Vrilya Point 15-9-12 to 16-9-12

Please note incorrect spelling of this place in previous blog.

Mass exodus of campers next morning and we look at the other sites for location & leftover wood, but decide we have the best.

With the tide out approx 100m, we mooch around the rock pools and attempt to catch small mud skippers for live bait.  Tony and Michael find old crab trap and neighbours who have caught medium size mudcrab, tells about a caught shark carcass on the next beach cove.  This is cut up for ideal bait for the crab trap.  Tony sets up his fish trap also.  They have no luck in either.  We actually catch 4 small mud skippers in our hands.  Tony 2, me 2.

Later that morning, a team of professional shooters arrive to advise that they will shooting feral pigs in the area from the ground and from helicopters.   They said they had killed 1250 pigs in 2.25 days.

Hot Hot Hot so we all sit under the trees while Tony has his nano nap.

Tony starts to prepare their evening meal and to keep the flies at bay, resorts to the fly spray in the the yellow can…..doesn’t work very well …..turns out to be the Canola Oil spray.

23 cars arrive during the afternoon with the majority heading up the beach to find camp sites.

Next day nearly everyone leaves again.    Tony discovers a very pink sunburnt torso, all burnt through his shirt yesterday.

Michael & Dot take a drive down the beach some 8km to a former lightship – the Wreck of the Carpentaria Light Ship – now a rusting hulk being devoured by the sands  [to charge battery for fluctuating fridge.  Tony maintains radio contact to come to the rescue if needed.  He says he will come out if we are not back in 2hours…..no problems encountered and return well in time.

Tony decides it is time for sultana damper scones for afternoon tea, and makes them in foil in the fire…..they turn out very tasty with jam & cream.

As the evening high tide arrives, the water is alive with skipping bait fish in the cove and thousands of tiny fish in the rock pools…..the sea birds are having a field day.  We all wonder what is chasing these bait fish to the surface.   Neighbours were out in a boat and were catching tuna mackerel and queen fish, as well losing some of their tackle and having a $400.00 reel explode.  When they come back they give us a queen fish and a bluefin tuna – quite large.

On the horizon we can see smoke coming towards us.  Later that night we see the glow in the sky.  Good thing that these fires burn slowly and coolly (for a fire).