Wongai camping area -almost paradise! Oct 18 - 20

The Wongi camping area is stunning! There are very shady Wongai trees right on the beach, nobody but us (our two vehicles), miles of untouched beach without even footsteps. We are amusing ourselves with crocodile watching, bird watching, reading. Yesterday we swam in a mountain stream not far from here. The wind has been consistent so we have no sand flies. And the temperature is lovelly. We are however being very wary of going near the waters edge, since we have seen crocodiles a number of times already, right off our section of the beach. 

Stuart however is a keen fisherman and cannot be persuaded to keep too far back. So Joe follows him around with a waddy to attack any croc which chases Stuart. Stuart has caught a couple of fish and so he is happy. 

The consensus is that we are staying here for a few days or until the wind drops and the sand flies start! 

Nira and Stuart travel for long periods at a time and we have been discussing how to keep fresh vegies for so long. They do a lot of dehydrating, of vegies, fruits, and even herbs. They also salt some things such as limes, lemons, green mangoes, and cabbage ( sour kraut!) 

Nira showed me how to do the sauerkraut!  I have always wanted to do this but thought it was difficult! Not so! My first batch is started and if it turns out this will become a regular for us!  

Stuart also likes to catch game. Last night we saw lots of feral pigs running past our campsite to a patch of Wongai trees. -apparently eating the fallen fruit. However he and Nira are uncertain about eating feral pigs because of the parasites. We fantasised that the crocodiles might get an easy feed if Stuart and Joe can catch and kill one of the pigs!  Could make quite a spectacle!  

We stayed here three nights! The days were spent chatting and telling yarns. Nira and I chatted about food and India (Nira is of Indian heritage), Stuart fished and worked on his car, and Joe went for a long walk to the tip of Cape Mellville, but didn't make it back before dark. He (and we) was concerned about crocodiles if he walked on the beach, and about wild pigs if he walked on the track - since he had no torch. So Stuart went along the track in his car to meet him. Joe had the handheld UHF radio so we could communicate. He had walked about 20 Klm's. 

The wind blew a gale all day yesterday and the night before. There was spumes blowing off the waves, white tops every where, and chairs and solar panels blowing over. On Saturday night we phoned (sat phone) Emma to check the weather report to make sure we were not in for dangerous weather (heavy rain or a cyclone). She reported only a strong wind warning so we stayed put. Of course the wind meant no sand flies so we were glad. 

We found that if we lowered the roof on the Earthcruiser the re was less buffering and we had a better sleep. We left regretfully after three nights, heading for kalpowar crossing in Lakefield National Park. 

Cooktown to Cape Mellville -the Starke track! Oct 15 - 18.

After a delay of some hours waiting for a legal document to arrive we finally got out of Cooktown about 4pm! On the Cape at last! But the first stretch is bitumen and no challenge at all. We arrived at Isabella Falls about 5pm ready to camp if it was nice, and found another camper there. After introductions it transpired that they were also considering Cape Mellville but were put off by a magazine article about the trip and had decided against it. They also told us about a camping spot about 50m from them with a lovelly little "bath" in the creek.

They (Stuart and Nira) also loaned us the magazine. The story was at once disturbing and inspiring! We decided we would do the Starke Track! to Cape Mellville, but not go to Bathurst Head where we would have to drive over mud with a surface crust and who knows what underneath!

In the morning we suggested to Stuart and Nira that if they still wanted to go to Cape Mellville we could travel in convoy. There is security in numbers - they have HF radio and we have sat phone etc. Already we have been able to help them out with txt messages to their friends who are broken down in Cooktown. So it was agreed. We will meet at the boat ramp at the mouth of the Starke River tomorrow morning, for the start of the track proper. 

The Starke River boat ramp area was thick with sand flies! We managed with lots of repellants, but decided we could not stay there another night! In addition another camper there told that a croc had come up the bank after his little dog a few days before, so we shouldn't go close to the water's edge.  Well we don't have to be told twice! So when Stuart and Nira arrived we headed straight off to the Starke Track.

Now we were starting into 4wd country. This is not a mainstream track, and is not maintained. 

The road is washed out, there are numerous dry creek crossings with steep entries and exits. 

Things were going along fine, with some weaving and tight fits between trees on the sides of the track and overhanging branches. Until they didn't go along fine!  Joe was trying to fit the vehicle between trees on the side of the track, with only centimeters to spare, when CRUNCH. The drivers side wheel went up on a termite mound, tilting the camper to the left and into the tree he was trying to squeeze past. The sickening crunch was caused by splintering fiberglass. :(

It was not easy to get put of either! We couldn't go backwards or forwards without doing more damage.  Joe dug the termite mound down to avoid the wheel lifting up over it. 

He also started to cut down the tree with the chainsaw but soon saw that it would fall onto the car possibly damaging the solar panels, so that was no good. Eventually he put the "Treds" under the left side wheels to tilt the camper away from the tree! and then he could back out. Then he cut down the tree so we could go through. Now the window is taped up to keep the dust out. 

And there was certainly lots of dust -bull dust in fact. 

The bull dust turned to sand which was quite deep and soft. Stuart and Nira got bogged twice and each time let their tyres down further.

We noticed the scenery in spite of the driving challenges though, with a number of different vegetation types in white poplar gums, paperbarks, and a very pretty tree which we think was E. Tesselaris. 

There was also a strange termite species which built up the trunks of healthy trees. It's colour was red which must have been the colour of the deeper soil, since we saw other termite mounds the same colour. The surface soil was white so it did look surprising. See the orange trunk in the background here...

And here is a close up of the tree and another mound. 

The trip from The Starke River took about 13 hours travelling, and we camped one night on the way.

So we were very pleased to get here.