Darryl, Kay, Fay, Shirley & Chris (editor) have just returned from a wonderful 10 day OzTours Cape York trip. That story will be presented in this and the following two chapters. The tour provided a huge amount of history, culture and information on Cape York flora and fauna.
Some of the information will be provided by links to other web site (see
text in blue and underlined). It is your choice whether you explore them or
not.
Thursday 13 August
Horn Island Airport with bags
holding pillows, sleeping bags & clothes
It was 6:50 am when the taxi arrived to deliver us to the airport for
our 8:25 flight to Horn
Island. We boarded the 50 seater Qantaslink
plane and flew north. Just over an hour later we reach the tip of Australia and
could see coastline on both sides of the plane. The great views from the plane
cannot be replicated by a camera.
We were picked up at the airport (after collecting our brightly coloured
bags) and taken to our resort where we checked in. We had a walk to the docks,
a rest, then a lovely buffet lunch.
After lunch we did a tour of Horn Island highlighting the big
involvement of Horn Island in World War 2 history.
Horn Island was the most attacked part of Australia after Darwin, as it
had a strategically important aerodrome. There are many relics of the World War
2 Air Force and army involvement on Horn Island including a museum at the
resort where we were staying. After we returned from the tour we tested
the pool and rested for a couple of hours before pre dinner drinks.
World War 2 Relic
Dinner was another buffet meal with plenty of food available. By now the
other tour people (also on the plane) had all been introduced and
were getting to know each other. The remaining excitement for the night came
from the noisy fridge in our room and the smoke detector deciding tht it
had a flat battery and wanted to beep every couple of minutes.
Friday 14 August
We had 7 am breakfast and a 8 am departure and an 8:30 ferry to Thursday
Island (usually called TI).
Thursday Island from Horn Island
Thursday Island from the Ferry
We jumped on the tour bus and visited Green Hill
Fort high on the island. The gun
emplacement range of 8000 yards was built before the world wars to defend the Torres
Strait and Thursday Island. By the
way Torres Strait is named after the Portuguese navigator Luis Vaz de Torres
who explored those waters in 1606.
Green Hill Fort
After that visiting the cemetery where 700 pearl divers are buried. They
were mainly Japanese because the Japanese divers were daring and often wanted
to break existing records. We saw the grave of Bernard Namok who designed the Torres
Strait flag (the third recognised flag of
Australia) and he did it as a school design project. He died at the age of 31.
Memorial to Japanese Pearl Divers
A member of the group found his grandfather’s grave in the cemetery. He
also located someone who knew his grandfather and grandmother. Later that day
we had a walk around the town and then a very cold beer in the most northern
pub of Australia.
Northern Most Pub in Australia
We had a crayfish pie for lunch and visited the Gab Titui cultural centre, which had a lot of local indigenous historical artefacts and craft.
At 1:15 we caught the ferry to Seisia, on the mainland, and about 90
minutes later were picked up by the OzTours bus driven by Andrew.
Our OzTours Bus
We then went into Bamaga for our alcohol supplies. A two litre cask of
Shiraz and 30 cans of XXXX Gold Cost $91 dollars. Andrew then took us to the
Loyalty camp ground, where the tents were already erected about 100 metres from
the water. We were definitely in Red Dirt country. The first job was to set up
the stretcher beds in the tents and put a sleeping bags and pillows in place.
It was now time to meet the other 8 people, who came by cargo ship from Cairns,
and pre-dinner icy-cold drinks.
It was a magnificent sunset over the water as we were on the west side
of Cape York.
Sunset on Loyalty Beach
Dinner, cooked by Kristy, was a magnificent cottage pie cooked in a camp
oven on the fire for 20 people. There was plenty for those who wanted seconds.
We had fruit and custard for dessert.
After dinner we sat around the fire and chatted. The steady light rain
eventually forced the decision that it was time for bed. It was 9:30, and we
were very close to the north eastern tip of Australia.
The story needs to introduce two very important people.
Ladies first. Kristy was the “Host”. First and foremost she was
the cook – and very good. Secondly she ensured that there was always fruit,
tea/coffee, plenty of food whenever we stopped for a break or overnight. She
was the one permitted person in her bush kitchen. She did a wonderful job.
Andrew was the “Driver”. He was also the person most passionate and
knowledgeable about Cape York flora, fauna, people and history. It is
impossible to include everything that Andrew told us. However I will try to
give an understanding of the things that Andrew showed and explained to us. My
sincere apologies are offered to Andrew if I do not get it all correct. Kristy
was a good backup to Andrew on things that had feathers or leaves or could be
cooked.
Again I will provide links to web sites that provide additional details
to what I can include in this story.
Now back to the story.
Saturday 15 August
Last night Andrew explained the 6-7-8 management plan for mornings –
much to Shirley’s disappointment (and many other members as well).
6 am. Wake
up, morning ablutions, get dressed, and (if moving) pack up clothes, bedding
and tent.
7 am. Breakfast & washing of dishes, and (if moving) help in
the packing of the bus (chairs, tables, bags, bedding, tents).
8 am. Head off for a walk while Andrew and Kristy get the bus and
themselves reading for the road.
Our first attempt at 6-7-8 went really well, and we were walking about
7:30.
It was a one hour drive to Pajinka and a 30 minute walk to the northern
most point of the Australian continent. The road in was mainly through
rainforest of different kinds. Sometimes it was so dense with a very thick
canopy that you felt as if it was getting dark. Most of the road was heavily
corrugated and we travelled in a fairly slow pace.
The views and the sensation were spectacular.
Shirley & Chris at “The Tip”
While at the tip we saw three sizeable fish in the distance that could
have been small sharks. We saw one large turtle that seemed to be over a metre
long. However I was too slow to get a photo.
A road near The Tip
We had morning tea and then drove to Somerset. Somerset was a home of Frank Jardine and is also the site of
his grave. Frank was famous for driving cattle up from the Cairns region in the
mid 1800 and setting up both farming and pearling infrastructure in the
Somerset region. Virtually none of that infrastructure exists today. Frank died
on Albany Island (very close to his home) in a leper colony. The Somerset dream
was originated by the Queensland governor of the day.
We stopped at the Croc Tent it on the way back to camp to buy a t-shirt and a stubby holder. We
also said hello to Caesar, a white boxer dog. Provisions were purchased at
Bamaga.
On the way back to camp we had another “first”. Some wood was
collected for the fire (by all on the bus) and stored by Andrew on the front of
the bus. This also became a daily routine. We were back at camp at 3:30
and phones and cameras were quickly plugged into electricity for charging.
At 4 pm we had a interesting lesson in erecting and packing up the tent. In the background Kristy quietly prepared dinner.
At 4:30 Andrew took us on a walking tour explaining the local
plants that could be eaten or have medicinal qualities. One even had
soaping qualities that could be used for washing.
Dinner was BBQ pork chops, vegetable bake and baked potatoes.
Dessert was peach bake. We were in bed by 9:30.
Sunday 16 August
6-7-8 worked again and we started our walk about 7:45. While still
in the camp we marvelled at the beauty of two Palm Cockatoos who posed for our cameras. These birds are unique to the northern parts of Cape York. The nuts
you can see in the photo are a popular source of food for the cockatoo.
The first stop was the DC3 that crashed during WW2 only two kilometers
short of the airport. A sad slice of history.
Just before 10 am we crossed the narrow (at this time and place) Jardine river by ferry.
Orb spider
Soon after we picked up the wood for the night and had an information
session from Andrew on some more plants and an Orb spider.
Back on the bus and Andrew continued to astound us with his knowledge
and passion for most things Cape York, particularly birds, indigenous
culture/history and the role of early settlers and explorers on Cape York.
We moved off the Development Road and onto the track along the old Overland Telegraph Line
(OTL). Diary writing was near impossible as the corrugations
significantly increased. Even the Sudoku was hard work. Soon after we
stopped at our home for the night – Twin Falls – on the Eliot river. It
was hot and humid and we all changed into swim gear as we plunged into the
unbelievable waters. Standing under the waterfall was pretty good. My hat
had a much needed wash.
Fay & Chris Enjoy the Waterfall
Massage
Fay, Kay, Shirley & Darryl Cool Down
The Beauty of Twin Falls
I was the first causality of the trip cutting my finger on a piece of
tin on the boardwalk balustrade. Dr Darryl did the band aid work and all
was well.
There were a number of other picturesque water falls just down stream
We had sausages and vegetables and onion gravy for dinner with chocolate
banana for dessert. Another quality meal from Kristy. Some smart
artist created a totem pole (see photo) that had little local significance at
all.
This
post is now complete (last
updated 11 am Monday 24 August 2015)
Go to
previous post (chapter 3) ….
Go to Cape
York Part 2 (chapter 5) …
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