Day 43 (30 August) – Day 7 of the Cape Tour (Weipa to Moreton Telegraph Station)
After the trip to Red Sands Beach, it was a river cruise on Embley River close to town. Mal of Western Cape Eco took us on the wildlife cruise where we took a trip over the Embley to Hey River and then up the Hey River. We saw a few crocodiles (up to 2.5m long) and a lot of bird life before heading back to the dock for lunch at the Cultural Centre.
After lunch we headed East along the Peninsula Development Rd., then North up the Telegraph Rd., passing Batavia Downs then on to The Moreton Telegraph Station where Outback Spirit run a lodge at the rear of the Moreton Telegraph Station camping grounds on the Wenlock River.
First drinks by the campfire near our accommodation then dinner on the deck of the Outback Spirit lodge.
Day 44 (31 August) – Day 8 of the Cape Tour (Moreton Telegraph Station)
Breakfast, then a walk to the Wenlock River, which contains the highest diversity of freshwater fish of all Australian rivers. Species include the Freshwater Sawfish, Spear tooth Shark and more common fish like the Sooty Grunter and Barramundi. We continued around the walking track which included an interesting river cave.
A relaxing day before a late afternoon walk to the Moreton Telegraph Station shop where I bought one of the local shirts. Boy did I cop a ribbing! We were due to sit around a campfire that night and share stories and jokes. One of my co-trippers, Axy, suggested when it came my turn for a joke I could just stand up and show my new shirt. A few of the others followed suit with their comments. Needless to say, I wore the shirt to dinner and later that night around the campfire.
More great meals at the Outback Spirit camp and then the evening around the campfire sharing jokes and stories. Richo (Rob) started with a number of Paddy Murphy jokes, followed by Pete with jokes on a theme of ducks. Not everyone was able to share stories or jokes but most joined in.
Day 45 (1 September) – Day 9 of the Cape Tour (Moreton Telegraph Station to Bamaga)
An early breakfast then we said goodbye to our hostess, Helen, and the staff – Daniel, Aron and Gabi. It was a long day in the bus with multiple stops. Lyn and I were in the back row and our trip was very bumpy across corrugated roads, passing through some wild and rugged countryside. However, as some sections of the actual telegraph track are almost impassable, we travelled on the northern and southern bypass roads on our journey north from Moreton. A couple of stops along the way including Bramwell Junction which was the start of the Southern Bypass branch from the Telegraph Track.
We then visited Fruit Bat Falls for a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear water of Eliot Creek, followed by a picnic lunch. It was incredible swimming in the falls as the water fell down a 2-3m waterfall from a shallow upper section to a swimmable lower section. The water flowing below the falls was quite strong and Lyn could use one area as a lap pool. I tried a couple of different waterfall sections and in the most powerful one, my bathers were pulled down by the force of the water. Fortunately, there was no damage as I was able to retrieve them. We then continued north and crossed the Jardine River by ferry, before arriving at Bamaga where we checked in to the Cape York Peninsula Lodge for the next two nights.
On arrival we had a lovely surprise as we received a call from Wren and Luna (and James and Charlotte) for Father’s Day. I has to leave the call so I could get arrival and guest instructions for the Lodge, fortunately, I was later able to get on to the end of the call and spend some time with the family.
I’d had a chat with another of the other tour company travellers who complained about their trip. They had two classes on their trip (premiere and standard) and the premier class had to use the same level of accommodation as the standard members at Bramwell Station (6km South of Bramwell Junction). They had paid premium rates and their accommodation that night didn’t include an ensuite which they were expecting and had paid for. They were very critical of the man organising the tour and how abrupt he was.
Another great meal until we received a call from Kaye (mentioned earlier) who told us that her companion for the past 10 years, John Schultz, had died that day. We had the company of John and Kaye at Lyn’s 70th birthday at Montalto Restaurant in Red Hill only a few months earlier. He was a great person, a real gentleman and had acquired the title Gentleman John in football circles which seemed entirely appropriate. John had played for Footscray, and had won the Brownlow Medal in 1960 – a great man who will be sorely missed. Lyn called Kaye and also sent a message passing on our condolences and support.
Day 46 (2 September) – Day 10 of the Cape Tour (Bamaga)
An early breakfast as we were heading to the Northernmost point on the Australian mainland – Pajinka.
After breakfast we called Charlotte, whose birthday it was. Another great catch up with Charlotte, James, Wren and Luna before we had to go and board the bus.
We travelled around 34km up the road which took over an hour. A walk along the beach and then over a rocky headland before arriving at Pajinka – right on the Northern tip of Australia. Many, many photos before we hiked back across the ridge of the headland back to the bus where we had morning tea. It was a great experience to stand at the top of Australia and consider the trek we had undertaken to arrive there.
Next, we travelled to Somerset where the police magistrate had set up his home and estate. The area is totally overgrown now which is a testament to how nature can reclaim its own when man abandons an area. A walk along the beach seeing the graves of previous inhabitants before a BBQ lunch under a shelter that was near the entrance to the camping area at Somerset. We also found a fixer-upper caravan for James as we heard he was considering buying something for their camping.
Back on the bus then we travelled back to another Croc Tent – a mandatory shopping stop on the way back to Bamaga. This one was much better value than the one in Cooktown. Naturally we left having purchased a couple of shirts and some items for Wren and Luna.
After the Croc Tent, we visited the site of a DC3 that crashed on 5 May 1945. It was interesting to see the crash and was more intriguing as I did some sums regarding the speed and times for the flight as they were supposed to have crashed due to bad weather and terrain. I found the speed of the plane would have been significantly less than the published speed for a DC3. Hmmmm. My calculations indicated that it was doing an average of 250 kph with a rated speed of 330 kph.
Another swim when we arrived back at the Lodge, then time to update the blog before another early night after dinner.
Day 47 (3 September) – Day 11 of the Cape Tour (Bamaga to Thursday Island)
Another early (06:30) breakfast as we were about to board the 08:00 ferry to Thursday Island. We had to take only a day pack as our main luggage was being taken by Adam back to Cairns. Adam had to drive the 1100 km back to Cairns with a stop at Leura for him. Seisia to Laura was around 700 km down the telegraph road and then the next day around 400km from Laura to Cairns.
An 8 km trip up the road to the ferry terminal at Seisia where we boarded the vessel and took seats inside. Bob and Sue from our tour opened the door to the front deck and so we followed out and took two of the four front seats on the port side.
As we got further out from Seisia, the seas got rougher and rougher with spray coming up from the windward side of the boat. At one stage Bob and I were the only ones still outside although the wind and heat quickly dried up the effects of the spray. As we got closer to Thursday Island, the seas calmed (we were in the lee of Horn Island) and others started appearing again.
On arrival at Thursday Island, we were taken on a bus tour of the important features of the island by Christine, our bus driver. We were taken to the fort and gun battery on the top of the island, the cemetery and then through parts of the town then back to our accommodation at the Jardine Motel. After dropping off our back packs we went for a walk through town. We had to be back for a tour to Friday Island by the school boat (in this area the kids travel to and from school by boat).
Over to the Friday Island Pearl Farm where we were greeted by Rhonda and introduced to Shuto who was a Japanese exchange student working on the Pearl Farm. Rhonda gave us a presentation on the industry, history of the island and then took us to the pearl processing area where we met Mr. Takami – the pearl expert. We were given a talk on the pearl anatomy, shown various pearls and then given a demonstration of pearl seeding. The mandatory exit shop was on the way back to the dock and so Lyn bought herself some earrings and convinced me to get her a pearl bracelet for her birthday (as mentioned before I hadn’t got her a gift for the actual day).
Back to Thursday Island where we had a great cultural demonstration by a couple of the local boys (Josh and Zion) led by their mentor, Joey Laifoo with his young offsider, Russell, on the drums.
Back to the hotel where Lyn and I went for a swim in the pool. Refreshing, but the pool was in very bad repair as the pebble mix was coming off the walls and floor of the pool.
The food at the Jardine Hotel was excellent – we had lunch and dinner on the first day, then breakfast before leaving the next morning.
Day 48 (4 September) – Day 12 of the Cape Tour (Thursday Island to Cairns via Horn Island)
Another early (06:30) breakfast as we were about to board the 08:00 ferry to Horn Island. This was a smaller ferry, and we got to Horn Island in little over quarter of an hour. On arrival we were met by Vanessa who ran a bus tour and showed us through the museum before taking us to the airport for our flight back to Cairns. The tour was fascinating visiting old military installations and wreck areas and hearing about the exploits of soldiers in the area during the second world war. Horn Island, which had the main airstrip, was the second most bombed place in Australia by the Japanese, only behind Darwin.
The flight back to Cairns, where we did a go-around (unusual and supposedly caused by an aircraft that had not vacated the runway in time) and then taken to the Shangri La on the Cairns pier where we went had lunch and then checked in. I think I upset one of our fellow travellers over lunch trying to be funny and apparently not succeeding. Sorry Shelley!
After check-in I went downstairs, picked up our Jimny from the carpark and went back to the motorhome in the First City Caravilla caravan park to get my hearing aids that I’d left behind and to prepare for our arrival back the next day.
A swim in their great pool then the mandatory farewell dinner before retiring for the night.
Day 49 (5 September) – Day 13 of the Cape Tour (Cairns)
We had said our farewells the previous night, so I got up at 05:00 packed up and went down for breakfast at 06:00. I left Lyn asleep with the agreement that she would have a swim in the pool again and I’d pick her up mid-morning.
I drove to the caravan park and started unloading the Jimny and preparing the motorhome for our return. Returning to the Shangri La, I said farewell to Adam and Isabelle and last goodbyes to Peter E and Charlotte as well as Gordon and Axy. Then, upstairs where I made a couple of cups of coffee, waited for Lyn to finish swimming and packing then a checkout around 10:30 and return to the caravan park.
After the connection I felt in the Mossman Gorge, I was keen to return to learn more about the area and people. I felt that the trip was important as it would provide an appropriate closure to the tour – starting and finishing at Mossman Gorge. So, we left the unpacking and drove to Mossman Gorge. I found a book that provided some history of the area and a couple of books for Wren and Luna, had lunch, then headed back to Mossman where we visited a couple of Art Galleries.
Lyn was keen to go back to Port Douglas so we travelled the 14 km there and walked up and down the town booking dinner at Salsa for 05:30. We walked to the port searching for some seafood and did some shopping at the supermarket before having a drink at the Tin Shed hotel.
We decided we’d prefer the Melaluka restaurant and wandered back, found the place closed, tried to book online and then luckily met one of the staff coming in for her shift. On approaching her about getting a booking, we found the restaurant was booked out until late in the evening. So, we made the decision to drive back to Cairns, a small meal, then bed.
Day 50 (6 September) – Cairns
A really quiet day unpacking, putting things away after the trip and generally catching up on admin and news.
Week 8 awaits.
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