Seisia – 18/09/12 Visit Cape York Tip

Last night we all got little sleep, with the wild horses continually roaming around our camp – sounded like they were going through our goods left out.   The stallion would round up the other horses often at at a gallop…very dangerous if you were on your way to the toilet block.  It was the discussion point of the park in the morning  - someone must have complained as they seemed to have been moved on today.

Today was the day we made out for the very top of Cape York, driving through lush tropical rainforest, which often provided a canopy over the top of the road.  Corrugations continued!!  A few bush or scrub turkeys  ran across the road.

Tide was coming in rapidly so we could not walk around the beach and had to trek upwards over some steep rocky terrain to get to have our picture taken at THE SIGN!!!!  The return walk route was over some steep sections which provided stunning 360 degree views.  Upon reaching the car park+++, an ambulance is attending a woman who had a tumble,[Heard later that she was in the park and she had broke her arm in 2 places]

On our return Michael noticed his front driver’s tyre was down to 20lb pressure……Tony picks out a small phillips head screw from the tyre…….looks remarkably like the screws used in the wing of yesterdays WW11 – DC3 plane wreck.    Michael is somewhat pissed – fourth tyre puncture problem in four weeks.  The pit crew are getting very efficient and have the tyre changed very quickly, whilst onlookers come to give us there advice on tyre pressure…[bunger off it was a screw]

Get back to Seisia and drop off tyre for another puncture repair and then sit out the hot hot hot afternoon.  We went down to the restaurant bar area for a walk pre dinner and decided to stay for a drink – Dot enjoyed her baby bottle of French Bubbles.  Back to camp for tea and for a change from the meat and vegetables [potatoes,carrots,onions, sweet potato]  in the fire Dot puts together a tasty pasta/chorizo dish….we are missing Peter C and Craig this year to assist with the leftovers.

Vrilya Point to Seisia - 17/09/12

Very bouncy return through the previous days cool burning and some commencing today to & over the log bridge and back to the main road. [We have been advised by some campers at Seisia that vehicles leaving later encountered large trees fallen across the track as a result of the cool burning. In addition a backhoe had been called into improve the track and approach to the log bridge].

The ferry problems had been rectified at Jardine River and we received 25% discount on the fee of $88.00  due to [2] seniors cards being produced -  discounts are tangible up here!!!!

From there Tony took us to a World War 2[WW11] DC3 plane wreck, which occurred nearly at the end of the war with all on board killed.

Then onto Barmaga,  on tar for a change.   Lunch break was taken with a visit to the Barmaga Bakery – very fresh baking with both Dot & Tony indulging in a cream bun.

Then off to Seisia and to the Loyalty Caravan Park to set up camp some 20 metres from the water’s edge with a view of the islands opposite – the sunsets are spectacular over the water.

The caravan park had a herd of wild horses grazing through the park.

Arrival at Seisia sent the mobile phones [not Tony’s – no 3G…..Super secretary Rhoda to rectify on return]  into over drive with full reception – SMSs coming in every few minutes.  This enabled a blog update of previous week.

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).

Bramwell Junction to Virillya Point 14-9-12

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL.

We heard dingos calling last night, very eerie.

The tent was wet through this morning from condensation, absolutely dripping inside.  We had to pack it up as was, but with this heat it will dry out in no time once re-erected.

We encountered some very dusty road trains today.  One was dragging 2 very large tyres, you can imagine the dust they were kicking up.  The picture on the right is inside a dust cloud created by a road train.

We called into Captain Billy’s landing on the way.  This is a lovely spot on the East Coast. Captain Billy’s Landing is located 96.11kms SouthEast of Bamaga and 138.77kms North of Lockhart River.It is 27 kilometres from the main road along a reasonably good track which meanders towards the coast through some very nice rain forest.  Apparently this is an extremely windy spot.  Tony spotted a coconut and decided to open it.  Whew!!!!!! what a stink, rotten of course.  He got it all over him, but, of course was able to wash his clothes in the sea.

Back to the main road and then off to Fruit Bat Falls for a very cooling dip/wash and a deep body massage from the falls.   Spectacular set of falls.    A quick lunch, then off to Elliot Falls and Twin Falls.   The entry road is part of the Old Telegraph Track which included a water crossing at least a metre deep with steep entry/exits.  These falls are not as spectacular as Fruit Bat Falls, but just as refreshing.

Back to the main road, the onto Virillya Point some 60 klm away.  The last 30klm was one of the most corrugated roads we had encountered – taking about 1 hour to do.  We encountered a very basic log bridge straddling a creek, with an immediate hard right twisting turn up a very steep incline.  Hearts were in mouths as we went through, though we found a caravan and a number of camper-trailers at Virillya Beach.   Do not know how they got in or out!!!

Virrillya beach has piles of rubbish along the high tide line, all washed in from the Gulf, much of it from Indonesian fishing boats.

Arrived at V. Beach later than expected we drove up and down the beach looking for a suitable camp site - the majority of sites taken. Finally found one overlooking the beach that had some shade and settled in.

 

Weipa to Bramwell Junction 13-9-12

Tony’s car was difficult to  start this morning.  We went shopping and on trying to leave, the car would not start at all.  Tony called RACQ and he started the car which Tony then had to take back to the depot.  One cell was stuffed and Tony had to buy a new battery.  He decided to get 2 new tyres at the same time.  There was a one hour wait so Michael ferried us all back to the supermarket where there was a coffee shop.

Finally on our way at 11:00 (hehe we started out at 7:30).

It was an uneventful trip, we drove past the usual bush fires and saw some kites/hawks? patrolling the edge of the flames waiting to catch small fleeing creatures.

We decided to stop at Bramwell Junction for the night. Michael and I were lead car and happily pulled into Bramwell Junction.  After waiting 15 minutes for Tony and Jen, and calling on the CB radio to no effect, we decided to turn back to  see what had happened to them.  Just as we pulled onto the road Tony came through loud and clear.  Apparently they followed ‘us’ into the Old telegraph station.  When asked if they needed any help (by the staff member), Tony told her that they were waiting for their friends in the Prado (pointing).  She pointed to a couple and said they were the ones in the Prado.  Jen said Dot was in the toilet!.  Tony then had another look at the Prado and…..it wasn’t ours.  Haha.

They got some info re: the ferry across the Jardine River, 100 cars waiting, one toilet, please don’t come up.  Apparently it will possibly be repaired in 4 days.  We are going to wait it out at Virillya beach.

Weipa 12-9-12

Michael and I went on a town/mine tours this morning.  We took the car down to the mechanics for a grease & oil change, early and they kindly drove us to  our pickup point.  The tour went for 2 hours, the guide was extremely knowledgeable indeed.  The prices for accommodation/housing are horrendous.  $300-$600 per week rent or $500-$600 thousand to buy.  They are not particularly special to look at from the outside anyway.  They are prefabricated dwellings in the main. Everything here comes by barge which is one of the reasons for the expense.  The other, of course, is the remoteness, you don’t really have any choice.

The mine is owned by rio tinto and it was interesting to see how aluminium is mined, it’s very shallow mining, they just scrape away the surface, the ore is about 1-5 metres below the surface.

We saw a terraced retaining wall made up of large tyres from  mining equipment.  Apparently when Rio bought out Comalco, they didn’t use the same machinery, so these tyres didn’t fit.  They couldn’t sell them so they made the wall.  I think there may be at least a hundred in it – all new and worth $40000 each.  Yes Forty Thousand each.

Tony and Jen took their car to be serviced (didn’t go on the tour, they have seen mines before) and waited for it.  Tony asked the mechanic to rotate the spare one onto the back (preventative maintenance).  When he had a better look at the spare tyre (now on the back) he saw that it was damaged. It’s a wonder the guys didn’t tell him so when he was there on the spot.   He and Michael are out changing it back now.

We have done most of our shopping, (from the one supermarket – Woolworths) ready to head out tomorrow.  Our trip to the top could prove to be more interesting than we thought.  A big semi trailer has come off the Jardine River Ferry – the only way across.  The ferry is out of commission until the semi is lifted out of the river.  We have heard that this could be Friday, but more likely to be Monday.  We are thinking of the logjam of people either waiting to come this way (they have been stranded) and those of us heading to the top.  One of the people we chat with has told us that there is a heavy lifter on the way.

We are going to the bowling club for tea tonight.

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY FOR THE 15th BELLE.  We hope you have a really great day.  Love from Nanna and Pa

Archer River to Weipa 11-9-12

The corrugations on the Weipa road were awful and there was a lot of roadwork, we made good time but arrived worn out.  On the way we had a few drops of rain, not enough to wet the windscreen.

Tony and Jen spy a huge snake, since we were the lead car today, it would have meant going back over the corrugations again.  We decide to look at Tony’s photo instead.

We were able to book the cars in for Oil and grease, find a place that sold Coopers and organised to have it put on the car a good start.  We now have 2 Coopers Super maxx on the back.  They are noisier than the Goodrich’s but as long as they don’t puncture, we will settle with that.  They are supposed to be very good.  The Goodrich's are really badly chopped about by the roads.  We have been told by owners of camps, farms, shire workers that these roads don’t like Coopers, Sigh.  More cars than not have Coopers on them.

We had trouble finding a place to stay, everything is booked out.  Mine workers and detention centre workers, not to mention the tourists.  One of the newest motels is booked out for three years to detention centre personnel.  Finally we find a place to stay – with Crazy Pete.  We are sharing a prefab thing, one bedroom each end, bathroom and kitchen in the centre.  Pete however is very helpful and pleasant.

We four on the Chillagoe Limestone caves track