought back to El Questro Station in the Kimberley. Extremely private sites by the river and nobody in sight. This is what I love and long for on our trips.

We set up and the boys went bananas in the dirt playing monster trucks and riding their well used bikes around an area that would house plenty of campers.

I found 45 minutes to read my book and have a bit of a power nap, but unfortunately if it is daytime in any fashion, my energised kids just keep coming in wanting my attention.

I have to admit, my patience has been a bit thin with them over the last couple of weeks because they have been an absolute handful. One thing we learnt last year was that when we are alone in more remote areas they are so much better  than in van parks or travelling with other people. Whilst it has been excellent doing this trip with the Toms's - and we say that sincerely - the boys are so attracted to Zac & Emily and as a result they just become so disobedient because they think they are 10 years older than they really are. Zander in particular who is sharp as a tack knows at a young age how to manipulate us and press our buttons. I am sure that is the same with all kids but Mav is so different and knows when he has crossed the line. Z Mann just keeps pushing......and pushing, where as Mav will just be quiet and listen.....

Anyway, Rob & Darren went down and tried their luck fishing while I was trying to have a sleep with no luck. In fact the word was that they are going to keep moving tomorrow and go to Cooktown because there is nothing to do here. I think Mum & Dad are thinking the same, as are Rob & Caroll.

We are not sure, I think we might stay another night as per the booking because it will be nice to be on our own again - how we like it to be honest - and probably how everyone else feels after 2000klm in the dirt. Much harder for the others given they are in a tent too, they really have done well.

Tomsy has the fire going, how much wood is left will have a huge bearing on our decision as to whether we stay tomorrow night or not. By the look of it there won't be any left!!!!

A great 2 weeks all had with Mum & Dad & the Toms. Brilliant to have the company along the way and we wish them all well on their journeys around Oz. We wish we were going with them, or a least travelling again. We have been blessed to have this opportunity for another 6 weeks after 6 months less than a year ago. The next 2 weeks with the boys will be great. We aim to give them as much of our attention as we can, because it will be all systems go when we get back.

Jase & Nat.

 

Sexchange Hotel

Today we all really felt like we would have liked to stay another night. Hindsight as I have said, is a great thing. We would have stayed 2 nights at Elim Beach, 2 nights at Vrilya, and chopped one night off Weipa and Punsand Bay had we known where we were going.

Anyway, packed up again and southward to the Coen pub, called the Sexchange Hotel. After lunch at Bramwell Roadhouse, and then an ice cream at Archer, we arrived there at about 3pm. The campers all go out the back and for $5 per head, we thought it was good value. The oldies found a free camp out by the river but we wanted to stay at the pub because a few coldies and a counter meal sounded like the go.

After setting up, we had a couple of beers and got chatting to a family from Mackay. I have to thank Zander because we meet so many people through his social skills. He is like clock work, he will stalk them slowly until the kids see him, then he moves little quicker and before we know it has infiltrated their camper or van, and like tonight.....sitting some random adults camp chair talking to an adult while he was chopping wood.

Funny stuff.

Just as funny was the Brahman bulls just wondering the streets and in the middle of the football field chowing down on the cricket pitch....

There was also 2 beautiful staffies running around the campground which belonged to the owners. They are such great dogs and I think we might be the boys one in the near future.

We all moved up to the bar where we had fish and chips which was pretty greasy but nice all the same. In talking to Barry Mulley the publican, he said his family used to basically own Carole Park in Brisbane and tat he and his five brothers moved to Cairns as young adults and from their up to Coen. There was a heap of NRL/Cricket memorabilia onto walls in frames and one in particular signed by Norm Provan. I asked who was the Dragon supporter  was and he said all of the family backed them because when Provan retired he bough a caravan park in Yorkeys Knob in Cairns and he used to go to their training sessions and show them how to play when they were young. They now have moved on to firstly the Broncos in 88, then the Cowboys when they joined the comp......but the dragons still hold a small place in the 11 strong family.

Great yarns.

After dinner we basically hit the sack after another tantrum from Zander from being over tired. We just wish he would get some sleep while on the road because he is just non stop all day and doesn't take a breath.

We would recommend this for an overnight stay on the way up. Cold beer, go food, decent amenities, fires allowed and friendly people.

Off to Lakefield tomorrow, then we part ways with our fellow travellers. It will be nice to spend 2 weeks just as the Manns in out home away from home.

Jase & Nat.

 

Vrilya Point for some....

Today we where going early so that we could try to get to Vrilya Point and spend as much time as we could given it was an overnighter only.

The local knowledge was that it was 23klm south of Jardine River ferry and then an hour to 90 mins to get in.

We decided to stop in at Seisha on the way back because we are close and it made sense. We were of the understanding that it was the main town up here and the best serviced because it has Loyalty Beach Caravan Park there also. The van park is also noted as the best on the tip, yet it is 30klm from there.....

Our impression - Bamaga was better in terms of stock in the supermarket and Loyalty Beach was too crowded. We took a punt on Punsand Bay and we got it right. While it wasn't 5 star caravan park, it was OK considering the location and you could have fires there also. In all honesty the are very few caravans up here - if any, it's all camper trailers or tents....just how we like it.

Southward was the direction and we planned to be at the point by 12pm, but getting supplies took a little long and the reality was we wouldn't be there until after 1pm if all went well.

Well, let me tell you, things didn't go to plan....

We crossed the famous log bridge that everyone who goes here talks about - not even a challenge if you pick the right lane. Then we encountered severe corrugations for the next 20k or so which as always, is very boring.

We arrived at a creek crossing with a little challenging bit on the other side and while we were assessing which line to take and how to approach it, we look around and my Mum & Dad, along with Darren's Mum & Dad decided they had had enough and reversed out and took off!!!!

I asked Dad as he was 15 point turning through the bush what he was doing and he said "We've had enough, we are going back to the flat road"

Rob echoed his feelings and off they went. 

I said to them we are 500m from the beaches as I could see it clearly on the GPS topographic map I have, yet they still decided to go back. They said they would meet us at Bramwell Roadhouse and meet up tomorrow.

This seemed strange as the had another hour minimum to get back to the main road, then another 160klm to get the, and it was already after 1pm.

Whilst we understand they are retired and want to look after their cars, the reality is that some of the things we have been doing so far, far outweighs the complexity of what we had in front of us - and we then were where we needed to be!!!!

Anyway, we let them go off in a huff and we drove another couple of minutes to a beautiful beach - the best we have seen so far, and within 30 minutes we were set up 50m from the water having lunch on the beach.

We are disappointed that they didn't persist for a little bit further, but that is OK, they just missed a great spot because I think they didn't like the corrugations. Dads was running 30PSI which would have had them bouncing through the roof.......no wonder he was cranky. We had 23-25 and we found it tough going. 18 PSI on the way out it will be.....

We caught up with a couple from Perth who have 2 lovely daughters and the boys as always were captivated but them. They played with them all afternoon and we made monster truck tracks and volcanoes again. All of the kids managed to find hermit crabs and walk around the rocks looking for anything they could find, Tomsy and I threw in a few lures with no luck.

It really was worth the drive in and in reality it would have been easier to drive down the road and stay at a roadhouse, sometimes the best places are there for a reason - because not many people can get there......

No fire tonight, we a just sitting on the beach in the dark trying to croc spot. We are almost out of beer so we are regulating the intake, which probably will do us some good......

Archer River Roadhouse tomorrow in what will be a big day, pick the oldies up along the way and we will be essentially half way back to Lakefield, then onto Innisfail after that for the homeward journey with just the Manns.

Jase & Nat.

 

 

 

A day of relaxation....

A great opportunity today to just catch some breath. The reality is we have been moving quite quickly to get here and we all deserved a day to not do too much.

The day involved washing all the cars, beach cricket, building volcanos in the sand, starting to pack up a little and just trying to do nothing.

I think we all made good use of the time one way or another.

A communal dinner was arranged yesterday so we could all eat together and enjoy each other's company.

Darren did his wiz band beef stew while Mum had a roast pork she needed to get rid of, so we chucked it in our BabyQ which provides great results with roasts (as we learnt last year on our trip) Everyone did their own vegies and we all had a bit of a buffet before sitting down to a fire that was literally pumping.

We found the perfect fallen tree on the way home yesterday so we got the Mini Boss out and it just massacred this tree to provide us with plenty of fuel for a great fire.

As I sit and write this, once again it is just Darren and I.

Last year it was always just me on my own so it is nice to have a partner in crime when it comes to just sitting around watching wood burn. There seems to be nothing more relaxing.

Nat mentioned today that she feels like she has been on the road for ages, which we think makes it feel like a bit of a continuation from last year. We at not complaining, that is for sure. The simple fact is unless we had endless cash and plenty of leave up, these types of opportunities don't come around often so we will suck it up while we can. 

Once this fire which is currently hot enough to melt beer bottles burns down we will hit the sack and get up early to head for Vrilya Point.

It comes highly recommended by many and is a frequent spot for all of the fishing shows to venture to.

In terms of fishing I have to admit this trip hasn't been much about that. I have all I need to be out every day, but I have just not been motivated. It's been just nice to not do to much.......other than try and get the boys listen to us......

Jase & Nat.

 

 

The Tip of Australia

On the advice of a local, low tide was the best time to go to the tip and get some shots at the sign that is there. This way you can almost walk the whole way around on the beach, then come back over the rocks to do a full loop. Obviously you can do this in reverse which is what we did. Low tide was at 4:30pm so we thought 1pm would be a good time to go and this way the return beach walk would be right about low tide.

The morning consisted of Darren and I fixing my trailer indicators and generally getting things sorted, along with some reading time which was nice, so the afternoon plan to do the tip worked in nicely.

The drive out there was spectacular rain forest with a nice little creek crossing to keep us honest. Magical and what we had all expected the trip here to contain more of. They leave the best till last.....

Out there the clouds started to clear also which meant we would be all good for a nice walk and some time out there.

Over the rocks for about 500m there were some great views of the neighbouring islands, and the tip itself. Well worth the walk so we are glad we did the harder route first.

Out at the sign there were only a few other people so whilst it would have been nice to have it all to ourselves like we have had so many spots in our travels, it would have been selfish for us to expect such at what is one of the most sought after locations to get a Polaroid in the country. Just brilliant to tick this one off and get to another location many might never see.

The beach route back was nice, although slippery and muddy in spots. Great to see the point from ground level and get some more shots of the boys playing around and generally loving the time on the beach.  

We all decided to splurge on dinner at the local restaurant called the Corrugation Bar. The meals were reasonably priced and quite nice for somewhere so remote. The beers were not so cheap but what do you do. These people have to stay afloat so whilst it hurts a little, in the scheme of things it is water off a duck's back.

A couple of family silly face photos and we were all spent really. Not much to do after that other than a couple of lines of chocolate and a few chapters more of my James Pattinson thriller.

I think the Cape beard needs to go tomorrow. I need to start thinking about looking half decent for my new employer.....

Jase & Nat, from on top of Oz.

 

 

Punsand Bay, nearly there....

Without far to go today, there was no rush to get moving. I decided that the copious amounts of mud we had accumulated yesterday needed to come off so we tried to pack up quickly and run the hose over the trailer and the often used spots on the car.

In hindsight I should have done this on the road as I made a bit of a mess for the next campers in our site. I was dirty on myself so apologies to whomever this may have been.

The OTT progressed further north and we decided it would be quicker to go that way on the advice of some people. There were two creek crossings that were in their own right were let's say challenging to look at yet seemed easy once we were through. It is amazing what these vehicles can do with a simple suspension raise and a snorkel. It does make for a fun day. Of driving when the adrenalin gets going after putting $70k cars into the unknown. Great stuff and although the boys love it, it seems to be " ho-hum" now.....just another creek crossing, can we put Curious George back on now please?

We made the main road and moved further north to the Jardine River Ferry where we got touched up big time at $150 return for a 40m ferry ride. The boys however love a ferry ride so some things are just worthwhile money.....not to mention it keeps the locals employed.

The town of Bamaga is the gateway to the Tip so we stocked up on supplies at extremely inflated prices. As I said before, you just need to suck it up when you pay $7.50 for a block of chocolate.....

Punsand Bay was a short 40 minute drive and is where we are camped for 3 days. It was comical to watch Darren & Emily pitch the tent and seeing Zac fake sleeping on the camping chair!!!! He is just a professional at finding ways to get out of work, much to his Dad's annoyance. It is so funny to watch...

Funnily, the purple pyjama lady was here again and she took the boys for a couple of hours which was great. It helps her too given it occupies her girls also.

The tip is literally 7klm from here so after 3500klm we are going to stand there tomorrow. We plan to do the afternoon low tide and walk the beach to the sign, then climb the rocks in the way back.

Can't wait....

 

 

Sunken Nissan, Bent out of shape and 3 water falls

Today we only had around 120klm to travel, so there was no rush.

In saying that we still managed to get away before 9am through fear of packing up in the rain. We got lucky with a dry spell for a couple of hours.

The cows got fed again and the boys managed to ride around and meet every camper. A nice place to stay though a little expensive if  you want to eat at the restaurant.

We left and stopped briefly at the roadhouse then adventurously decided to go and have a look at the Old Telegraph Track (OTT). There was no intention to do it, although if it was easier than people said we may have given it a go.

That all ended a the first creek crossing called Palm Creek.

Wet, muddy, steep, ruts as deep as the passenger windows & basically impassable. In the dry with some skill you can appreciate people get through, but not today. The pictures say it all. One 50m decent, through the shallow creek,  then a similar climb the other side.

Some young guys came along and got big erections when they saw it & decided they would go through. First to go was a Nissan Patrol who made it basically to the bottom of the decent through sliding down, then gunned it up the other side and got absolutely nowhere. There was a crowd of about 20 at this stage and we all watched while they attempted to winch out........they were going to be there for a long time!!!

The crowd got what they came to see and after waiting for 15 minutes or so with no more action, promptly retreated back to the main road and onward. Funny stuff and hats off to the boys for having a crack. That will either make for an expensive extraction, or a great yarn by the campfire for years to come. Well done.......not for my Prado though......

As we left we hit road that had seen quite a large amount of rain which on these unsealed roads is not something we have seen. It was literally like driving on ice. Extremely slippery made worse by a 1700kg trailer behind you. At one point the Mann Vann decided to go in a different direction to the Prado and we were looking at the side of it in our side mirrors and getting bent way out of shape quickly. Nat had her customary panic attack which is of the same tone if this happens or Mav spills some milk, and I just said its OK & managed to straighten it up. Pretty scary though, I thought we were gone for all money.

This of course was viewed by the Toms family who thought it was (as Jo puts it) "hilarious" and it made quite the talking point over the UHF's for the next little while. I am just glad we didn't lose it.

Further north, it dried a little although pleasantly not enough to create dust, which was a welcome change today. We took a right turn to get into Fruit Bat Falls for lunch & a swim. The falls were magic, perfect for the boys and a welcomed cool off from the humidity. Most of us took the opportunity to swim and smiles all round afterward. 

We then ventured up another section of the OTT to head towards Eliot Falls where we were camping. Along the way we faced a creek crossing in terms of deepness we had not seen before. Some others came across before us and the height ranged from bonnet level to mid bull bar depending on the car. It looked easy enough so we all went through unscathed, with Tomsy probably getting nearest to the bonnet given his Pajero isn't raised. Still no challenge for him though.

On to Eliot Campground to find someone had pinched one of our campsites. After some negotiation they moved on and we all got set up quickly enough.

Down to the falls (Eliot & Twin) for more swims and needless to say the boys were in their element.

Whilst they were nice falls, they really don't hold a candle to anything that the Kimberley possesses, but definitely worth a look while up here. The Toms family have so much more to see.....we are so envious.

BBQ dinner, no fire, a couple of stubbies and another episode of Game of Thrones, and it was off to sleep. There may have been some chocolate and Tim Tams in there also.....

PS...The funniest thing we have seen this holiday happened tonight when Zac Toms had a panic attack when his Mum & Dad asked him to wipe up the dishes. We have heard all these stories about how he suddenly needs to go to the toilet, has stomach pains or a headache when he has to help out in some way, but we just thought it was a funny story - seeing it first hand had us all in fits of laughter.....bloody funny & well done for your creativity mate.

All in all an eventful day today.

Jase & Nat.

 

 

Bramwell Station

A short 260klm today back through Weipa to fuel up and get a travel coffee, we found our way to Bramwell Cattle Station.

Like them all, Nat really likes these stays. The staff are always so friendly and you always get a good feel for working on the land. It is well serviced with hot showers and toilets, bore water, an outback pub with meals & plenty of space for the kids to run around. The bloke that runs it only lives a few streets away which was quite funny, he comes up in the dry season to run the bar and arrange functions on the property.

The tents are certainly getting erected more quickly now and before long happy hour started by the sounding of a huge cow bell. We didn't need much coercion.

Guess who we find over there....purple pyjama lady and the family.....

To her credit we didn't hear any more about the famous brother in law, and her husband seemed OK too, but they still would talk under water with a mouth full of marbles and love to finish each others sentences.

The boys went with Rob over to the cattle yards and fed the cows which was great. Mav shows no fear with animals and has a particular interest in all, he might be a vet yet... There were Guinea foul all over the place and whilst there are supposed to be plentiful black cockatoos, we didn't see any. It's great to have the boys exposed to this stuff at a young age.

The rain set in as a constant spit, so we just did pasta for tea and then by 9pm we were all in bed. Probably a good thing given our late one last night.....

Elliott & Fruit Bat Falls tomorrow and we are as good as at the tip.

Great stuff.

Jase

 

Pennefather River

Today we were all a little apprehensive about moving to a one night stay at Pennefather. It came with mixed reviews but in the end, we decided it was the way to go. We are here to see the peninsular, & staying in Weipa for an additional day didn't give us anything but another night in an average caravan park.........So off we went early.

I am not sure what these people will think of us after this trip. We are very motivated to get going early and see everything we can in a short time. Mum, Dad & the Toms's are a little used to sleeping in and taking it easy which is great, I just hope we don't upset them with our eagerness......

Anyway, we got away early and headed north to the Pennefather River region. On the way in we massacred a dead tee to enable at least 12 hours of solid burn time for a fire, and then ventured in toward the coast. We made our way to the beach when we found a great camping spot just off the sand with plenty of shade. Not satisfied Darren & I thought we should scout up the beach further toward the river mouth to see if there was anything better than what we had already stumbled across.  Needless to say I was up for it because I was brought up & love driving vehicles on the beach....particularly at high tide where it gets a bit hairy....... the boys were going to have an absolute ball.

We made our way  north with Tomsy & Mum & Dad to the river mouth where we managed to get (me) bogged along the way. I am so happy we did because the boys loved helping me dig our way out and get back on our journey. This stuff is gold.

The beach was quite littered and not something we are used to. At first we thought it was disrespectful campers but the truth is that it gets washed up from the ocean. The Gulf of Carpentaria  creates a huge vaccum which unfortunately sucks it all in. Not very nice we must say.

We made our way to Pennefather proper and tried to seek out the ranger, but he was nowhere to be seen so we retreated back to where we were and started the fire at midday, yes midday. In hindsight the drive was a waste of time other than getting bogged and having some fun in the sand, although we did also get to see the river.

Nobody was keen to go for a swim for obvious reasons.....croc tracks everywhere up the beach and sightings left right and centre, so we all gathered around the fire and spent the arvo sweating from the heat it was producing.

Dad tried to throw a line in at low tide with no luck, as did Rob, so fire and beers it had to be.

Many beers in fact as I write this with Tomsy at 11pm, after a few bourbons and tall stories with glo-stick hats and glasses, we are really inebriated. I hope the local crocs and wild pigs don't decide to come along to say hello because I don't think we are in any state to accommodate them.

This is why we do it, rolling waves in the background, plentiful fire in front of us, bourbon in the fridge and just the remote feeling of not having anything mainstream to fallback on if things get a little worrisome. Seriously, I love this stuff, as does Nat although a shower and toilet doesn't go astray now and then.

In my prime again, bourbonised, fireised, late at night with the stars and beach in the background. Bloody tough.

I wonder what the poor people are doing.

Good luck to them.

Jason.

 

Weipa

Well Weipa is a place to stop on the way to the Cape.... that's it really.
One of those places you need to go because it is on the way.  If you  have a boat and love the basics then this would be a great boys trip, similar to Karumba, but otherwise, I wouldn't come back.

Dirty dunnies and average amenities don't do the only caravan park any justice but the whole town is a bit messy and not well looked after.  I think we are now able to make judgement on remote towns
that are worth visiting and those that are not... and this one is not....

We had a look around and stocked up on supplies like stale bread and frozen meat.  I understand that stuff would be extremely hard to get in here, and that you just have to made do, I guess the lucky ones have a choice where they can live... mine is where there is a bakery that has fresh bread...

We then headed back to camp to negotiate a possible fishing expedition.  Truth be told the tides were against us and as locals said, don't waste your time, so we didn't - we had cold stubbies and a semi grassed areas to sit and chat the night away.  We did wonder out to the beach to get some shots of the sunset, but in reality while nice, Broome for a western sunset makes all else look average.  There, as always, is a woman that thinks she and her family is the best on earth which irritates me but what do you do.  This one wouldn't shut up about her brother in law and how he was kayaking across from the tip to Papua New Guinea, which is brilliant, but hearing about it for a half hour constantly from a chick in purple flowery pyjamas on a beach in Weipa is a bit rich.  That will do me...
My brother in law this.... my brother in law that.... he does Ironman, he does this, he does that... I felt like saying well you married the wrong man by the sound of it.... I can be very judgemental at times.

Anyway, all good.  It was nice to spend the sunset with my beautiful lady and the boys who just ran sprints up and down the beach with the daughters of purple pyjama lady.  A few stubbies later and I was watching Game Of Thrones on the iPad in the Mann Vann, gotta love this technology.

Pennefather tomorrow, let's hope it is what everyone raves about.

Jase

That red dust taste.....

Today we arose again in pitch black darkness to "Mummy, can I come into your bed" 20 times before we give in and Mav climbs in and won't shut up. Whilst it is cute it is extremely frustrating when you would like the birds and natural light to wake you sometimes....

Nat made the point yesterday that I am clearly a much happier person when we are somewhere that is remote and away from other people, lights on all night, cars/trucks driving around etc. Old Laura and Elim Beach had this and she is right, I do dig the quiet and self sufficiency of being "out there".

We surprisingly were on the road at 7:55am which was great. I think naively I thought that the Toms's may have struggled to get going after sleeping on 2cm thin beds on the ground and in a tent together with no room, but to their credit they did and I think with the exception of Darren whilst it may not be their thing, they are embracing it and taking it in their stride.

520klm of dirt road awaited on route to Weipa today. The Peninsular's largest town based around the largest Bauxite mine in the world run by Rio Tinto. We had stops at Musgrave for morning tea, Archer River for lunch where we tried the famous Archer Burger (unanimously however Dad's home burgers still rule) and then the last 200klm into Weipa after that.

For the last couple of days the boys have been really playing up going to bed and last night was no different, so today we confiscated everything. All that was in the back seat was their booster seats. Nothing to do for 8 hours on red dusty road...

Strangely, they travelled well and had fun with 2 pegs they found and some tissues. Lots of knock knock jokes and eye spy, chatting and laughing so there might be a message there again for Mummy and Daddy as we had learnt last year on our trip......

The dust tastes, smells, looks and annoys us the same as it did for months last year. The trucks over here in the top end don't have as much respect for travellers as they do in the west however, they don't slow down any and they seem to be only concerned for themselves. The massive plumes of dust they create take minutes to settle and this prolongs your journey unless you are stupid enough to try and drive through it blind....

Into Weipa and the only caravan park here. It is packed and given the only option, there doesn't seem  to be much attention payed to cleanliness in the amenities. Additionally you just pile your rubbish underneath a tree and someone must just come along and pick it up at some stage.

As we drove in there was a thousand kids in the only pool, so while it was 31 degrees at 4:30 pm when we got here, we set up and decided to brave the pool with the kids wee in it and all of the red dust wash off for a swim. It was reasonably clean I guess but the colour of the finish was able to fool you in terms of the clarity of the water, so while we cooled off a bit, we had showers straight after.

Noodles for dinner after those big burgers, and a few stubbies to wash down and hopefully the boys will settle tonight and we can relax a bit.

2 nights here and then we move north again.

Jase & Nat. 

Old Laura Homestead



Old Laura's very own Mater!

 

Archer River Roadhouse