All posts by rmadventures

Northern NT

Through The Forest Of Litchfield

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We only had a short 45 mins before finding ourselves crossing over into Litchfield National Park.  It was interesting that leading up to our arrival we hadn’t come across too many brochures of the NP but Nay had rummaged around to gather what we could.  The first small stop in the park was at the Termite Mounds.  Having seen so many grand variations of these on our journey up the Cape we were still impressed by the size Litchfield had to offer.  Even the crazy thin magnetic termite mounds were again a sight to see.

Needing to escape the arvo heat, we went looking for one of the many waterfalls ahead of us.  The tourist Parks must complete all their maintenance work just out of the dry season before the real wet season hits.  As a result, one of the two major attractions, Florence Falls, was closed but the look out was still spectacular.  Only a short 5 minute drive around the corner was endless entertainment at Buley Rockhole.  The car park was chock-a-block with tourists and we quickly discovered why.  A long series of waterfalls flowing into deep plunge pools allowed everyone to spread out and relax in their own space.  We still managed to find all the spots to take selfie bombies! 

We set up base camp at Wangi Falls (the most popular site) as the maintenance at Florence hadn’t given us many options.  We couldn’t complain as in the mornings, we had the most impressive ‘bath’ to wake us up.  Opening up from the bush, Wangi was a vast swimming hole with two cascading falls enclosed by lush vegetation.  We knew why this was popular but to our luck (until a school bus rolled up just as we left) there was never more than a handful of people swimming! 

We swam around to explore both waterfalls and found a deep little plunge pool 10m up the waterfall cliff.  A small climb gave us amazing views looking back from the falls – if only glass bottles were allowed!  We spent a lot of time floating around the base of the falls which to us, really put them into perspective, imagining what they would be like as Litchfield flooded in the wet.

One of the nights spent at Wangi Camp we enjoyed a fire with a few backpackers around the area.  The Dutch bloke that organised it explained to us how he was hitch-hiking around Australia – what an adventurous fella!

Once leaving Wangi, we backtracked a little through the park for some sightseeing.  With no access for swimmers, the Tabletop Swamp and Tolmer Falls were still great spots for lunch.  Fortunately for us we could escape from the main drag and went further south down a 4×4 track to Tjaynera (Sandy) Falls.  Along this path was the Blyth Homestead which was definitely worth visiting.  A couple of small 400mm deep river crossings (nothing like the Cape!) we came to the quaint homestead which seemed to be built for midgets as we had to duck as roof was so low!

There was a small display of old assorted tools and a ‘Family Album’ that was very well presented.  Reading through the book we learnt that the husband and wife had a total of 14 children!  The extracts through the album explained their hardships of growing up so remote and how they quickly improvised out in the bush.  One of the boys also had an entry that explained how he had a pet freshwater croc!  As it was hard to muster cattle in the wet, they also owned a Tin Mine a stones throw away to keep a steady income.  With an ore sample near the site, it was interesting how heavy a small clump of it could be!

When we arrived at the Tjaynera Falls camp ground, there was a 3.4km return walk to the swimming hole.  As soon as we left for the walk, the sun magically disappeared and it started bucketing down!  This didn’t ruin the experience but just kept us a little cooler.  The falls at the end were very rewarding with us both agreeing that it would have been one of the better spots at Litchfield.  The only downfall was that the population of march flies seemed to have quadrupled.  They were monstrous falls with sheer cliffs hugging the pools edges, Mark looked so tiny in the big picture. 

We crawled out from the 4×4 trail to enjoy a morning stroll to Tjaeteba Falls.  Litchfield was a gift that kept on giving.  Just as we rolled up a couple was leaving and we had the entire place to ourselves.  There were different levels with waterfalls of various sizes.  It started off with a small trickle through a paperback tree root system to a lower pool that flowed off to a sizeable waterfall.  In the larger pool we were shocked to see a goanna dive in the water with us!  We quickly shot out and went to another pool where he ended up following us!  He then put on a spectacular show for us as we watched him swim in the shallows chasing fish. 

The floating from waterhole to waterfall had come to its end as we took the northern road to Darwin.  We dropped into the Cascades and Walker Creek on the way out to have lunch and Nay nearly stepped on a snake while wading in the shallows!  A bit disappointed by National Parks for having no rubbish bins, we had to carry our rubbish with us for the better part of 5 days.   On the menu over this period included tuna, chicken, steaks and mouldy pumpkin.  You could imagine what the bin was smelling like!

On the way to Darwin we went to Berry Springs which was said to be a great place for swimming.  Upon arriving, the waterhole was closed because our croc mates had made a recent appearance.  Continuing along, it wasn’t long before making it to Darwin!  It is such a small capital compared to the others along the east coast.  We had planned our arrival for the Sunday arvo where we just made it to the famous Mindil Markets, the second last before they closed for the wet season.  This was a great evening watching entertainment, browsing the stalls and of course, watching the sunset as everyone gathered around – some even applauded once it slipped past the horizon!

The next days were spent around Darwin fixing up a few minor mishaps from past adventures and gathering everything together for the next two weeks.  Being budget smart, we found ourselves on the awfully cheap 1:40am red eye flight to Melbourne!  We’re going home to catch up with family and friends.  It will be interesting to see how we fare in the cold 18-20 degree max temperatures that Melbourne has to offer…

19/10/2016 – 27/10/2016

Northern NT

A Well Known Gorge And Her Relaxing Surrounds

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Having stayed just out of Mataranka, we were only a stones throw from the famous Katherine Gorge!  Once in the town of Katherine, we organised for the whooping cough vaccination as it was needed for the next big stint in our journey.  We then decided to browse through the Art + Culture Gallery in hope for some brilliant Aboriginal art.  Unfortunately there was minimal and instead, there was a series of ‘creative’ displays on.

We escaped from the heat that afternoon at Katherine Springs.  Similar to Mataranka, there were minimal people around as it was now the wet season and we were able to relax in the warm waters.  There was even a small flowing waterfall to add to the serenity.  We could have stayed there forever but instead thought it better to find camp.  Finding a cheap $10/pp camp out of town at North Bank Park, we were greeted by a very accommodating bloke and would highly recommend this hide-away in the Katherine area. 

We woke with excitement the next day to see what Katherine Gorge had in store for us.  When we came through the gates into Nitmiluk National Park, we were slightly disappointed on our arrival.  On numerous signs on the way in, we read the Gorge was closed for swimming due to the recent rainfall and increased chance of saltwater crocs.  As a result, we had to take the tough option of lounging around the pool for the arvo.

The staff at the tourist information had recommended a short 1km walk (with a couple of beers) to the Baruwei Lookout for sunset.  Listening to her advice we packed the backpack with the essentials.  By the time we arrived at the top we were buggered by the steep hill climb.  Luckily for us, the view was breathtaking and well worth it.  A group of backpackers also had the same idea and as we began chatting, we quickly discovered they had come from the W.A coast.  Many laughs were had in the exchange of stories from all of our adventures, as the sun slowly set over the Katherine River.  The full moon had also made an appearance at the same time as we returned to camp. 

Up at 5:30am to beat the heat, we decided on a walk to explore the Gorge as we couldn’t swim.  As the weather was averaging 39 degrees we wanted to be back by the pool early.  Hiking along the southern walks track we made it to two stunning lookouts, Pat’s Lookout and Jedda’s Rock.  These were outstanding views of gorges 1 & 2, only hitting the sides of a total 13!  Having some smoko at Jedda’s Rock Lookout as the sun was beating down on the river, we spotted the morning cruise returning from its adventure!

On the return trip we visited the Southern Rockhole.  This was still prohibited to swimmers due to a high risk of crocs but it was still a tranquil place to cool down and have a rest.  Back in the searing heat on the trail we couldn’t drink fast enough as the sweat dripped off our faces.  We had been 3 hrs and 43 mins, trekking for 12.2kms.  Nay even powered through the end as a gnarly blister was causing her serious grief!  Lucky we could retire to the pool and recover from the big morning.

We’ll be back to see Katherine Gorge in her entirety at full force, as we plan to return for a scenic chopper ride and experience her beauty during the wet season.

Back on the Stuart Hwy was the only way from Katherine to visit Edith Falls (Northern Nitmiluk NP) where the waterholes were open to swim!  Once again, dripping with sweat, we took the 2.6km loop to the upper falls.  It was a fantastic refreshing swim when we jumped in, trying to avoid the blistering hot rocks.  With minimal shade around we didn’t hang for long and hiked back to the lower pools.  We spent over an hour snorkelling around, swimming 150m to the waterfall and to our suprise, saw a barramundi in the shallows!  With a solid day like this, we could only reward ourselves with wood fired pizzas in the camp oven that night!

Having a rough sleep due to the heat and woken several times by an unbelievable thunderstorm, we were up at 5:00am for another walk.  It sounds crazy but we hoped for an amazing reward!  Smashing through the first 4.6kms the weariness subsided and we arrived at a brilliant private swimming hole, Sweetwater Pools.  Being so early and remote, Mark may or may not have been one with nature before the 4.6km return walk for some lunch!

After exhausting the Nitmiluk NP waterholes, we were back on the Stuart Highway.  A quick stop at Hayes Creek lead us to the Butterfly Gap, compliments of WikiCamps .  Following the directions on the app we were suprised to find hundreds of butterflies fluttering around us in the secluded ‘cave’ system.  Arriving at a free camp at Robin Falls we had our own little swimming hole.  Relaxing in the waters we were stunned when we thought a snake was only 3m away from us, luckily it was just a goanna!  Only a week prior we had learnt that the little buggers could swim!

Feasting on leftover pizza, we chatted about our next destination and what it had to offer.  We had heard numerous opinions, seen many brochures and known it was a very famous location in the northern NT.  We were thrilled to be heading to Litchfield National Park…

13/10/2016 – 19/10/2016

Northern NT

Heading Out Of The Gulf & Into The Territory!

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The next stop on the list was the old gold mining town of Croydon – not at all similar to the one in Victoria!  The information here was in abundance.  We visited the Old Chinese Temple Site in North Croydon which was Chinatown.  The Chinese excelled in mining during the gold rush of the north.  Being the racists the white settlers were, they didn’t allow the Chinese to work in a mine that was less than 3 years old!  This didn’t stop them walking 1,800kms (as other means of transport was too expensive) from Darwin and another great hike after leaving the Palmerston Gold Rush (Cape York).  Most became established bakers or fruit and vegetable growers and excelled in their trade.

Back on the main street we explored the Heritage Precinct consisting of old refurbished buildings from the mining days.  It was extremely well presented and we learnt a lot about the police station, town hall and courthouse.  A light and sound display of a trial back in 1903 was a highlight.  A lady was sentenced to 2 months jail for swearing in public, where the next case also recieved a 2 month sentence for drug trafficking – crazy times!  One last stop at the oldest store in Australia which was established in 1891 gave us an insight of how they roughed it in the bush.  Funnily enough, from the photos around the store we weren’t sure if they were taken yesterday or back in 1891.  The store still had its original shelves, benches and memorabilia.  Exhausted by the heat and history overload we retired at Normanton as we said ‘Hi’ to Krys the croc (a life size replica of the largest ever captured croc) on the way to the river.  It was hard to believe that a beast of 8.63m existed in our Age.   After marvelling for a while, we tucked ourselves into a magical spot by the river and had the camp all to ourselves!

 The next day we were slightly disappointed to be told that the Barra season had finished 2 days prior to our arrival at the fishing Mecca – Karumba!  To lighten the mood we spoilt ourselves with some fresh prawns caught that morning.  They were delicious!  That arvo Mark tried his luck in catching something decent but only managed to pull in a couple of small ones.  He was still having a blast.  

Having the sun set over the ocean at Karumba Point, only meant one thing… beers at the perfectly positioned beer garden that overlooked the ocean.  This pub really utilised it’s surroundings.  While returning to camp we were suprised to see the uncountable number of hermit crabs on our NMBWE (Nocturnal Marine Biology Wildlife Excursion).  There would of been hundreds of the little buggers, some even too big to hide back in their shells!  Shooting back out for a night fish Mark wasn’t very successful again and had his line snap from an unknown monster of the ocean.  It was still a great experience to fish under the stars while waves crashed against the shore.

Departing the following day, we sped through the hundreds of kms ahead of us.  We stopped by small points of interest along the way being Burketown (near here was Camp 119 – Burke and Will’s final camp), Doomadgee Roadhouse and Hell’s Gate Roadhouse which all had small glimpses of history .  Finding free camps wherever we could, it wasn’t long until we hit the NT border where Mark dug one last hole in QLD.

To enjoy some cool weather, we were up at 6:00am as we quickly discovered this was the coolest time of day, at 20 degrees.  It wasn’t long before 9:00am rolled around and it was already 30 degrees and rising!  Crossing through plenty of creek crossings to our next destination on the unsealed road, it was easy to see how this area could flood with rising water levels.

Just south of the small outback town of Borroloola, which back in the day was known as a ‘lawless town’ as it was so remote, we drove in to Caranbirini Reserve for the night.  Dodging the heat we were up early for the walk around The Lost City.  The city consisted of eroded sandstone formations which were made millions of years ago in shallow water, sand hardening layer upon layer.  They know this because when the rock is dissected horizontally (split) it has the same ripple effect as sand does in shallow water at the beach.  Over time water has eroded the sandstone down to create a ‘city’, where in some places it was quite a squeeze along the path.

Returning to the air-conditioned car to dodge the radiating heat, we smashed through the last 400kms to make it to Daly Waters.  This pub had character beyond belief.  It seemed anyone who wanted to could hand in a personal item to hang around the pub; their shirt, hat, undies, bra, thongs, anything!  Sadly since the dry season was over there wasn’t entertainment but we still enjoyed a date night and ate out.  


As we left Daly Waters we travelled along the historic trail that informed us this small establishment was actually the first International Airport!  Qantas flights would refuel, restock and grab a feed here before heading overseas.  This was carried out by the husband and wife at the homestead in the early 1940’s.

We were officially back on the main north-south artery in the NT.  Burning into Mataranka (home of the ‘Big Termite Mound‘) we visited the replica of the Elsey Homestead which was built for the movie based on the novel ‘We Of The Never, Never’.  Although the actual homestead has been demolished (due to roadworks) we were still able to visit the Elsey Cemetery which demonstrated the hardships they had the endure in the outback in the early 1900’s.  After the history lesson, it was time to relax in the thermal pools.  Being out of Grey Nomad season we were all alone except for the 200,000 bats that had migrated here for the months to come!  There was bat poop everywhere!

Still in the Elsey National Park we visited the Bitter Springs.  This was absolutely breathtaking.  It was the most natural 34 degree river that we’d ever seen as it had minimal impact from humans.  With a slow current we drifted in the crystal clear water along the stream until climbing out to walk back to the start.  The second time around we decided to grab our snorkels and an entirely new world appeared before us!  Sun glistening through the water lead to a picturesque sight, plus there was an added bonus of seeing at least 10 turtles!

As there were no free camps around Mataranka we decided to disappear further north as it was getting late.  We burnt away with a stunning sky displaying the colours of sunset.  We were fully refreshed after the visit to the springs as we found a perfect spot to call home that night.  Moments like this reminded us that it’s such a great feeling to be free on the open road…

08/10/2016 – 13/10/2016

Northern NT

Parting Ways To A Change Of Scenery

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Going on our own back on the road felt a little abnormal as we had spent the better part of 2 months with Stu.  Nevertheless, for the first time on our trip we went west.  Making some ground from Atherton we arrived at the Innot Hot Springs around 6pm.  After our big adventure up the Cape we quickly found that the Grey Nomad season was wrapping up and the Springs were deserted!

We quickly set up and had a feed, then retired to the warm therapeutic pools which were naturally heated from the local springs.  Each pool had a spa feature with temperatures varying from 23-25, 28 – 30, 32-24, 36-40, 41-45 degrees.  Having to try them all, we started in the cooler ones until reaching the unbearable 41-45 degrees, where we couldn’t even submerge an entire leg as it was that scolding!  We spent the following morning relaxing back in the spas until we dragged ourselves away to check out the local river and it’s springs.  To our suprise, the water here felt hotter than the warmest pool we’d just experienced!  Reading a sign we learnt that in 1991 the temperature in the river was 71 degrees with a flow of 3L/sec!

Once again the climate changed as we went from a cold Atherton to a much warmer and dry path along the Savannah Way.  Stopping at the 40 Mile Scrub National Park we stumbled into a dry rainforest.  Not knowing such a thing existed, we quickly discovered it still had all the characteristics of a standard rainforest (different levels of foilage and heavy rainfall during the wet) but during the dry most of the plants shed their leaves to save water in order to survive.

Burning through some more kilometres of straight never ending road, we made it to the eerie town of Einesly.  Going along the main drag we discovered there was a population of 15 people which included the publican and his mate who seemed to just play with remote control cars all day – what a life!  Entering the pub we checked out an award winning miniature doll house collection that his (publicans) father had crafted as a hobby.  Around the corner from the pub was Copperfield Gorge.  This was the definition of hot and dry.  Black, rugged rocks in an isolated environment surprisingly housing very welcoming water between its cliff edges.  Luckily for us we had an even better swimming hole in mind.  That evening we camped at Cobbold Gorge (100km west) where an infinity pool and cold beverages awaited us!

With not a soul around it felt a little strange to have the entire camping area to ourselves!  We booked on a tour the next day to see further into the Gorge (as it is on private property).  To our amazement, there was only 7 of us out of a possible 42.  We were taken by an interesting guide who at times seemed to be on auto pilot but still had a great repertoire of information.   The cattle property had been split between 5 siblings and the youngest son inherited the section containing the Gorge.  He didn’t come to realisation of what he owned until he was in his late 20’s during a camping trip with some mates.  The guide then introduced us to many native trees and how they were used by the Aboriginals.  Ones that spiked our interest in particular were; a tree used for soap, as well as asphyxiating fish as a hunting tool, another in which you smoulder the leaves as an insect repellent and one that if you inhale it’s fumes from a fire, you will feel like you have the flu for 2 weeks!

After a trek around the top of the Gorge we went down to a jetty where an electric motor boat (being a Nature Reserve) awaited us for a 400m cruise.  It was spectacular to go along between the narrow sandstone walls and be able to feel the smooth surfaces of where torrents of water would gush during the wet.  Our guide explained how they have the use a pulley system to remove the jetty and boats during the off season as the water level can rise 8m when the Gorge floods!  Seeing a few small fish along the way and a baby freshwater croc, we were disappointed to miss Claude (the big 3.5m croc) who was said to be patrolling under the surface.  The Gorge was a stunning slice of paradise and worth visiting even if it was just for the infinity pool with its swim up bar!  

Returning to the laborious straight highway hugged by savannah bushland, we went through the small establishment of Georgetown.  If we blinked, we would have missed it as we continued 20kms west to The Cumberland Chimney.  Being able to camp near a dam here, Nay was craving roti bread with her famous peanut sauce.  We quickly googled a recipe and before we knew it we were relaxing by a fire demolishing the home made bread.

The next morning we learnt how the gold rush around the area had a huge impact on the neighbouring small towns.  Only the Chimney remained from this township but you could see how they flourished for the 30-40 year period until the gold was depleted and the town was abandoned.  Having a suss of the birdlife at the dam we found there were free binoculars!  We honed in on all varieties of birds from far away and were amazed at what we could see – maybe we needed to buy a pair of our own. 

Back in the car, looking at the map, we had only just started our long journey along the dry Savannah Way.  We wondered what other small pockets of history we could discover…

05/10/2016 – 08/10/2016

Far North Queensland

The End Of The ‘She’ll Be Right Tour 2016’

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​With an early rise, Woody thankfully started crawling again as we booted toward The Archways, just out from Chillagoe.  As we were following Stu were fortunate to spot an Emu shoot across the road with it’s baby in Stu’s dust trail.  Leaving camp so early we decided to have breakfast at another Indigenous site with a few rock paintings.  These quiet mystical gardens around the art reminded us of a scene from Lord of the Rings.

Only another 700m up the road we came across The Archways.  This self guided cave system was spectacular.  We went at our own pace, quickly discovering to gain access into the real depths of the cave you needed to be unbelievably skinny or a 5 year old.  Being neither, we still enjoyed exploring around.  After leaving the main cave system we climbed up a cliff and found another small entrance with a tight squeeze.  Sneaking through we came head to head with a few bats.  Not knowing who was more scared, Stu smacked his back and Mark his shoulder while the bats bumped into us!  

Leaving the magnificent caves behind we arrived at Chillagoe.  We were so excited to be able to swim at the weir as it had been a long time since our bathe in fresh water at Laura.  We spent a while taking silly selfies of us bombing into the water and finally getting the ‘perfect’ photo.  Achieving this, Stu continued to limp toward Herberton as we stayed to check out a couple of other places of interest around Chillagoe.

A short drive from the town centre and we were at the Balancing Rock.  Walking through a similar paranormal environment as The Archways, this giant balancing boulder had minimal points of contact with the ground and looked to almost be falling over.  Trying to help keep it up, Nay nailed her positioning with the camera but Mark seemed to be a little off!  

A last stop at The Smelters was incredibly fascinating.  There was an abundance of information on how each chimney played its roll to break down the rock to obtain the ore.  The most interesting fact was that these chimneys were 3.75m wide with an astounding 1m thick wall!  Even though the Chillagoe Smelters treated 1,250,000 tonnes of ore while producing the largest remaining slag dump (mining waste), it remained unprofitable over its lifetime.  It did however, boost North Queensland’s prosperity by creating thousands of jobs and opening up the uncharted QLD outback!

Chasing after Stu towards Herberton we passed many marble piles containing endless amounts of 20 tonne marble cubes – a large industry around Chillagoe!  On the way we ducked into the Montalbion Pioneer Cemetery which was a sad visit. Of the 68 people buried there, 32 of them were children under 10!  Montalbion was a pioneering town from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s and these deaths obviously highlighted how tough their lives were.  Finally making it to Herberton we dodged the caravan park and were recommended to camp by the river by the bloke at tourist info.  Back in civilisation we made a necessary stop to the butcher.  That night we feasted on reasonably priced nibblies and red meat.  This was a welcomed experience having lived off tinned soup and chunky for the last 2 weeks!

As the AFL grandfinal was coming up we went to Atherton thinking it would have some atmosphere.  However, the 3 of us were the only ones drinking in the bistro (because the gamblers kicked us out from the sportsbar) with a couple of occasional onlookers.  No one seemed to care for the sport but we were still over the moon that Doggies smashed Sydney!

The last days before Buzz and Woody parted ways we had planned to go out with a bang.  Heading to Lake Tinaroo we found a great spot for one last big night and say goodbye to Big Red.  After Nay made a delicious apple crumble in the camp oven, we played ball games, stoked a big fire, pumped the music and drinking games started.  The night flew by and as we were about to jump into bed, we realised Big Red was still up and about partying!!  He had once again survived a big fire dance.  We decided it best to leave him at the lake in hope someone finds him and loves him as much as we did.

This leads us to the end of the ‘She’ll Be Right Tour 2016’.  This is what we lived by on Cape York and whenever we were unsure, the answer was always ‘She’ll be right!’.  Spending a total of 7 weeks, 2760kms, endless laughs, unforgettable memories and a few serious hang overs, we truly did see and experience the Cape at its fullest.  Along with these moments we couldn’t forget the minor inconveniences that occurred along the way.  Stu thankfully made a tally of these which included:

When we left Cairns we didn’t expect to do or see the things we have.  Adventuring through the Bloomfield, exploring the amazing beaches of The Cape, tackling the challenges of the OTT, catching and tasting the abundance of sea creatures on TI and surviving the wild Old Coach Road has created memories that are going to stick with us for life.

After one last goodbye we parted ways with Stu as we went the opposite direction.  A change of scene was on our horizon as we made our way west, back to a familiar Territory… 

27/09/2016 – 05/10/2016

Far North Queensland

A Suprisingly Intense And Hairy Detour to Maytown

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Once the mechanic opened we discovered that Woody seemed to need more than just a change of oil filters, so we decided to limp down to Laura where it would be cheaper to fix.  Giving Stu a head start we lounged by the Coen river and left 3 hours later.  With Stu only being able to reach a max of 60km/hr we arrived at Laura at the same time and said farewell to the relentless bumping of the corrugations!  That would have been the longest 250km Stu has ever done.

Arriving at the quaint township of Laura we got wind that the Army was about to leave town and to celebrate the band was playing at the pub.  After a little exploring we stumbled across their workmanship of an ANZAC memorial and a giant outdoor sports complex (we even shot some hoops!)  We ended up staying behind the pub with the rarity of having asian bartenders with minimal english in the middle of the outback!  Dancing in barefeet to the band we began chatting and boogying with the locals.  After the bar kicked us out at 10pm, we kicked on with them out the front until midnight.  It was an honour to meet the locals including the well respected elders.

The following morning we visited Split Rock which had a vast array of Aboriginal Art.  Having traveled further inland, we were feeling the heat with absolutely no breeze.  This rock art was great to browse through as it included echidna, spirits, bats, turtles and other interesting outlines painted in Ochre.  These were dated back to 13,000 years ago!

Even though Stu’s car was still struggling, we decided to take a detour through The Old Coach Road to Chillagoe via the Maytown Ruins.  On a map the track looked similar to The Frenchman’s, but it wasn’t until 15 minutes prior to the journey Nay read that we should allow around 8 hours for the small 80km journey.  As they say, she’ll be right!
The first 50km flew by as we sped along on solid dirt road until our first obstacle was before us.  Taking the relatively easy descent, we kept rolling with excitement as to what the next 30kms had to offer.  We could not get over how frequent our surrounds were changing to now a dry arid bush.  The track kept on the uphill as we continued our climb.  When we encountered some controversial rock steps, we relocated smaller rocks to help get us up the path that was best suited.   Arriving high on the hill we took the opportunity to walk 400m to a rock cliff for a stunning view of our surrounds.  Absolutely breathtaking to say the least, especially knowing how remote we were.

Making it to the R. L. Jack Memorial, we took the 4WD track to continue a loop that wasn’t marked on the NP map.  It wasn’t until the point of no return where we stopped to assess the next obstacle – a sheer 700mm vertical drop in the track.  With a slight re-arrangment of the logs and rocks at the bottom, we went for it!  With Woody in front, he crawled down first as the homemade ramp heaved under his weight. Buzz followed after unscrewing both underside boxes to increase his rear clearance, for one hell of a heart thumping experience.  This track was instense and after crawling down some more rock steps only 200mm from a cliff edge, we made it to camp.  16 out of 30km in 5 hours was exhausting and we were glad to be sitting around the fire watching the replays of the days events.

With an early rise the next day we were keen to hit Maytown.  Only 14kms to go we thought it couldn’t get worse from the day before… oh how wrong we were!  Returning to the ‘main track’ after the loop, someone had kindly put duct tape on a sign to mark the path we had just conquered.  We now knew the track was called ‘Death Hill’!  Around every corner there was more steep inclines to climb and hills to crawl down.  That morning had Buzz’s wheel almost 1m in the air, Woody almost tipping as Mark and Nay jumped on the bullbar to stop it rolling and another 4 hours on the track.  At this stage, Woody’s mechanical problem was becoming worse and we were thankful to have made it through the Old Coach Road!

Before making it to the site of the Maytown Ruins we had a few points of interest through the old Palmer River Goldfields.  There were plenty of mine shafts at various depths and a fascinating old steam powered battery used to crush the rock collected to filter out gold.  We even had fun exploring a small mine cave dug under the road.  There was also a restored old shed with a Melbourne made boiler that was used back in 1882! 

The main attraction of this unreal detour was before us – Maytown Ruins.  This town was like most run down abandoned ruins but had some quirky characteristics.  A small tin shack housed the general tourist info including a guest book, newpaper clippings, photos and a map of the town.  It wasn’t until driving along the run down main drag we discovered plaques along the bluestone gutters.  With each plaque was the owner’s name and the title of their building that once stood.  This old bluestone guttering was even ‘as new’ as the day it was laid.

To his demise, when returning to the car Mark discovered Buzz had a hole in the side wall of his tyre.  After trying like buggery we couldn’t get it off to throw on the spare.  Instead we plugged it up with resin, pumped her up and limped along until the next big tyre shop.

We ended up crawling out of the wonderous ruins of Maytown and made our way towards Chillagoe.  About 160kms to go at 4pm, Woody struggled to even make it to 50kms/hr.  It was at 7pm we packed it in and pulled over onto a paddock, which we called home that night.  Within 20 minutes we were having dinner and laughing about the Old Coach Road taking over 9 hours to complete a measly 80km.  As we retired to bed we had an early alarm set and hoped Woody would pick up to make it to our next destination… 

19/09/2016 – 27/09/2016

Far North Queensland

The Finale Of The Infamous OTT…

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​The next morning at Loyalty beach, Stu discovered that he left his swag over on T.I.  He came to the conclusion that he still wanted a bed in reserve.  Moving to Seisia Caravan Park for some change in scenery, we lazed in the sun until the mechanic was open Monday.  Still being able to roll start Woody, we visited the mechanic who explained the simple problem of the starter.  Luckily for us as we retired to Punsand Bay along the corrugations, the rumbling was enough to get things going again.  Woody was back in full working order!  With slight miscommunication and the beauty of a swimming pool at Punsand Bay, the swag had no owner to pick it up at the Seisia wharf and ended up going walkabout, R.I.P swag.

Leaving the luxury of a swimming pool, we explored a couple of old plane wrecks which to our suprise, were large segments of the old bombers.  The next remote location on our list was Mutee Head.  Back south down the Cape, we slipped off onto a narrow sandy track.  Just when we thought we were heading nowhere, the vast mouth of the Jardine River was before our eyes.  Lowering the tyre pressure again, we booted off onto the incredibly soft sand until stopping on the foreshore with not a soul for kilometres.  During the sunset, we feasted on more namus and even spotted a cheeky croc before he dropped down into the depths of the ocean.

The time had come to make our way back across the mighty Jardine River.  To our luck as the power was out when we initial went over the crossing and as such, we couldn’t pay by card for our $99 ticket.  We were supposed to pay on the return trip but only after the ferry did we realise that no one had asked us and we cruised over at no charge!!
School holidays were now in full force and the roads had trails of red dust everywhere from all the cars – thankfully we were heading south!  We decided to bypass the north and head back down on the southern section of the OTT.   Resting a little way in, we camped at the insane crossing of Gunshot (infamous for its entries and exits at an 80 degree incline!)  We were able to have a swim here and watch people on the track but unfortunately missed watching someone do the incredible drop in.  When it was our turn to tackle the obstacle, we took the ‘chicken’ track which was still a feat in its own.  Stu needing MaxTrax to gain traction on the exit, Mark punched it a little harder and made it out!  We did leave a little souvenir on the novelty tree, a thong marking our ‘She’ll Be Right Tour 2016’.  

We found the southern section to be a lot tamer than the northern.  Less obstacles in between the shallow river crossings meant for an easier yet fun adventure.  Staying another night on the OTT at Birdie Creek we made most of the deep infinity pool next to the shallow crossing.  We went to town on a couple of dead trees with Stu’s axe and cranked a fire.  Big Red happily sat by and watched us party away.  Waking up in the quiet bush surrounds, we were coming close to our final challenge, Palm Creek.

Birdie Creek Boat Race Competition
After some funny attempts of Mark making bark and leaf boats, we all jumped on the bandwagon.  Stu (left), Nay (middle) and Mark (right) made for a heated competition.  Nay came out victorious and the boys boats had a sad death as they collided and sunk.

The last time we had seen Palm Creek was when we camped there on the journey north.  Back then it was a steep climb out which could of almost been impossible for us to make it through.  Slightly concerned we may of had to drive all the way back through the OTT and onto the bypass road, we still ventured to see what was in store for us.  Luckily with all the holiday goers the once steep section had been scraped out to an achievable exit.
Gathering an audience, Buzz crawled down the steep hill into the dry riverbed.  As there was a large ditch at the bottom of the exit, just as he was about to crawl out there was a loud bang!  This time the rear left box decided to sheer off!  As the crowd cringed, Nay explained to them that it was only a matter of screwing it back on.  Woody up next also took the entry with ease.  With roughly the same rear clearance, Woody punched it out of Palm Creek and  smashed his rear bumper to a 90 degree angle.  Some manipulating as we jumped on the back bent it to its original position!

The infamous OTT, both northern and southern sections, were conquered!  As we drove away back down to Coen we were excited by such an accomplishment with only minor setbacks.

Once back on the Developmental Road to Coen, Woody decided to pack it in as he struggle to go faster than 60km/hr.  With an unknown diagnosis we limped back to our oasis by the Archer River.  Stu was cursing at Woody and Mark took the time to screw the box back on Buzz.   Back on the red dusty corrugations we continued the crawl to Coen only 66km from where we camped.  2 hours later we arrived to watch the Bulldogs defeat GWS at the local pub.  Retiring to the Coen river we lounged around patiently waiting for the mechanic to help us with Woody…
19/09/2016 – 25/09/2016

Far North Queensland

The Final Adventures At A Home Away From Home

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After the intermission back on Thursday Island,​ we restocked the boat, left Steve’s baby ducklings at home and made our way back to Prince of Wales.  This time Mark and Rach joined us.   As we docked on the beach, Steve spotted birds hunting bait fish on the surface about 300m away.  Seeing this only meant one thing, bigger predators coming up to eat them!  As we shot back out with our fishing gear, Steve threw a lure in.  Within 2 seconds he had a fish on the line and reeled it up onto the boat.  Catching a reasonably large queeny, lead to us repeating the process and chasing groups of birds.  After sucessfully catching 5 big queen fish, Mark, Stu and Steve retired for dinner.

Dirk and Tanya had the three of us over for a meal that night where they put on a delicious spread.  After enjoying marinated pork wrapped in lettuce for entree, the real unique dish was for mains.  A tasty turtle soup was cooked by Dirk. We definitely didn’t let any of the suprisingly chewy sea creature go to waste.

As our cruisy lifestyle continued on P.o.W, we disappeared into the bush for a wood run taking the old island bomb of a car (both front seats weren’t bolted in).  As usual, the hand reels were already in and were left in Steve’s more than capable hands.  Only minutes prior to our return, he had pulled in a giant Cobia!  This fish is rarely seen swimming around the shallows where we had caught it, it was definitely a treat!  The next wood run we did, we generously hung his Cobia skeleton in a tree as a trophy for any others to gawk at as they pass by.  

As the tide was at a perfect height, we had a crack at skurfing.  After seeing a croc and catching deadly sharks in the same waters, we were slightly unsure.  Reassured by watching both Steve and Mark (brother) standing up on the surfboard being towed by the boat, we gave it a go.  Not being able to stand up after giving it a solid crack, our arms ached after some classic stacks.  Mark making it to his knees was an accomplishment.  We definitely felt like sitting ducks after coming off the board in the ocean.  The boat seemed to take forever to swing back to pick us up.

One last boat fishing venture to catch more queenies lead to bundles of laughter.  We had to traul with the rod as it was choppy with a big swell causing water to lap continuously in the boat.  With every fish we pulled in, we gained more and more water.  On our forth catch, we bled him out and could swear it was still swimming as the water level was so high.  As Mark pulled in another, a dark shadow loomed around the fish and before we knew it, it jumped 2m into the air!  A quick realisation was that this ominous figure was a shark chasing Mark’s fish, but managed to pull it in before the shark had a meal!  Stu wasn’t so lucky as the shark returned and took his entire fish, lure and all!  Having taken on too much water we had to return, still having a successful catch!

As the others had to return to Thursday Island, we continued our stay for more lazy days.  That evening we kept getting baited on the hand reels.  Mark using a smaller hook caught one of these buggers.  Throwing him in whole as bait, it wasn’t long until the reel went off and Stu was pulling in another decent shark!  Having tasted everything else from the ocean, we decided to fillet him.  The next morning we had the most freshest beer battered flake that we had ever tasted.  As we fried most fish from here, it was a little change from our previous numus feeds (queen fish in vinegar, onions, tomatos, soy sauce and chilli).

On our final day at Prince of Wales, we went to visit the old homestead and waterhole.  Only a stones throw away from the house this was a great expedition.  Stu got us onto Roothy’s 4×4 fire pie that we had to try!  We opened up the frozen pie and filled it with onion, ham and cheese, wrapped it in foil and chucked this marvelous creation into the fire.   Lets just say, it has become a camping tradition.  Dirk came around to say goodbye and have one last hoorah as we sunk froffies around the fire on the beach.  Steve greeted us the next morning with his boat, unfortunately at low tide.  Feeling a little rusty, we had a small mission loading the car and carting our bags down the beach, out to his boat.

Back on T.I the Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival were in full swing.  Going for a stroll down mainstreet there were random dances happening through the town, anzac park and later in the evening on the footy oval – set up like a school fete.  Exploring through a small display village with huts of various sizes made for a good look into their history.  It seemed like the entire Island congregated together at the oval as night fell.  With all the Islanders dressed up in their costumes, we were in for a treat as this festival only happens every second year!  Even the Injinoo tribe from mainland came along with their fascinating dances.  As this spectacular event was happening before us, we were entertained while Will was bopping everyone with his blow up bat.

Hearing Horn Island was enriched with WW2 events, we paid $65 for a tour over to this historical location.  As the ferry slowly chugged over, we were met with disapointment.  We had a ‘cafe’ lunch consisting of a basic take-away sandwich with a lamington and drink included in the price.  After eating, we were dumped in the museum for an hour to be bombarded with a ridiculous level of small text.  Skimming through here the tour guide then took us for an hour around the Island.  Feeling we weren’t at points of interest for very long, he was keener to talk about how a Bendigo Bank was declined on Thursday Island than the war history.  Pointing out some information along the way, it definitely would of been interesting to go into more depth.  One fact we did learn was that barrels were rolled onto the airstrip in war times so enemy pilots couldn’t land without crashing. Good information but wasn’t $65 worth.  Oh well, we wouldnt recommend this one.

After one last homemade meal by Jess, we had a final mission to jag some more mud crabs.  As full moon was approaching, we went out at night during low tide.  We waded around in the shallows (after doing a quick croc check), torches in hand and spear with the designated hunter.  Out for a solid 3 hours we all had a crack at spearing with a bounty of 3 shovel head sharks and 5 crabs.  Two crabs unfortunately escaped as we were trying to grab them by hand, learning next time just spear it!  Cooking them up on our return, it wasn’t until 1:30am we were devouring an awesome mud crab feast.

The last full day on Thursday Island had came along too quick.  Being traditionally late with ‘T.I time’, we watched a parade down mainstreet and model canoe races as the festival was wrapping up. We went for a final explore around the Island and then played cards after a cheap $10 lunch.  One last pub meal with Jess, Steve and the boys, found us kicking on to watch the Doggies destroy Hawks in the semi finals.  What a night we had to remember…

As all good things must come to an end, we packed our bags and said fairwell to our lovely hosts.  They were very accomodating and we had an absolute blast during all of our moments shared with them on T.I and P.o.W.  This was definitely a one of a kind experience.

Departing back on the Peddel’s Ferry we made it back to our faithful beasts left at Loyalty.  Happy to see Big Red had been guarding them the whole time, they were untouched as we went to tick them over.  Unfortunately Stu was getting no response from Woody.  Being able to roll start him and make it to a camp spot, it seemed like we may be staying on the Cape for a little longer than planned…

10/09/2016 – 19/09/2016

Far North Queensland

A Great Mission To Thursday Island & Prince Of Wales

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Having to wake up at the crack of dawn to pack our bags, we left Buzz and Woody at the Loyalty Beach Campground – free of charge!  With only a $5 shuttle bus fee we met the Peddels Ferry at 8:00am that took us over to Thursday Island.  As other tourists went to meet their tour buses, we had Marko’s cousin Jess, her partner Steve and their beautiful boys Will and Ed meet us at the wharf.

Doing a quick drive-by down the small island’s mainstreet, we were shown everything we need to know, in particular where each pub was.  Arriving at their home we met Steve’s brother Mark, his wife Rach and their daughter Lily.  As we walked in their door at 10:30am, beers were flowing and there was plenty to catch up on.  After spending the day settling in, it wasn’t long before late arvo was upon us.  Agreeing to help Mark with a generator at their neighbours place on Prince Of Wale we headed out on the boat.

The plan was a quick trip to drop off a generator and show us around the place.  This however, ended up being an adventure of its own!  Before we knew it, we met their other neighbours Dirk and Tanya (along with their kids) and then a fire was lit up on the beach!  Becoming very comfortable we were lucky to share some Dugong ribs cooked on the fire and helped drink a couple of slabs with the crew.  As time flew by, it was 12:30am as we burnt back to T.I.  The night was so dark but as we gazed up to the night sky it was lit up by an abundance of stars.  We were even spoilt on our return as Jess had prepared and made us enchiladas for dinner!

Waking up a little sketchy the next day, we planned our return trip to P.o.W.  This time we were going to stay for a long stint with Jess & Steve joining us with the boys.  Thinking it was going to be a peaceful quiet rest from civilisation as we had the entire Collis Beach to ourselves, we were incredibly wrong as one activity flowed into another.

We pulled up on shore late arvo to do some unpacking and then headed straight back down to the couches where a fire on the foreshore became second nature.  Steve was quick to introduce us to fishing with hand reels from the bank.  We had three lines in and used a stick to stop them being pulled into the ocean.  After a few vb tins were consumed, we dropped them in the middle of the reel to make one hell of an alarm system.  Before we even had a chance to sink into the couches, the reels were going off!!  Beginners to this technique, I’m sure Steve had a laugh as we unsuccessfully pulled the first few in.  Snapping lines or the fish ‘blowing’ our bait was a common occurance.  Threading metal tracers on the end of our line to increase its strength, we were pulling in sharks before we knew it!  As they were only small, we didn’t bother keeping them but we were still having a blast. 

As we used the torches to light up the horizon, Steve spotted two glowing red eyes.  Unsure at first, he quickly determined that it was a croc!  Only 100m from us we slowly walked along the beach to get a better look.  As we were about 20m from him we had a decent view.  As he picked up on our scent, he popped up for one last viewing before shooting away.  Fortunately we didn’t see him again.

The next day Steve showed Mark how to use the casting net and was lucky enough to catch some small bait for that nights hand reels.  We had to drop back to T.I to grab some necessities left behind (frozen pies and dim sims!)  As we exited the boat at P.o.W, Mark totally misjudged the depth and face planted into the ocean with the esky and shopping bags.  Regathering ourselves, we went out on the boat for a short fishing venture.  Steve with his rod and the rest of us with hand reels, the tally was Steve 5 (including a coral trout), Mark 1 and Stu & Nay unfortunately 0, although they had heaps of nibbles.  On our return, we were greeted with some delicious varieties of homemade sushi that Jess had whipped up!

That afternoon Mark went for a walk at low tide along the rocks and spotted dozens of Blacklip Oysters.  Coming back with Steve, a hammer and large screwdriver, they began chipping them off.  Jagging enough for a good feed, we threw them on the bbq that night until they just popped open.  After enjoying an oyster entree, we cooked up the smaller fish from the catch earlier that day.  We couldn’t of eaten them any fresher!

The next animal on the menu was the tasty, yet elusive, mud crab.  Steve, keen for a feed, took us out to go hunting on low tide at Friday Island.  Creeping through the mosquito infested mangroves, we looked for freshly hollowed homes and went digging and lifting logs.  After about 1000 mozzie bites, we came out the other side successful!  With 5 crabs and a dozen snail shells (an interesting delicacy) we returned to P.o.W.  Just as we seemed to be running low on petrol, the tide still hadn’t had time to rise and we found ourselves jumping out and pushing the boat as Steve sat on the side.  Still a successful mission, we shot past the pearl farm on the way back before having a feast of crab on the foreshore.

That night with our steel tracers still on the hand reels, we had a serious bite as the tins went rattling.  Mark jumped on the hand reel and began pulling it in.  Giving one hell of a fight, the unknown of what was on the other end had everyone is suspense.  As it came closer to shore we discovered it was a dirty big shark on the end of the line!  Pulling him onto the beach for a photo, he was much too big to worry about filleting.  Mark pulled him back into the water by his tail and our shark mate sped away to live another day!  After this big boy was caught, Nay and Stu were next to catch two smaller sharks that also had the Rex Hunt treatment. 

Jess, Steve and the boys departed us after these action packed days.  Leaving us here for another couple of lazy days where we fished (a little successful), lounged on the deck and generally relaxed.  Their neighbour Dirk had a suprise for us and dropped by one night with some beers and crayfish!  He joined us around the fire as we threw them on the hotplate.  Before we knew it, another exotic seafood creature was being consumed!  Somehow the goon came out as Mark was napping on the couch.  Once Stu flashed this in front of his face, a second wind came about and we all partied until 3:30am!

Heading back to T.I for the football finals of Geelong vs Hawthorn, we also caught a glimpse of the Cultural Day of the local primary school.  We watched the students parade down the mainstreet and dance at Anzac Park.  Retiring to the Jardine Hotel for a meal meant we could use their pool as Jess and the boys joined us for an afternoon swim!

As Saturday rolled by again, we lazed around Thursday Island and checked out the historial Green Hill Fort along with the old cemetery (home of very impressive tomb stones of old japanese pearl divers).  After a week had flown by so quickly on this magical little island, we thought we’d stay for a second…

03/10/2016 – 10/10/2016

Far North Queensland

A Large Accomplishment On The Bucket List!

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As Nay had just finished preparing dinner there were the torches of two complete strangers appearing only meters away from camp.  The figures of two Italian tourists came out of the shadows and through broken english, explained they were stuck 2kms away on the 5 Beaches loop.  Being 7:00pm with dinner ready, we explained it was best to help them in the morning and that they should have stayed with their car.  Disgruntled by our response they went back to spend the night in their rooftop tent awaiting our rescue in the morning.

As we woke with the sunrise, our Italian friends were at our doorstep bang on 7:00am!  Stunned at why they were there they insisted we helped them immediately (circumstance still being the same as last night).  Explaining we would be there within an hour they strolled off and requested the help of another camper without notice.  After a quick pack up we followed their trail to find the other camper pulling the bloody tourists out.  Scratching his head, the fellow Aussie camper wandered why he was called upon when we were already teed up.  Regardless, he helped the tourists and the three of us even earnt $20 for our troubles!  Dreams can come true!

From the Croc Tent’s recommendation we continued along the 5 beaches track with its breathtaking views.  Being so early, we had it all to ourselves.  With an untouched sand canvas, we could not resist doing doughnuts while the ocean sat at low tide.  It felt unbelievably remote as the only tracks in the sand we came across was that of a few wild pigs.  Deciding to have a bit of fun Stu shot up a soft sand dune with Woody but couldn’t continue along the track as we hadn’t dropped our tyre pressure.  Mark’s turn with Buzz, lead to him becoming seriously bogged at the top of the dune.  Another quick recovery lesson with Stu and the cavilary was called in to snatch him out.  

Once our couple of nights at Somerset were up, we were back in the trucks and aiming for Pajinka (The Tip).  Excitement kicked in as it was still so unreal to put our current position on the map in perspective.  Pulling up in the carpark we still had a 700m walk before our final destination!  Sounding a short distance, this took quite a toll on us since we had completed minimal walks over the last month or so.

As the edge was nearing the signposted goal was visible and only steps away!  Just as a family left we had our time at the top of Australia!!  We’d made it!  We spent a while here taking silly selfies and carving ‘Buzz and Woody 2016’ on some nearby rocks.  Mark even took the liberty to take a wizz off the top of Australia!  Once our cameras were full of wacky and zany images (a couple half decent) we made the slow climb back down to Buzz & Woody.

After achieving such a great accomplishment, we checked out the deminishing old Pajinka Lodge.  It was a rundown Aboriginal owned lodge at ‘The Tip’ which ended up not being very successful and shutdown around 2010.  Reminding us of a scene from horror movies, the desolate, left for dead buildings gave a slight chill down the spine.

Being cheap petrol Thursdays (saving 10c/L!) we filled up at Bamaga.  With savings in our pocket, we went exploring to see if the Loyalty Beach Campground lived up to its magical reputation.  We couldn’t argue with the reviews.  Great bushcamping with no designated camp spots, we pulled up along the coast with a perfect view of the sunset!  We could finally have a proper shower to scrub off the grime that had been accumulating since Cairns.  With this added bonus, we wandered down to the beachfront bar for an icy cold stubby.  It was a stunning sight to watch the sunset over the ocean with the silhouette of the Torres Strait Islands.

In the days prior, we had swung by the small town of Seisia and checked out the wharf to where our next destination lay.  Researching the timetable at Peddels, we booked in for the 8:00 ferry to take us to Thursday Island.  Here we were to meet some of Mark’s extended family.  We were to have one hell of an adventure…

​01/09/2016 – 03/09/2016