Into the Never Never

We have now entered our entered the sixth state/territory of our journey and are just a couple of hundred kms off the 20,000 km mark (we are deliberately not looking at the total fuel cost to get this far).  Things started to get hot almost as soon as we crossed the NT border and we haven’t had a day less than 35oC since leaving Qld!  But before I get ahead of myself, I must write something about Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, which is currently taking out the top spot on our favourite places list. 

The park is on the Qld-NT border, about 150 km south of the Gulf.  It is described as an oasis in the surrounding Gulf country desert, and while I am usually very sceptical about such self-aggrandising claims, I really do have to agree in this instance.  The 500 km drive from Karumba to Lawn Hill travels through some very flat, very dry, very grazed and very monotonous country.  Then, all of a sudden, a large gorge appears.  Once inside the gorge the country is greener and cooler with a river running in between 30+ meter high sandstone cliffs.  We camped right next to the river at the national park campsite.  We managed to overlap by one night with our fellow 30-something nomading friends and had a great time comparing travels tales and blowing our beer rations!  We then did every bushwalk on offer, canoed up the gorge (and made friends with a freshwater croc “Fred the Freshie”) and swam and inner tubed down the river.  We also added some great new birds to the list, including the Arafura Fantail and the Purple-crowned Fairy Wren.  It truly was a delightful few days.

After leaving our oasis, we had one more night in Qld.  Troopy decided to voice her objection about leaving Qld by cracking her engine pipe (exhaust) about 150 km shy of the border.  A quick trip to the mechanic in Doomagee reassured us that we would be ok to keep going to a larger place for repairs but we might soon need ear plugs!!  With that in mind, we pushed on along the dirt for the 450 km across the Territory border into Borroloola.  By this stage, Troopy was sounding like the most fully sick, hotted up boy racer car you could ever possibly wish for.  Borroloola wasn’t really somewhere we wanted to get stuck waiting for parts and so we roared (literally) on towards Katherine – 600 km away.  Along the way we had a few great stops at a Lost City (amazing weathered sandstone formations) and the springs near Mataranka.  One spot called Bitter Springs was particularly fun.  There was a swimming trail about 200 m long where we jumped in with mask and snorkel and floated down to the exit point.  The water bubbles up through underground limestone caverns and so is crystal clear and around 30oC.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time floating around there.  We also had a quick stop at the Mataranka Homestead and spent a couple of hours whiling away the heat of the day watching “We of the Never Never” – the movie based on the Jeanie Gunn novel about life up here in the 1900s.  Ordinary movie, interesting story – we are going to try and find the book.

Now we are in Katherine and Troopy has a flash new engine pipe.  Tomorrow we head off (in stealth mode, we are now so quiet) to Katherine Gorge, where we are planning more bushwalking and canoeing.  Photos of the adventures described above are on flikr.  The photo below is of Luke acting like a Qld local – oh how the mighty can fall!!

Click here for Lawn Hill to Katherine photos

Go west!

The Atherton Tablelands were a cool and lush retreat from the dust and heat of Cape York and so we spent a couple of days relaxing there.  We did some of the many highlights including seeing the Curtain Fig and swimming at Lake Eacham.  We had some great free camp spots and at one we were under the daily flight path of thousands of Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks, which was quite a spectacle. 

                       

From Atherton we embarked on The Savannah Way – the road which extends for about 3700 km from Cairns to Broome.  First stop was Undara Volcanic Park.  We took the poor peoples’ option and did some bush walks to see the lava tubes from the top rather than going inside (which is apparently quite cool, so we’ve put that on the list for future trips when we are more financially viable).  After that it’s the long push across Queensland to Lawn Hill National Park, which is pretty much on the Qld-NT border. 

Along the way we passed through Normanton, which is home to Krys the Savnnah Croc.  Krys is a replica of the largest recorded, 8.4 m long croc that was shot (by a Polish woman) in the 1970s and I can fit comfortably in its mouth (see photos)!!  Normanton is also the home to another Big Barra, so compare Daintree Village vs Normanton’s Barras on the big things page.  We’re currently having a 2-day pit stop in Kurumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.  The sunsets here are amazing (we reckon they rival Santorini), and so tonight we are off on an afternoon bird watching, sunset appreciating and prawn eating cruise (the Gulf is the heart of the Qld prawn industry and so the sunset cruise comes with the usual wine and cheese but also prawns – yum!).

Click here for photos

Cape York - the way down

The way down from the tip of Cape York was adventure filled!  We decided to travelled fairly quickly back down to civilisation, so that we can push west before the wet season.  That plan was going well on the first day and we made it from the top down to the beautiful waterfalls and creeks around the northern bypass road.  We spent the afternoon splashing around in the water and being entertained by people who got bogged taking the tricky route across the creek we were camped by. 

The next day we were feeling quite intrepid and decided to do half of the southern section of the OTL, before hitting the bypass road.  This was going really well and both Troopy and Luke were performing well in 4WD.  We decided to pop our heads into Gunshot Creek, an infamously steep creek crossing on the southern OTL that hard core 4WD’ers attempt and sensible people drive around.  We were feeling quite brave and decided that it really wasn’t that hard core at all and we would just do it rather than going back and around.  Big mistake!!  Troopy got herself stuck on the way up the far side of the creek and no matter how much we manoeuvred, she just refused to drive up the hill.  So out came the winch.  The winch performed admirably and dragged Troopy up the hill without any dramas.  Phew!  We then packed up the recovery gear and went to get on our merry way … but, we’d turned the car off, forgetting that the winch is powered by the car battery, and now had no juice to start the car again.  Stuck again!!  So we waited, and waited, and 2½ hours later some people appeared on the other side of the creek.  Luckily they were also intrepid (and had a lighter weight car than Troopy) and were willing to cross the creek to give us a jumpstart (using both their car and second battery).  So what was meant to be a half hour diversion ended up taking over 4 hours – so much for a hasty trip south!  The silver lining of the story is that as Luke and the rescue blokes were jumpstarting Troopy, I was chatting to the woman about our respective adventures.  She mentioned that Moreton Telegraph Station had some semi-resident Palm Cockatoos and immediately my ears pricked up, since Luke still hadn’t seen his favourite bird.  Luckily, Moreton was only about an hour and a half from Gunshot Creek and so at 5:30 pm we pulled in.  Finally, after two weeks on the Cape, Luke (and I) saw a Palm Cockatoo – what an impressive bird.  We decided that it was fate that got Troopy stuck (not us) and went to bed happy after an eventful day.

The rest of the trip back to civilisation was uneventful, except for getting a big chip in the windscreen.  We arrived on the Atherton Tablelands happy and a bit weary after our Cape York adventures. 

A few photos of the trip down the Cape are on flikr, including Troopy’s adventures at Gunshot Creek.  Click here for photos

Cape York - the way up

We made it to the top of Australia!  The trip from Cairns to the Tip has taken two weeks and we’ve had lots of fun adventures along the way.  I have been keeping a few notes along the way to make sure that I didn’t forget our adventures.  And so I am going to be lazy and just type up my daily recollections.  I should note that this blog is doubling as a travel diary for us, as well as interesting (I hope) reading and photo viewing for everyone else.

19^th Aug: Left Cairns today, after a false start – we left the dive booties on the washing line at the caravan park and so had to double back.  Luckily we were only 30 km out of town.  Our destination was Daintree Village with a quick stopover to hunt for Cassowaries at Mossman Gorge (no luck – only saw some droppings).  Troopy got two more big things today – the (very) big Marlin in Cairns and the (not quite so) big Barramundi in Daintree.  Check the big things page for photos.

20^th Aug: Spent the day in the Daintree rainforest, doing a few short’ish walks between Daintree Village and Cape Tribulation.  There were heaps of other tourists around – about 50-50 split between German backpackers at the northern limit of their rental campervan range and Aussies in very dirty cars returning from the Cape.  Troopy is looking forward to resembling the latter soon.

21^st Aug: The Cape adventure began for real today.  Left the bitumen and travelled the Bloomfield Track from Cape Trip to Cooktown.  No worries for Troopy, but there were some very steep parts where low range was required to control her momentum down the hills.  Saw our first crocs in the Boomfield River (from a safe distance).  We also stopped for lunch and a beer (Luke’s first XXXX) at the iconic Lion’s Den.  We’re not quite sure what all the fuss is about.  Just a nice’ish outdoor pub.

22^nd Aug: Spent last night in Cooktown at a caravan park whose caretaker told me that I only believed in climate change because I am of “that generation” (not sure which one he was referring to) and had been brainwashed.  He also thought that the World Bank could confiscate our World Heritage Sites if we defaulted on our foreign debts, so it was an interesting conversation to say the least.  Cooktown was disappointing, as it resembled a bit of a ghost town.  Clearly the extension of the bitumen to the town hasn’t resulted in the tourist boom they were hoping for.  Great coffee at the botanic gardens, though.  Arrived in Lakefield National Park at a lovely camping spot at 12 Mile Crossing – check the photos, but I’m not sure they do the site justice.

23^rd Aug: Relaxing day at camp.  Did some good bird watching.  A dead fish washed up in the river within view of the camp and a family of Whistling Kites and another of Sea Eagles have been devouring it all day.

24^th Aug: Moved on to northern Lakefield NP.  Drove through the Nifold Plain, which is a treeless, grassy plain dotted with large termite mounds.  Amazing landscape.

25^th Aug: Left Lakefield NP and drove to Coen, our first “real” town of the Cape.  I can sum it up with the following observations – people are few and petrol is getting expensive.  Camped at a lovely spot in the dry riverbed just out of town.

26^th Aug: Moved on to our next national park – Mungan Kandju.  This one is a bit more off the beaten track, with a long’ish drive in to the first campsite.  We camped at Pandanus Lagoon, a wetland with lots of birds (and mozzies).

27^th Aug: Very hot, humid and mozzie filled day.  A little bit over the Cape today, but thank goodness for the solar shower.  So far we have gotten the following radio channels: Radio PNG, Radio NZ and less frequently, Radio National (???).

28^th Aug: Our spirits have been restored today with a stop at Archer River Roadhouse.  We have just chilled out in their grassy camping area after much needed showers and two loads of washing.  Had a small world moment when our neighbours turned out to be a family, whose Dad Luke worked with years ago at SA DEH – made plans to drop in when we’re in SA.  Troopy also make friends with a cow (see photos).

29^th Aug: Headed into Iron Range NP today.  This is a really interesting part of Oz, since it’s actually more like PNG than anywhere in Australia.  Iron Range is home to a whole stack of species that occur only there and in PNG, including Luke’s and my old favourite from PNG days, the Eclectus Parrot.  We camped at Chilli Beach and both the climate (hot, humid and threatening to rain) and the sounds and smells reminded us both of the PNG islands.  We witnessed an amazing spectacle this evening.  Just on dusk, flocks of starlings started flying in to a very small island just 100 m off the beach.  They just kept on coming and joining the ever growing flock, which swept and soared about the island, just like a strangely coordinated dance.  We estimated there were over 10,000 birds when the flock was at its biggest.  Luke tried for some photos, which give the idea, but again, don’t do the spectacle justice.

30^th Aug: Did a small day trip in Iron Range NP and went into the rainforest to go birding.  Our efforts were rewarded with some excellent birds including the Trumpet Manucode, Magnificent Riflebird (female), Frill-necked Monarch and our old friend the Eclectus Parrot.  All up we added 15 new species to our total bird list.  Luke is still looking for the Palm Cockatoo, though.  I should note that Chilli Beach itself was a bit gross – it smelt pretty sickly from rotting seaweed swept in off the nearby reefs and there was lots of rubbish washed up (I suspect washed in from the big floating plastic mass that circles the Pacific Ocean – check out the photos, which provide good incentive for all of us to think carefully about what we buy and how we dispose of it.  Ok, I’ll get off my high horse now J).

31^st Aug: A long day in the car today to cover some miles to get us closer to the Tip.  Left Iron Range NP and made it as far as Bramwell Junction.  This is where travellers make the choice between the hard core 4WD Old Telegraph Line or the Bypass Roads, which are less hard core, but very corrugated.  We hedged our bets and headed up the OTL to check out the first creek crossing.  We decided that it was a bit much for us and were worried that Troopy’s bull bar would bottom out on the very steep drop i.e. we chickened out.  Spent the night at the creek and will head to the Tip on the Bypass Roads tomorrow.

1^st Sept:  We reached the Top today, which coincidentally marks the anniversary of 5 months on the road.  We ended up doing a little bit of the northern section of the OTL to access Fruit Bat Falls, where we had a really, really nice swim.  To get back to the Bypass Rd we carried on along the OTL, doing 3 creek crossings that submerged Troopy up to the bull bar (which the height of my backside, for those that don’t know Troopy).  After this we headed straight for the top.  Troopy got us within 500 m and we then trudged up the spine of the very northern end of the Great Diving Range and took the obligatory photos at the Tip (see below).  Nice view over the Torres Strait from the top and we also spotted a couple of turtles in the channel.

2^nd Sept: Up until today, we have been totally without incident on our around Oz adventures.  But that all changed today when, within 10 minutes, Troopy got hit by a car and then totally bogged in sand!  We were travelling along a very soft sandy track and pulled over to let another car by.  They were gunning it through the sand, obviously trying not to get stuck, and unfortunately (for them) misjudged how fat their car was and clipped Troopy’s back bumper bar.  Luckily (for us) there was no damage to Troopy, but they got a ding in their front fender.  We carried on along the track, but had lost our momentum in pulling over and got totally stuck in the sand.  After letting the tyres down, digging the wheels out and pushing Troopy (both of us had a go, with Luke being more successful) we managed to free ourselves and escaped!  Interestingly, we were on the way to see the grave of Frank Jardine who was known by the locals as “debil, debil Jardine” because of his terrible treatment of the local Aborigines and Islanders.  Debil debil is said to haunt the area, so after the bingle and bogging we didn’t want to take any more risks and were hastily out of there without any more discussion about what a bastard Jardine sounded like!!

Tomorrow we are starting the return journey south, retracing some steps and also taking some new tracks.  We’re expecting to be in the Atherton Tablelands in about a week, so I’ll try for another update then.  In the meantime, some photos are on flikr.

Click here for photos