Sunday 1 December 2013

Shakedown is finished!

2/12/13
We are in Townsville. We have had a couple of refreshing days staying with Maggie in the penthouse. Lovelly breezes, great view, good company and we got the laundry done! What more could we need?  

Well the air conditioner in the truck failed a couple of days ago so we saw Fuso this morning and that is now fixed (just a fuse!).

My cousin Ron Turner, printer in Townsville (Townprint) did some decals for us, and that was the highlight of the day -getting them fitted. Ron and Sean (his son) fitted our world map, Waltzing Matilda decal, and some really cool Kangaroos complete with Joeys. This should help people especially overseas to recognise us as Auzzies rather than Yanks.


I would say we are very happy with this vehicle, both as a camper and as a 4wd. A few bits have broken, (steps, window, fuel tank straps, there is too much dust inside, lockers need water-proofing and strengthening, air conditioner fuse) but overall we have done a lot with it and it has lasted the distance. And it shines as a camper, with very easy and quick setup and packup. The rooftop tent has also worked well for visitors. Overall the vehicle is a great success. 

Everywhere we go there is a stream of people admiring the  EC and wanting to discuss it. 

And already this afternoon I have had two people admiring the kangaroos! Thanks Ron!  

Now we are going to Eungella -where we have our holiday home. We'll stay there into the new year before going back to Brisbane. There we will get everything that shook off, or got broken, replaced.

And then it is onto the ship for Japan in early March! So watch this space from January as we start our preparation for Japan and onwards in earnest.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Emerging art form -Cape York

B


Termite mounds on the Cape take different forms in different areas. But in each area the form of the mounds is very consistent. In some areas they are "magnetic" -ie they are aligned with flatish surfaces all in the orientation. In other places they are amorphous mounds, or tall spires. 

We speculate that these are all different species, but we are not certain. There could also be differences caused by soil type or structure. One thing we are sure of -the biomass of termites on the Cape is immense! We have heard that the single greatest source of methane gas on the planet is termite farts! 

There is an emerging art form on the Cape in dressing termite mounds which have a form reminiscent of the human shape. Some of these dressed mounds have been done quite imaginatively, and possibly added to by successive passers by.










Monday 25 November 2013

Trapped by the wet - Laura River

23/11/13 We left Coen in full sunlight and the road was quite well dried -for about 30 mins. Then the rain started again.

We met another couple who we had made acquaintance with at Portland Roads. They were told by Coen police that they are likely to close the road tomorrow. They were concerned that big trucks were cutting up the road ( and they definitely were doing that) and they were considering limiting the traffic to less than 5 tonnes. 

Next stop for us was Musgrave road house. There was water everywhere! Take a look at the airstrip,




We ordered something to eat, but then the owner came in and said that Saltwater Creek close to the roadhouse was coming up and if we didn't get across within half and hour we might be stuck with him!  We had a tense 10 minutes while we waited for our food! 


Once we were over saltwater Creek it was on to the Laura River. It was still raining all the way to the Hann River road house. The sultry skies did make for some nice scenery though, despite our knowing that the rain appeared to be in the Laura River catchment. 


Something interesting happens to people who are facing a common challenge. In this case the threat of being trapped by the river made people very friendly and chatty. Everyone had an opinion on the rain, the approaching low, and had predictions as to how long the rivers would stay up should we become stranded. 

When we reached the Hann road house there was a group of about 15 people, all talking and speculating, and drinking . Everyone except the manager was engaging in good natured discussion and telling yarns. The manager however seemed sullen and uncommunicative. We had decided to stay at the Hann until the river dropped, expecting a lively social time of it. However we decided we didn't like the atmosphere and so we would go on closer to the Laura River. When I explained to the manager that we would go on and possibly be back tomorrow he angrily said that I should just go, and he didn't want to discuss anything. He sarcastically said we would be camping in water but he didn't care.

So on we went with the mood of the adventure considerably dampened. 

About 15 km north of the Laura we found a gravelled track going to a gate. It didn't look like a driveway so we decided to camp there. But we wanted to face the other way so Joe decided to make a three point turn... And got the back tyres into black soil where they promptly sank up to the axle.


Even though it was raining Zef was very keen to try the winch. We hadn't used the winch before so this was a new experience for Joe too. So then boys got out the winch and the remote. They couldn't get it started. I, being female decided to check the literature which came with the winch and in so doing I found the red key labelled "winch isolation key". I thought that might be relevant. However we couldn't find where that was to be used. Luckily mark Fawcett at Earthcruiser answered his phone at 8.30 pm!a and told us where the key point was. After that it was easy!

24/11/13 Next morning we headed for the Laura River! wondering what we would find. We found at least 50 vehicles including a number of trucks. Two trucks had loads of cattle. The river was more than 2 meters over the bridge! People had their tents out, and camp fires going. 

Laura River road house was into it with a small 2 seater chopper (usually used for mustering) delivering hamburgers and other supplies to the stranded vehicles. Some of them did not have food with them. We heard they even took a child for a joy ride. What a different attitude from the HannR iver Roadhouse! 



We were directed to the rodeo grounds! where there are large "no camping " signs. There are covered areas used as semi permenant camps by rodeo attendees. The caretaker was quite happy to have stranded campers use the area, so we had a great covered area next to the EC. We unpacked and settled in for the duration. At that point we understood that there was a low coming and that it was likely we could be there for days if not a week, 

Our neighbours turned out to be people we had first met at Portland roads and again on the Cape developement road. They had set up in a covered area too and had their tent out. They had company and we were invited in for a cup of tea. The conversation was sharp and fast, about bird watching, travelling, and fording streams ( naturally!) These were people we would enjoy anywhere. 


Periodically someone would drive down to the water and come back with a situation report. And the trend was down! As it reached 800cm above the bridge we started to get excited. The cattle trucks which had unloaded their cattle in the rodeo yards, started loading them again, and there was talk of the trucks crossing within an hour! 

We decided to pack up in case we could go and while we were doing that we started to hear talk of the trucks going across. Then there were 4wds tailgating on the trucks. We got down to the river as quickly as possible to see the action. There was talk of a low coming across the Cape that night -if we didn't get out now we might be in for a prolonged wait!  


And then the level was 400cm. Land cruisers were crossing. We could go! We got across at about 4 pm, with the river level at 400cm above the bridge, with a strong flow. 

Most of the vehicles got a cross, but there were fuel tankers with empty tanks which were waitin for a lower level . They were afraid that their tanks would float. I don't know whether they got across or not. There were trucks with no load which loaded up their escort vehicles to increase their weight, and they went across. The cattle trucks went. 

One of our new friends (couple) were debating whether to go or wait till morning. - I don't know whether they got across. I hope they went that evening because the river rose again very quickly.


We got across in the bottom of that chart before the final rise. The level has not yet gone down to a level at which we could have crossed. Anyone who didn't go that evening is still waiting there!

We were jubilant of course when we got across. We camped (in the rain) at a lookout that night. 

From Laura it is bitumen all the way to Cairns. What a relief! 

In the end I don't think we left the Cape a day too early!










Saturday 23 November 2013

Racing the wet -Bamaga to Coen

22/11/13 the sky is black and there is a line of clouds dumping heavy rain across Torres Strait. We can see storms everywhere, especially to the north of us. We have decided to get going. We have heard reports of wet roads around the Wiepa turnoff! and the road conditions report has had closures at the Kalpowar crossing and the Arakun Road.

So we filled up with water and food, and headed south. 

But before we crossed the Jardine we wanted to see the old crossing where we were winched across in 1983, so we took the "South Jardine" Road. It was very corrugated and narrowed but still passable. We recognised the old crossing all right. It was about 100m across and looked like prime crocodile territory. 


After lunch and enough reminiscences we headed for the ferry. 


Next stop Elliott falls. We had heard that the northern track to the falls was "ok in dry weather." Well it was still dry and trying to ignore the clouds and lightening to the east of us we turned into the track. Everything was OK until we turned into the old telegraph track and approached the ford at Sam Creek. We were surprised to find a large group of cars and bike riders camped there and swimming at the crossing. They directed us to the preferred spot to cross and walked it for us. So cross we did. 


The there was the second crossing....with a difficult approach and and curved track through the water, although the water was clear and not deep. Then there came the corrugations, and the road was too narrow to get up to the comfortable speed, so were were crawling along. 

Elliott Falls was disappointing though, and not nearly as nice as fruit Bat Falls in our opinions. 
We had a quick swim, during which Zef was stung by something. We think it must have been one of those very large water bugs. That sort of took the shine off the swim! So we decided to continue to Fruit Bat Falls for the night and an early morning swim. 

So back to the old telegraph track. More corrugations... Until about 1 km from the Fruit Bat Falls turn off! when we came on another ford just on dusk. This one looked nasty. It had a very steep entry, and was about 20m across. Joe decided to walk it and it came to crutch height, which is at about our max safe fording depth. There was much cursing of who ever had told us that this track was OK. We also became acutely aware of the lightening now not far away and probably in the catchments of both the creek behind us and the one ahead! 

We decided that we couldn't cope with this in the dark, so we chose a camping spot and planned to sleep on it. As we were starting to set up camp we heard a car coming! This guy obviously knew the track and he just drove on down and into the ford, driving across slowly and steadily. The water came up below his headlights. He had a Landcruiser with raised suspension. But behind him was a hilux with normal suspension. The water came up to his headlights and water was draining out of the back of his tray after he came out. They agreed to stay and watch us go through so that was enough to give us courage and in we went. 

Of course the actual crossing was no problem. The water came to the top of the wheels as predicted. That meant water in the lower lockers, but we had expected that and only packed stuff in there that could get wet. 


There has been rain at fruit Bat Falls since we were here a couple of weeks ago. There are washouts and mud on the board walk.  After we pulled up at the parking area another car came by. They had just come from Wiepa. They said it was raining heavily as they came up and the road was very wet and slippery. They said there had been three inches of rain on the road there. They were heading to Elliott Falls. In spite of or perhaps because they were pissed they were not worried about the fords. 

23/11/13 a morning swim at the falls was a delight. This time we wore clothes in deference to our Y gen (a rather more prudish generation than ours)  son. But otherwise we had it to ourselves again until after an hour or so. Then there arrived a car load of young people. It turned out they were nurses and a medical student (from Rockhampton) from the  Bamaga hospital and down for a day trip to the falls. We had an interesting discussion about the changes in health care delivery in Bamaga. 


After the. Falls it was southward a we went. About half an hour south of the Falls we met the rain. From then on it rained all day, with the roads becoming more and more slippery, and more water lying about. There was water over the roads in places. We heard about cars running off the road. We met trucks carrying wide loads -about 6 of them, really cutting hp the road. 












We heard that the river was lapping the bridge at Archer River this morning. And there was almost no traffic coming north. Once we were past the Wiepa turn-off it appeared ours were the only tracks on the road. So we were vary relieved when we approached the Archer River to see a road train coming north.

On reaching the River we saw that the water was over the bridge, but only by 30cm or so. 


At the Archer a River Roadhouse they told us that there was no water in the river this morning! 



Eventually we reached Coen about dusk, after steadily deteriorating road conditions. Joe was very weary by the time we set up camp in the rain. The river here at The Bend is in flood so we chose higher ground than for our last visit here. Stuart and Nira's camping spot of last time is flooded. 



It was not a very nice surprise to find that the main lockers leaked muddy water into them in the rain. There were cms of muddy water in the plastic tubs we have in the locker. These hold spare food, wine casks, lunch foods like bread, nuts etc. these things should not get wet -let alone muddy! This is our main storage area, so this will have to be solved! 

I look forward to getting out of the muddy roads where we can wash the vehicle. You can't help but get muddy handling doors, climbing in and out etc when the vehicle is so muddy. At least the inside of the camper is dry and clean. The roof top tent is also dry and clean. 

The next hurdle for us is the Laura River! which has closed the road already a couple of times this season. However it goes down again fairly quickly. One person told us that they waited 17 hours one time to get across this river.

24/11/13 We have awoken to a beautiful sunny day. This will be drying the roads out very quickly. So let's hope today is an easier driving day. We are more relaxed now that we are south of the Archer river, so it will be less of a. Strain anyway. 

Since we have Internet here at Coen I will upload this today, and see you all next from Cairns (I think).














Monday 18 November 2013

Things to see around Bamaga.

19/11/13 today Zef is arriving by air. Just in time too. We have been having a few storms and some of the cars arriving from the south have mud on them. One bloke we spoke to said that the road was wet but frequently graded, and he got here in his 2wd station wagon, yesterday. But still we are not rushing away.

Bamaga has a number of beaches with beautiful white sand, and blue water. Of course you can't swim because of the crocodiles and stingers. Last night we camped at Muttie Head beach. This is a beautiful little beach with a Rocky headland. Joe walked around the headland to the mouth of the Jardine River. There were camping and fishing spots at the mouth.


On the way back he saw these tracks on the beach about 50 m from where we were camped. There was a small pool on the beach, and there were entry and exit tracks.


We couldn't estimate the size of this fellow, but we are glad we didn't go for a walk on the beach last night. 

Seisia camp ground is a well maintained camping area on a yellow beach. It has great views of the islands, and covered camp kitchen areas, with fish filleting areas. There is a cafe there too, but the owner is not too friendly. He refused to make me mushrooms on toast despite having mushrooms and toast both listed under "sides" on his menu. He stated that only what he has listed on his menu is available! We won't be going back there! 


I thought these toilet block labels at Seisia were original!


Just North of Bamaga is Loyalty Beach campground, also on a pleasant west facing beach.

Further north is Pundsand Beach Resort. 


This a privately owned camping resort, with the best beach in the area, with absolute beach front camping areas, a pool, a restaurant and bar (Corrugation Bar). This cost us $12 per person per day, and was well worth the cost. The new owners were very obliging about our vegan diets and whipped something up. Notice the rain on the islands in the distance in this photo! Hmmmm! - Gives us thought for when to leave. 

Even nicer is Cable beach with only one camping spot. 


This is the site of the end of the old telegraph line. Here the cable can be seen entering the ground before running under the beach and ocean. Eventually it gets to the UK.






Somerset beach is almost at the "Tip". It is a small sheltered beach looking across to Albany Island, and has free camping. 



At this time of year all of these beach camping areas are almost deserted, and in fact the Seisia one is closed. 

Near the airport is the wreck of a DC 10 aircraft, wrecked in 1945 with the loss of 6 people. The pilot worked for "ANA" (Australian National Airline),  the precursor to Ansett Airlines (now defunct). 



Bamaga Tavern has a live band tonight. We haven't tried that yet but maybe we'll treat Zef to it. 

Of course a trip to the actual tip of Australia is a must. This is at Pajinka, and requires a walk across a Rocky headland to the very tip. 





The Croc Tent is a souvenir shop! with T shirts, stubby coolers etc to commemorate your trip to the Tip.

Of course there is the bird watching and spotlighting at night to see the unique fauna. We camped in both rainforest and eucalypt forest but did not see the Cus Cus, the striped possum, or the Palm Cockatoo! 

Last time we were here we went to the East coast -Usher Point. We are told that the track is now overgrown and suitable only for a quad bike. So we have given it a miss. 

We have also given the tour to Thursday Island a miss at $200/ person for a full day. The ferry alone costs $120/person.

The sky continues to grow more stormy and we are starting to get a little nervous, and planning to head south slowly tomorrow (22/11/13).

Reminiscences Bamaga and the Cape 1983/4

I did a 2 month locum at the Bamaga hospital, Dec 83-Jan 84. I arrived by boat having been dropped off by the Pandora expedition. I had been diving on the Pandora wreck for 2 months as the expedition doctor, and now was to commence a 2 month locum at Bamaga.

The doctors house was a high blocked  3 bed room place across the road from the hospital. The hospital was a ground level timber building with about 30 beds as I recall. I was the only doctor, and so was constantly on call. There were about 10 nurses, mostly white but some islander nurses as well. I understand that the hospital now has three medical officers and 9 nurses. 

We had back-up from Thursday Island Hospital for particularly ill cases, or child birth etc. For patient transfers they sent a 2 seater helicopter. This helicopter had skids, and the patient in his stretcher was strapped to the skid, outside the cabin of the chopper. This made for a particularly hair-raising (for the patient) transfer across the water to TI.

My routine in the hospital was ward round first thing to attend to the in-patients, and then out patients clinic. I usually finished by lunch time. In the afternoon there were special clinics such as diabetes clinic, venereal diseases clinic, antenatal clinic. 

I was encouraged to take time off work to go camping on the weekends. TI would provide a doctor on call so I could get away. Some of the nurses came along on these trips further up the Cape. On one occasion we came across a 17 ft long python. It was stretched out across the road, with a wallaby in its mouth. It appeared to be stuck -unable to swallow the huge wallaby beyond the shoulders, and having trouble withdrawing from the carcass because it's teeth were getting stuck. We had a matress in the back of the Suzuki, and we put that down beside the snake so we could sit and watch the spectacle. Joe rigged up a light from the car and we sat and chatted while the snake successfully completed his withdrawal and pushed his mouth against the ground to relocate his jaw. 

On one of these trips we ran over a wallaby and found a young Joey in its pouch. We reared him (called him "Jardini") and he accompanied us on the camping trips. He was very popular with the nurses and with the patients in outpatients. They understood when I had to stop seeing patients to feed the wallaby (every 2 hours at first). 

We had a great time at Bamaga and I noticed that the community was considerably less violent than I had found Palm Island to be. But I lived in fear of having to treat a child for crocodile attack. There was a large crocodile who patrolled past the Seisia boat ramp every day. He even sunned himself on the ramp. But the local kids swam there, getting out of the water when the croc was nearby. I was sure one of them would be taken eventually. 

At the end of my time there I handed over the hospital to the incoming locum, and we went of to Usher Point and other camping spots. While we were away we heard the news that a child had died at the Seisa boat ramp! I was upset but glad that it hadn't happened while I was there. When we got back to Bamaga I asked about it at the hospital -the child died from a Box Jelly sting. He was dead before they got him out of the water. A nurse had been present but had been unable to revive him. 

Today (19/11/13) I was talking with a local Bamaga woman. She was aged about 10 yrs when we were here last. She said the boy who died from the stinger was her cousin, and that he is the only one to have died at the boat ramp from stingers. 

As we were approaching the end of our time on the Cape we heard that a cyclone was coming. So we decided to put the Suzuki on the barge to Cairns, and fly to Iron Range. Jardini of course came with us. It was unthinkable that we would put him in the hold of the aircraft, so I hid him in a shoulder bag which acted as his pouch. All went well until the hostie handed out biscuits. Jardini smelled them and struggled to get his head out for a bikkie. I managed to give him some and get him back into the pouch before we landed at Wiepa. 

After take off the pilot walked back into the cabin, stopped at our seat and asked to see the wallaby! He said they knew about him but if they had recognised him before take off from Wiepa we would have had to put him in the hold. So they pretended not to see him until after take off! Wonderful! That  woudn't happen now I think.

At Iron Range we camped in Cook' s hut (at that time an actual hut existed) and were completely unaware that the cyclone was now approaching Iron Range! a passerby called in and took us to a nearby mining camp and safety. 

At about the same time my brother Neville (pilot) was flying for "Bushies" otherwise known as "Bush Pilots".  Here are some of his reminiscences..
Of Punsand Bay.  
I think that's the beach where the Bushies manager of the then resort there got the Landcruiser bogged whilst trying to retrieve the boat on the trailer, then proceeded to get the "rescue" end-loader bogged, and watched while the tide engulfed all except the boat!"

"Since I got your last email I've been following your blog. Of course I'm really envious. I've been to many of the places you mentioned when I was flying "the mail run" in a light-twin. I'd have to look at my log-book now to remember most of the names, but Kalpower, lakeland downs, Dorunda come to mind (Dorunda may have been on the Isa run). I recall landing on roads and parking the plane amongst the trucks and cars at the fuel bowser. It was an 11 or 12 hour day from memory.

I wonder whether, with email etc, there is still a mail run. I used to save up all the newspapers I could get my hands on and take them on the mail runs. The cockies loved any papers - regardless of their currency. But I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper and I'm guessing the cockies will be the same. And I can't imagine many people sending snail-mail from remote places now. And with the dry settlements I guess the practise of posting slabs of XXXX has also stopped!"

The differences we have noticed here include bitumen roads in Bamaga, and all of the roads are well formed and wider than they used to be. The hospital has been rebuilt, and there are three doctors now! The "doctor's house" which we lived in is still there but the palms have grown up. There are cafés and supermarkets. The beaches are developed -with public toilets, shelters, dune protection etc. there are a number resorts which weren't here before. And of course the barge! Last time we had to be winched across the Jardine. 

And lastly, there are still Cape York lillies! These are unique to the Cape! although we have recently seen them in nurseries in Brisbane. 




Thursday 14 November 2013

Captain Billy's landing to Bamaga.

13th November!
We tried a short cut (Frenchman's track) from the Iron Range road across to the north bound highway. This required a crossing of the Pascoe River which Joe had heard was "a bit rough". Well that was an understatement! The road was very rough with washouts and deep ruts, but we managed by taking it steady. But the crossing was a different matter. Joe walked down the steep slope to the crossing and immediately realised that he wasn't prepared to drive it. The crossing itself was do-able but the steep rocky exit was more than he could face. So we backtracked, losing a couple of hours all up! Some short cut. But the view was nice. You can see from the photo that "the build up" (to the wet) has started!




By the time we got to the Captain Billy's landing turnoff it was late afternoon. There is lovelly rainforest in this track and it had all been freshly graded. Very soon after we got into the rainforest we twice saw a Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfisher flit across the road in front of us. 



This is migrant from PNG which arrives on the Cape in early November! It breeds here in low termite mounds. It is a spectacular bird with those long white tail feathers. So that made my day! 


We continued on to captain Billy's landing. This is a very wild place on the coast, with very pretty sandstone cliffs. The camping area was completely exposed to the wind and the sun. 





So after checking out the area for a bit we decided to go back to the rainforest for more bird watching.
As soon as we got into the edge of the forest area we started seeing birds- this time large tailed nightjars. They are widespread but I haven't seen them before. Here they were very common. We must have seen twenty of them.



Next morning I went for a bird watching walk and saw a Yellow Beaked Kingfisher! It flew across the road in front of me, and I also saw its nest, in a arboreal termite mound! Fantastic! 






Once again thanks to Morcombe's bird app for the pictures.

We left the rainforest area of captain Billy's landing track feeling that we had seen a few birds! 

Next stop Fruitbat falls! 
Fruitbat falls is a very popular stop on the Cape trip. It is very picturesque and one of the few places to swim on the Cape. It has many parking bays -maybe 50+. We have heard that in peak of the season cars line up waiting for a parking spot to get into the falls. 





But no such problem for us! We were the only ones there. How many people can say they have skinny dipped in Fruit. Bat Falls? This is apparently the time of year to come here! with such a superb place to ourselves.



The approaches to the falls have a constructed board walk, and along the sides of the board walk are a lot of pitcher plants. They are very unusual though. The pitchers are attached to the leaves of a climbing plant, by a long string. This means that there aren't hers hanging from trees! very unusual we thought! 

We reached the Jardine River mid afternoon. Last time we were here was Dec 1983, and there was no ferry then! What a Luxury to be ferried across. The cost for our vehicle was $128. The ferry iappears to be operated by the local aboriginal group. At 20,000 cars per year, between July and December, -well you do the maths! It's a lot of money! I hope they spend that well! 





Bamaga and the roads between the settlements are all bitumened now! In our day they were all dirt, even in the township itself. Bamaga is a much larger town now. We couldn't even find the hospital. The doctors house and the hospital were the first buildings on the road into town when we lived here in 1983/4. However we will see more of Bamaga when we come back in a couple of days. 

For now we will head straight to the Somerset beach where. Stuart and Nira are camped. The drive to the tip from Bamaga goes through lovelly rainforest! which we will come back to with Zef, for some bird watching and camping. Somerset Beach is magic! It has gorgeous clean water, a view of the resort at Albany. Island (fishing and pearl farming I believe), and camping right on the edge of the beach. And it's free!  I have been spending the days sitting under a beach almond with Nita, watching the tide come in and out and waiting for Stuart and John ( another camper with a Tinny) to come back with the day's catch. 





The brush turkeys here have purple collars rather than the yellow of the southern turkeys! it is a pleasant mauve colour. That was a surprise, but Morcombe's book (app) says it is another race -"purpuricollis". 

So we have reached the tip of Cape York, all the way from Melbourne, in our Earthcruiser. The distance travelled is 13,168 Klms.  And we are not bored yet!