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).
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