TO THE TIP OF CAPE YORK

We packed up and left False Pera Head straight after lunch on Sunday and travelled to a gravel pit/dam we had been told about which is about 5 klms north of the intersection where the Batavia Downs road meets the main road north. It was a lovely spot to spend the night. Leo had a welcome swim and Kerry and Jeanette did a bar-b-que tea while I whipped up a fruit cake. Kerry was greatly impressed with my cooking skills. The next day we stopped off at Moreton Telegraph Station and took their nature walk along the Wenlock River and surrounds. It was a pleasant break from the terrible corrugations on the road.

Termit nests at Bramwell Junction

Our gravel pit camp

Mid-afternoon saw us at the intersection to the northern end of the Old Telegraph Track where you access Fruit Bat, Indian Head and Twin Falls. There is a clearing at the intersection which comfortably accommodates two vans so we parked up there, left Leo to guard the fort and drove our car into Fruit Bat Falls for a much enjoyed swim.

Fruit Bat Falls on Eliot Creek

Next morning we ventured into Indian Head and Twin Falls which are definitely the more spectacular, although all are very picturesque and the swimming is lovely. 

Creek crossing on the Old Telegraph Road into Indian Head Falls





Indian Head Falls on Eliot Creek



Twin Falls on Canal Creek

Kerry & Jeanette just lovin' iit!

We arrived at the Jardine River Ferry at 12 noon and had lunch while waiting for the ferry to start running again at 1.00.

The Wades cross on the Jardine River ferry

The roads did not improve all the way to Injanoo and Umagico, which is the campground at Alau Beach. There is a really interesting area of forest around the Captain Billy Landing turnoff – very tropical. We were really lucky to jag an excellent campsite at Umagico with our own picnic shelter etc right on the beach and a drive up to Seisia and Loyalty Beach made us happy that we had chosen the nicest campground. We caught up with Bob and Wendy there.

Umagico sunset

The fishing was not much at all around the Bamaga/Seisia area but John and Bob did catch a few when they took a run down to Mutee Head in the tinny. We’re told Jacky Jacky Creek out near the airport is good but we decided not to bother. We had a great day on Friday, when we drove up to the tip, Pajinka. On the way we stopped at the Croc Tent for the obligatory souvenir and also went into Punsand Bay where we had a cold drink in a lovely setting at the resort’s bar. The beach at the tip is lovely. We walked up to the tip by walking behind the mangroves at the north end of the beach. This is a much easier route. At the tip we met three crazy Japanese guys who were really happy to take photos for us. They were eager to get photos of us as well. We were quite amused that they had come all the way up in a Juicy hire van. God only knows how they got it through the creek crossing but they were having a ball and were due back in Cairns in three days.



Creek crossing on the way to the tip



We took the normal track back to the carpark up over the headland and the views from the very top were fantastic. After a drink and a rest at the beach, we headed over to Somerset which is a lovely little campground on the eastern side of the tip, sheltered by Albion Island. It has toilets, water tanks and would be accessible with the van. It is still a bit exposed to the prevailing south-easters though. The graves at the northern end of the camp were very interesting as were the monument and guns up round the corner where the old magistrates homestead once stood. The history of the area is rich and interesting and we learned a lot more of it when we took our trip over to Thursday Island.



Photoof the tip from the air taken by Kerry on his chopper ride



Chris, Leo & John at the tip

Happy travellers

Three crazy Japanese boys

Looking west from the tip

Looking north at the tip

The road to the tip

Somerset Bay

The weekend was spent fishing and relaxing and taking the odd walk along the beach. We were treated to crayfish for dinner when a couple of the local guys called in to the beach with a fresh catch which they were selling at quite reasonable prices. We had seen then offshore during the afternoon and when asked about crocs they said they will only get you on the surface. I don’t believe that, and I certainly disagreed when John suggested going for a dive himself, especially when he had seen the local croc off the beach himself and assured us it was not little. They said they came in regularly but we didn’t see them again. Jeanette suggested that perhaps they were just getting some extra cash for the big show and rodeo which was on in Bamaga that weekend, complete with fireworks which we could hear from the camp on Saturday night.

On Tuesday we did the tourist thing and jumped on the ferry over to Thursday Island. The bus tour we took included a trip up to Green Hill Fort which sits above the town. Only the bus tour operators get access to the bunkers beneath which have been turned into a museum by the local historical society, so we were happy that we had chosen to go this way as it was well worthwhile. We also went to the local cemetery where we learned about the local burial customs and saw the lovely memorial which has been erected for the Japanese pearlers who died in the area. After lunch at the Torres Strait Hotel (The Top Pub in Australia) we had a quick look through the local cultural centre which was a lovely building and should be great when completed. Then it was back across the road to the ferry. The wind had picked up by the time we headed back to Seisia so the return trip was much more interesting.

Thursday Island from Green Hill Fort

Old guns at Green Hill Fort

John and I packed up on Wednesday morning and moved camp down to Mutee Head where there is a lovely little campground right beside the beach. This is a free camp with bins and nothing else but the beach is beautiful and we had it to ourselves.