Cape York Capers 1

 Mareeba and

Cape York Peninsula

Queensland

July 15 to July 23, 2016

We pick up our adventures in Mareeba, west of Cairns on the Atherton Tablelands. 

Our visit happened to coincide with the Mareeba Rodeo. I had never been to a rodeo and found it  thrilling ... lots of bucking broncos and bullish bulls, cowboys and cowgirls, big hats and high boots. It was great fun.

The bulls were amazing. This one had incredible elevation, about a metre off the ground.

This was the bull riding final. Of the eight finalists not one managed to stay on for the requisite eight seconds.

I love this photo with all the "clowns" running to help and the rest climbing the fences. No animal or man was injured.

I couldn't resist a big hat.

Every country carnival must have a wood chopping comp. Terrific entertainment.

The moment the top is severed.

Then it was time to begin our Cape York Caper. After much discussion we decided to keep the family together and drag Myrtle all the way to The Tip, the northern most point of continental Australia. We were warned about the road - 1800km (return) of corrugations and bull dust - and knew it would be a slow trip. The road lived up to its reputation, but more on that later.

The first stop, and end of the "black top" (bitumen), was Laura. The surrounding area contains some of the most significant Aboriginal rock art in Australia. Most of it is off limits but Split Rock Gallery near Laura was accessible.

On the way to Split Rock.

Much of the art is damaged or faded but this rendition of a dingo, a man and a woman was quite stunning.

It was also Gazman's birthday so a visit to the Laura local was on the cards. 

We wore the Corona beanies we had scored while celebrating Garry's 60th birthday at Kingscliff last year.

It was a very ordinary pub but we made our own fun.

Beginning of the dirt. Note how clean Pedro and Myrtle are in this photo.

The Bend campsite on the Coen River was a delightful stop after our first day in the dust.

Beautiful clear water ... and no crocodiles.

We returned to this camp spot on our return journey.

Our next stop was Bramwell Station where they were mustering the cattle using helicopters and quad bikes. The cows and calves were separated in the nearby yards and spent the night calling for each other. A bit sad to hear them.

Garry making friends with a bleating youngster.

The station also turns on dinner and live music every night. We didn't partake of the meal but enjoyed the muso and his rock 'n' roll repertoire.

A beautiful moonlit night at Bramwell Station.

The Cape is renowned for its huge termite/ants nests.

The third day into our trek and the road really deteriorated. Travellers have a choice of taking the Old Telegraph Road or the bypass Bamaga Road. The OTR is 4WD only and to tackle it is a badge of honour for many. Their tee shirts read "Mud, Sweat and Beers". It's a different crowd - rough and ready, very macho.
  We trundled along on the bypass which presented its own challenges - deep corrugations and huge dust holes. At times we were travelling 10km/h and spent much of the day in the gutter. Some photos to illustrate the point.

Corrugations rule.

Into the gutter.

There was evidence of casualties along the way. 

Toasted trailer. Hee hee.

The suspension on this new camper trailer was torn out.

The chassis on this Ford Ranger had bowed. They were pulling a van and we suspect came into a crossing too fast.

Fruit Bat Falls proved a beautiful interlude in the jarring journey. Cool, clear water in a gorgeous setting.

Finally, we made it to the Jardine River ferry, a bit shattered but everyone in one piece. 

We made our base at Loyalty Beach and caught our breath for a few days before heading the final 30km to The Tip of Oz. We scored a camp site on the beach front. Superb.

Garry enjoying a well-earned beer and watching the sun go down over the Torres Strait.

Great real estate: Absolute waterfront.

A spot of fishing. Lots of crocodile warning signs so this was about as far as we ventured into the water.

The nightly routine: Beautiful sunsets ....

... an open fire ...

...  Bush Stone-Curlews.

We ventured across to Thursday, Friday and Horn Island by boat. There are other islands also identified by the days of the week, a legacy of Captain Bligh who named them according to the day of exploration.

Thursday Island. The administrative centre of the Torres Strait and its 138 islands.

Beautiful blue water but nowhere to swim. Damn the saltwater crocs.

Green Hill Fort which was built in the 1890s when it was thought the Russians were coming.
Fifty years later nearby Horn Island, with its airstrip and military camps, was frequently bombed by the Japanese. The story goes that Thursday Island, home to army headquarters, escaped harm because there are so many Japanese pearl divers buried there.

A monument on Possession Island marks the spot where Captain Cook landed and claimed the east coast of Australia for King George III.

That's enough for one sitting. More Cape York Capers in a few days. Toodle pip.