Cape York 2003
The big trip for 2003 was decided in previous meetings.
Most of the group left in the week 3-8 August, each vehicle making their own
way to Cairns, where everyone would meet.
Sunday 10th August
Jim and Christine, Rudi, Anneke and Erwin arrived at the Lake Placid caravan
Park were Ann and John had already found their place to stay overnight with
their caravan. Simon and James found a place in a caravan park nearby. We
were all to meet up the next day.
Monday 11th August
Robert’s Birthday! And no, we won’t mention his age.
After a good sleep, everyone went their own separate ways to prepare for the
big trip, go shopping, and last checks on the vehicles.
Ann received a phone call from Simon that sadly his Father in Manilla is very
ill and he is going home to be with him. James has to take the car back to
Sydney, so sadly they couldn’t join us on the trip.
At about 5.00 pm the rest of the group arrived. Ann, Rob, Samuel, Sara, and
Matthew, Kika and David.
At 9.00pm we had a little meeting and agreed that we leave appr. 9.00 am the
following morning.
Tuesday 12th August
At 9.15 am everyone was ready. Our first stop was Port Douglas, we enjoyed
a beautiful view at the lookout. Next, we went to Mossman. David, who unfortunately
had a crack in the window, went to look for someone to fix it, but never found
one. The rest of us had a look around and did some last minute shopping. After
some lunch we followed the road to Daintree.
Because some problems with the radio’s, we lost each other. Some went
to the village of Daintree, others went onto the Ferry over the Daintree River.
The whole area was beautiful, with many beaches and nature walks. It would
definitely be worthwhile to go back one day and spent some more time in this
area.
At 4.30 pm Rudi, Anneke and Erwin arrived first at the Lions Den to stop for
a drink and to wait for the others. Jim and Christine arrived next, but didn’t
stop and went on to Cooktown to find a spot for an overnight stay. Because
it was late afternoon, Rudi, Anneke and Erwin decided to set up camp. When
the rest of the group arrived and had a drink, they also decided to head to
Cooktown, so David could get up early morning and set out on another mission
to fix his window.
Wednesday 13th August
We all met in Cooktown where we discovered the spot were Captain Cook landed,
and also learned a little about the history of Cooktown. Jim and Christine,
travelling with their trailer, left at 9.00 am for Musgrave, our second overnight
stay.
The road through Lakefield National Park was beautiful forcing us to stop
regularly and enjoy the views, the anthills and the lagoons. Lunch was held
at the old Laura Homestead. The weather so far had been fantastic, we forgot
it was still winter. The cold was left at home, and they could keep it!
At about 4.30 pm we arrived at the Musgrave station campsite. Jim and Christine
had already set up camp and welcomed us by opening the gate and showing us
were we could set up. For the people who never travelled in the outback, it
was a surprise to see the dot on the map is not a town. Musgrave is just a
roadhouse, were you can get fuel, eat, drink and set up camp.
Thursday 14th August
Christine’s Birthday, and we all went to their campsite where the children
sang Happy Birthday. Christine was well surprised with the presents we lavished
upon her.
At 9.00 am we left Musgrave for our first stop at Coen, a nice little country
town. We saw the sign on top of the pub, and were left wondering what was
happening there. The sign? It read: The Sexchange Hotel. We left soon after.
I think the boys were scared.
At lunch we stopped at the Archer River. The kids had some time to play around
in the almost dry river. At the Archer River Roadhouse some of us had the
famous Archerburger for lunch, and we have to say it was worth the money
So far so good and no trouble with the car’s, yet. Except John, who
lost one of his antennas.
At about 3.30 pm we arrived in Weipa, were Christine and Jim had already set
up camp. When everyone else set up camp and the washing was done, we went
to the local Bowling Club to have something to eat. That became an adventure
on it’s own. After ordering our meals, it took ages before the only
staff member available had cooked the meals (we were not the only clients
there). In the meantime, Erwin lit the candles on the table and gave one to
Christine for her Birthday. We enjoyed a drink while waiting for the meals.
Every time we heard another number come up, we leapt from our chairs, with
big expectations to receive our meal. The meals arrived after waiting patiently,
with thousands of apologies from the lady cook. After all we had our stomachs
filled again. Whoever is going to Weipa again, order you meal in the afternoon,
or cook it yourself!
And what did John do that day? He lost another antenna, and Jim had to change
a tyre.
Back at the campsite, the sky was filled with fruit bats and stars.
We were all tired and went to bed at about 10.00 pm.
Friday 15th August
Slowly everyone woke up, David, Jim and Samuel went fishing but didn’t
catch much. Everyone went their own way in the morning. At 2.00 pm a bus trip
was booked to the famous Bauxite mines, Ann V. and Anneke stayed ‘home’
to do some washing, write some postcards and have a nice relaxing afternoon.
At 5.00 pm the bus came back, and it appeared all had enjoyed the trip.
Some went to the beach to see the sun disappearing into the sea, and Erwin
started a campfire. After diner was cooked and eaten, we went to bed; tomorrow
would be an early start.
Saturday 16th August
After the camp was packed away, the group went shopping, and most of us had
to fill the tanks again.
We left Weipa at about 9.15 am, travelling through Batavia Downs before stopping
at the Wenlock River at about 11.30 am. The kids and some adults had fun playing
in the river. For some of the die-hard off-roaders it was a disappointment
that there was a bridge over the river. For others it was a relief that we
didn’t have to go through the river. We all had a quick look at Moreton
station, an old telegraph station, but there was not much to see. On our way
David lost his side step from his car, leaving it along the side of the road
as a donation to the telegraph road, together with many other car parts we
discovered along side of the roads. For Lunch we stopped at the Dulhunty River
were Jim thought it was smart to put his head between the car and the trailer,
and as result split his head open. With the help of several first aid kits,
we fixed the problem and agreed that Jim’s brain was still intact.
At 3.30 we arrived at the famous Gunshot creek crossing. Everyone who had
checked the Internet before leaving had expected the worst, but it was not
so bad. Of course, we didn’t take the most difficult route, under protest
from some people who were thirsting a bit more action. At 5.15 pm we arrived
at our next camping spot: Elliot Falls. After setting up camp most of the
group went for a swim. Some people forgot that when you want to swim, you
need your swimmers. So they jumped in, in their undies. What a sight with
some of them. Rudi looked marvellous in his nice white undies. Twin falls
is a beautiful spot, without those swimmers, that is.
After cooking and eating, some went to bed while others stayed around for
an evening drink and idle chatter. It had been a very enjoyable, but very
bumpy, drive that day.
Sunday 17th August
After getting up at 7.30 am, breakfast and packing up, most of the group went
for another swim at Twin Falls. At 11.30 we all left. It became a day of river
crossings! In total we crossed 7, but most of the rivers are very swallow
and it was not that difficult. Our aim was to have lunch at the Jardine River.
In turns we drove up front. It became Rudi’s turn to check rivers. We
arrived at a big pond, so Rudi decided to follow the directions he had learnt:
never drive around through the mud, but go straight through the water.Unfortunatly
there was a big log in the water, so he became stuck in the middle. With help
from Robert he safely arrived on the other side.
But, what David couldn’t do, Rudi finally did. He caught a fish! A fish
of about 1 cm long. What a catch!
We arrived safely at the shore of the Jardine River to have lunch. We took
a walk and had a look around. Originally, it was possible to cross the river
here, but there are many stories going around that it is not possible anymore
because the river is too deep. To confirm this, Robert decided to check himself
by walking almost to the other side. Knowing there are crocodiles living in
every river, we were all waiting for the big snap. But no crocodile was in
the mood to eat a nice snack from Sydney.
After some discussions, it was decided to take the ferry over the Jardine,
a trip of 28 seconds that made our wallets $88 lighter. But as a bonus, the
return was included and the ticket was valid for 12 months. What a bargain.
After another bumpy ride we arrived in Seisia at 5.30 pm, where Jim and Christine
already set up camp. The camping ground was full so we had to set up on the
other side off the road, on a nice spot between palm trees and on a lot of
sand. After the usual routine of setting up camp, Erwin collected firewood
and showed us he is the expert at starting fires, what he successful did every
night of the rest of the holiday.
Monday 18 August
After the normal routine, we were on our way to the real top of Australia.
First stop was Loyalty beach, where some sharks were playing around. We passed
Lockerby, an old homestead and stopped at the only souvenirs shop in the area.
Ann H became a little pale when the kids went to see a crocodile. It turned
out to be a fake, but looked very real. After another bumpy ride we stopped
at an old fuel dump dating back to WW2, amazed that it had survived all those
years. We had lunch at another beach before arriving at the Northern tip of
Australia. It was still a hard walk and climb to get there, but was well worth
it. The required photos were taken, and David tried to let a dream come true
and went fishing on the point. He only caught a rock and lost his rod. After
climbing rocks and the walk back over the beach, we went to Bamaga and did
the shopping.
Tuesday 19 August
Some had a sleep in while John/Ann, Kika/David and Robert/ Samuel went on
a fishing trip. Rudi dismantled the car to let it dry, (it was still soaked
after being stuck in the pond) while Ann H and Anneke did the washing. In
the afternoon, Rudi and Erwin went for a drive to look at some WW2 plane wrecks.
The fishing group came back with a huge amount of fish, which we all ate for
3 days. Very healthy and very tasty.
Wednesday 20 August
We all had to get up early, to catch the boat to Thursday Island which left
at 8.00 am. After a very enjoyable trip we arrived at Thursday Island in an
hour. Following the advice of the fishing trip organiser in Seisia, we didn’t
book for the bus tour. Instead, we booked a maxi taxi. What the guy forgot
to tell us is that there is only one of those on the island. After 1 ½
hours we started our tour . Ray, a local, was the driver. He showed us around
and told us where he played as a young boy, where his grandparents are buried,
etc. Ray became David’s friend and promised him to come to Sydney soon
and visit them. We had an enjoyable lunch in the Federal Hotel, walked through
the shopping centre, and soon it was time again for the boat trip back. The
journey back was a little rough, and when we arrived back in Seisia we were
all very tired
Thursday 21 August
The previous night, Christine told us that they both decided to go on their
way home. The rest of us, except John and Ann, went for a trip. First to Bamaga
information centre, where we learnt the local history and that was very interesting,
then on to Mutti point. It was a very rough road. On the way we assisted a
family that were bogged in sand and didn’t have the right gear with
them, so Rudi had to winch him out The road became very sandy and one of us
became bogged too! It was Rudi’s second time he needed help. We lunched
on a beautiful spot by the river. After some searching, we found a WW2 radar
tower (it took us all day to find it), had a walk around, then went back to
do some shopping.
Friday 22 August
First we went to Mapoon to find a community house were the locals make and
sell paintings. We spent some time with a lovely lady who told us some history
about the area. We were all very impressed with the paintings and everyone
bought some. We discovered a modified anthill with a drawer and chair attached.
Again, we went on a search for crocodiles, but no luck. Then we were on our
way to Somerset, an area that in earlier days had a big homestead. We had
a look around and went on towards the beach. After admiring the surroundings
and seeing the graves of people who lived (And died, obviously) in Somerset,
we followed the 4 wheel drive track along the beaches. After we followed Robert
over two beaches and no tracks were discovered anymore, we safely arrived
back on the main road. In the meantime the rest of the group decided to go
ahead and drive back to camp. At night some went to the wharf and watched
the tourists and locals fishing.
Saturday 23 August
After a very enjoyable stay in Seisia it was time to pack up again. Everyone
needed to go somewhere, we would sleep better without all the noise from screaming
birds, horses and dogs who were travelling in the middle of the night through
town, noises from unloading of the ships etc. But we will miss the campfires
at night so well made by Erwin.
First we did some shopping in Bamaga, and had a look at the plane wreck of
a WW2 DC3.
In the meantime, Kika and David received the good news that their house was
sold and they could go on planning their trip around Australia
On the other side of the Jardine River, yes we used our return ticket for
the ferry, the first major breakdown happened. David’s car had a broken
shock absorber, so Robert and David went back to the ferry roadhouse to seek
help. When they got back they decided to go on without one. Rudi lost his
areal.
We arrived at Fruit Bat falls later than planned, where we all had a late
lunch and some of us had a swim. It was then decided to go on towards Captain
Billies landing camping ground. What we didn’t know was that we would
have more car problems. John lost another areal, and Rudi lost a suspension
bolt in the middle of no-where, so couldn’t drive anymore because he
almost lost a wheel. Together with John, they walked back but didn’t
find the bolt. After a while Robert and David came to assist John, Rudi and
Erwin to fix the car. They did so using a bolt from the bullbar. We arrived
late in camp, while Ann and Kika started cooking for the whole lot. They did
a fantastic job, feeding a hungry and tired bunch of people.
Sunday 24 August
Joining us in the camping ground was a group from the Monthly 4x4 drive magazine,
who were on a trip to the Cape. They made photos and videos for the magazine.
Hearing all our stories, they took photos of all of us and of the problems
with the cars. In a shed full with souvenirs people had left behind, we admired
all the stories on all sorts of material. We also left our story behind, written
on an old water bottle.
We left at about 10.00 am
Rudi/ Anneke/Erwin were stopped by a huge python in the middle of the road
and warned the others. But when they arrived the python had had enough and
disappeared in the bushes. We stopped at Bramwell station to have lunch. Then
over the Frenchman’s track to Chili beach. It was a beautiful but very
bumpy and winding road. We crossed 13 rivers, small and big ones, then arrived
at the campsite at 7.30pm.Around the campfire it was decided to stay for 2
nights, so we could see some of the surrounding area.
Monday 25 Agust
Kika and David didn’t wake up very happy, discovering two holes in their
matrass. They were able to fix the problem. After breakfast we first went
to a little spot : Portland Road. On the way, we met a guy who asked for help
with his car. Robert assisted him twice but after the car gave up a third
time, gave up and we continued our trip. At Portland Road there are only a
few houses and a beach. We had some lunch and followed the road towards Lockhart
river. We did some shopping, had lunch on the beach and visited a community
centre full with paintings/craft of locals. Back at camp 5.00 pm.
Tuesday 26 August
Anneke’s Birthday, she was surprised with a birthday choir and a present
from the whole group.
After usual routine of packing we left 9.40 am. This time we took the bypass
road, but what a bumpy ride that became! We stopped at Archer river Roadhouse,
were Anneke was presented with a birthday ‘cake’ with a candle,
organised by Ann H. After lunch we went on the road again towards Musgrave
station, where we had diner, and then our last campfire.
Wednesday 27 August
We left at 9.30 am, aiming for our first stop at the town of Laura, after
first taking the usual group photos of Drivers with their dirty cars.
On the way to Laura, John had some problems with his radiator. In Laura everyone
assisted to try and solve this problem. In the mean time, Erwin kept the kids
busy by keeping them in jail!
After a long drive on corrugated road, all of a sudden we didn’t now
what hit us. We were sitting still in the car, no hobbling anymore!
We stopped at Palmers Road House for a snack and a drink and arrived in Cairns
at 6.30 pm. Kika and David found a nice spot in town, while the rest stayed
in the Lake Placid caravan park again. We met at night in Cairns and enjoyed
a nice diner together. We said goodbye to Kika and David
Thursday 28 August
In the morning we said goodbye to Ann/Robert/Samuel/Sara/Matthew, John and
Ann. Rudi, Anneke, Erwin stayed for another two days in Cairns.
Thanks to everyone for a very enjoyable holiday. We had our ups and downs
but that makes the adventure worthwhile. We all can’t wait for the next
one.