Katherine our second time of passing through this town, the first, being with the group last October after visiting Katherine Gorge. This time we see a bit more of the town topping up with provisions and diesel before heading off on the Savannah Way. Last time we came down we stopped off at Mataranka springs, this time we tried Bitter springs a much more natural experience where you can drift down stream on the current at a pleasant 32 degrees. The only trouble with the more natural, is the tree roots and long grasses on the bank where you could just imagine the crocodiles slithering in for lunch.
Now this, Jan struggled to handle and after a quick paddle halfway across the stream she rapidly retreated to the safety of the bank, leaving me to wallow in the pleasant temperatures on my own, managing to remove myself just before my skin started to resemble a wrinkled prune (oh too late it was already like that when I got in). Another oil change on the camper while we stopped for dinner something we are becoming dab hands at now, allowing the oil to drain while we have a sandwich and coffee, then refill with new oil before leaving, but always putting the keys on the new oil container to ensure I don’t forget to put in the new oil, something I think you would do only once!! Daley’s Waters used to be famous for its airstrip where long distance flyers would stop and refuel but now with the modern planes it’s been made redundant, nowadays it’s more famous for its pub supposedly the Northern Territories oldest pub! hence the reason for calling back here again. We stopped on the way down last October with the group, but only for lunch and the place was empty, we wanted to sample the atmosphere on a busy evening. This time we went for the Barrumundi and Steak barbeque plus a few schooners of Toohey’s and a bottle Mc Williams red wine. What a great night, good entertainment from the resident host plus 
a couple of Spanish and Italian backpackers who although they couldn’t sing in English soon had the aussies clapping along to their songs. We set off the next morning on the Savannah Way which is a long distance outback driving route that links Broome on the west coast to Cairns on the east coast the majority of this road is sealed but there is still a huge amount of unsealed corrugated road to take us across the top of Australia, we have been on it since we left Broome apart from when we took to the Gibb River Road. OPEN PLAINS OF THE SAVANNAH WAY
This next bit is supposed to be very rough and quite difficult going but after passing a couple of young girls in their Ford Falcon station wagon coming the other way we begin to wonder just how rough this road really is. We soon found out just a few km’s later, coming across a creek crossing where our vehicle was submerged up to the lockers whilst bumping along on the rough boulder bottom, we think the girls must have either turned around and be coming back, or else carried their car across!!
This next bit is supposed to be very rough and quite difficult going but after passing a couple of young girls in their Ford Falcon station wagon coming the other way we begin to wonder just how rough this road really is. We soon found out just a few km’s later, coming across a creek crossing where our vehicle was submerged up to the lockers whilst bumping along on the rough boulder bottom, we think the girls must have either turned around and be coming back, or else carried their car across!! BUSH CAMP AT LEICHHARDT FALLS
We stop off at Lawn Hill National Park, yes yet another gorge but lined with Palm trees and after being on the rough scrub lands for hundreds of km’s to come across this place is like stumbling across paradise. 
It would have been even better if we had booked ahead to stay at the gorge campsite in the national park, instead of having to stop at the caravan park 10 km away, but as there are only 20 places at the gorge you have to book up well ahead to get a spot. We are now two thirds of the way across Oz and our next stop is Undara Volcanic national park. The longest Lava tubes in the world can be found here, formed 190,000 years ago from a continuous volcanic eruption that lasted between ten and hundreds of years (even the scientist aren’t sure on this one). 
The lava flows follow old river beds which the tubes were formed by the outside skin cooling & forming an insulating layer that allowed the lava to flow through, when the eruption finally finished the lava drained out of the tubes leaving these hollow tubes that today we can walk through and the bats can live in. We leave Undara on the hot Savannah plains just after midday, two hours later we are climbing up into the tablelands, a steep ascent on very narrow windy roads into a cloud laden sky,
We stop off at Lawn Hill National Park, yes yet another gorge but lined with Palm trees and after being on the rough scrub lands for hundreds of km’s to come across this place is like stumbling across paradise. It would have been even better if we had booked ahead to stay at the gorge campsite in the national park, instead of having to stop at the caravan park 10 km away, but as there are only 20 places at the gorge you have to book up well ahead to get a spot. We are now two thirds of the way across Oz and our next stop is Undara Volcanic national park. The longest Lava tubes in the world can be found here, formed 190,000 years ago from a continuous volcanic eruption that lasted between ten and hundreds of years (even the scientist aren’t sure on this one). The lava flows follow old river beds which the tubes were formed by the outside skin cooling & forming an insulating layer that allowed the lava to flow through, when the eruption finally finished the lava drained out of the tubes leaving these hollow tubes that today we can walk through and the bats can live in. We leave Undara on the hot Savannah plains just after midday, two hours later we are climbing up into the tablelands, a steep ascent on very narrow windy roads into a cloud laden sky, IT'S THE LAKE DISTRICT ALL OVER AGAIN
a good ten degrees cooler than what we are used to which reminds us very much of the Lake District. But here they have palm trees and sugar cane growing everywhere, it’s the first time we have seen greenery like this since Tasmania. We drop down off the tablelands catching our first sight of the Pacific Ocean since leaving the east coast back in January, 
and a very welcome sight it is too. We have both decided that the coast is our preferred option for somewhere to live, now all we have to do is decide which coast in which country? We take the Captain Cook highway up the coast to Cape Tribulation this is where the rainforest meets the sea, spectacular scenery surrounds us.
Passing through Port Douglas with its 5 star hotels and palm lined beach, the only downside being the trade winds which at this time of year can be rather aggressive coming off the sea, but with temperatures in the mid 30’s, it’s like standing in front of a huge hairdryer. Cape Tribulation sits at the end of a narrow tarmac road that winds its way through the rainforest with pleasant empty beaches compared to the towns further down the coast.
From Cape tribulation it’s the Bloomfield 4wd track, taking you through the Daintree National Park to Cooktown. This has some 1:3 ascents and descents over the Donovan range, but even Jan is relaxed as we take these in our stride (perhaps she had some red wine on her cereal that morning!) We stop off at Archers point for lunch and toy with the idea of camping the night there,
a good ten degrees cooler than what we are used to which reminds us very much of the Lake District. But here they have palm trees and sugar cane growing everywhere, it’s the first time we have seen greenery like this since Tasmania. We drop down off the tablelands catching our first sight of the Pacific Ocean since leaving the east coast back in January, and a very welcome sight it is too. We have both decided that the coast is our preferred option for somewhere to live, now all we have to do is decide which coast in which country? We take the Captain Cook highway up the coast to Cape Tribulation this is where the rainforest meets the sea, spectacular scenery surrounds us. Passing through Port Douglas with its 5 star hotels and palm lined beach, the only downside being the trade winds which at this time of year can be rather aggressive coming off the sea, but with temperatures in the mid 30’s, it’s like standing in front of a huge hairdryer. Cape Tribulation sits at the end of a narrow tarmac road that winds its way through the rainforest with pleasant empty beaches compared to the towns further down the coast. From Cape tribulation it’s the Bloomfield 4wd track, taking you through the Daintree National Park to Cooktown. This has some 1:3 ascents and descents over the Donovan range, but even Jan is relaxed as we take these in our stride (perhaps she had some red wine on her cereal that morning!) We stop off at Archers point for lunch and toy with the idea of camping the night there, YES IT IS REALLY WINDY HERE
but the trade winds are still in full flow and so opt for the comfort of a sheltered caravan park in Cooktown. Sunday morning we set off on the final 867 km’s to the tip of Cape York passing through Lakeland National park on Battle Camp road, dust, potholes & corrugations a sign of things to come.
but the trade winds are still in full flow and so opt for the comfort of a sheltered caravan park in Cooktown. Sunday morning we set off on the final 867 km’s to the tip of Cape York passing through Lakeland National park on Battle Camp road, dust, potholes & corrugations a sign of things to come. TIGHTEN UP THOSE LOOSE SCREWS FROM THE CORRUGATIONS
We camp at Kalpowar crossing complete with cold showers (even Jan had one it must be hot!).
But no saltwater crocs unfortunately, apart from the one salt water crocodile that we saw swimming down the river at Mambi Island, we haven’t seen another yet, despite all the warning signs.
We camp at Kalpowar crossing complete with cold showers (even Jan had one it must be hot!). But no saltwater crocs unfortunately, apart from the one salt water crocodile that we saw swimming down the river at Mambi Island, we haven’t seen another yet, despite all the warning signs. EVEN THE STICK INSECTS ARE PARTIAL TO A DROP OF RED WINE!
We would both like to see another one, providing it’s not too close of course! Coming out of the national park we join back on the development road heading north, ready for the rough conditions that everyone’s been talking about, but in actual fact it’s surprisingly smooth, it even has sealed tarmac sections. Just before you reach the town of Weipa a mining town established in 1962, we come across our first traffic lights in over 2000 km’s,
We would both like to see another one, providing it’s not too close of course! Coming out of the national park we join back on the development road heading north, ready for the rough conditions that everyone’s been talking about, but in actual fact it’s surprisingly smooth, it even has sealed tarmac sections. Just before you reach the town of Weipa a mining town established in 1962, we come across our first traffic lights in over 2000 km’s, CAN'T MISS THESE
these are to stop us being run down by the huge bauxite mining haulage trucks that cross the highway dragging their heavy loads to the ore ships loading conveyor. It takes four tons of bauxite to make one tonne of aluminium, so the sizes of the vehicles like those in the goldfields are monstrous. A one night stop to see the famous sunset which is not disappointing and we leave to do the final leg to the top. 
Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, this is where the old telegraph track leaves the developmental road, I have been hoping that we would be able to navigate this challenging track and Jan has been hoping equally as strongly that we wouldn’t, from the many people we have met and spoken to on the way up who have done it, the jury’s out as to whether our vehicle is up to it or not. Now when you do this track they always tell you do it in pairs so there’s always someone to pull you out, even better have a winch with you, we unfortunately lacked both of these items but not being put off that easily, much to my wife’s disappointment we drive down the track to look at the first creek crossing. Palm creek crossing is supposed to be one of the more difficult crossings and if you can do this one the rest should be a breeze, but it soon became glaringly obvious that if we wanted the camper to have any resale value in Sydney we wouldn’t be doing the track. Palm creek has a very sharp descent into the creek bed with a three foot drop off about half way down, now we have quite an overhang at the back of the camper and where our rear step is, it’s quite low as well. 
This would have definitely become stuck on the mud step, leaving Jan the task off digging us off, that coupled with having to wade through all the creek beds looking for potholes, then standing by the potholes while I drove through, this just wasn’t Jan’s idea of a fun time, flying seaplanes is one thing wading creeks another. So we decided that just having a little look in at each of the track would have to suffice we managed to do about 10km of the track taking in Fruit Bat Falls 
and Elliot Falls, 
both very nice with crystal clear warm water just what you needed to wash off the dust from the road. Reaching the top of Cape York we head for Somerset, the old administration centre for the Torres strait islands, now derelict and deserted after the centre was moved to Thursday Island in 1877, but it still has beachfront access where you can bush camp overlooking Albany Island. 
We spend our first night at the tip camped here well back from the beach just in case there are any crocs that are thinking of dinning out that night! 
The next morning we drive as close as we can to the tip which is the car park of an old resort, 
which the owners just walked away from in 2001. Walking over the old boardwalks minding the rotten parts (no maintenance for 8 years), it’s a 15 minute stroll out over the headland to the tip, narrowly missing one snake on the way (Jan was pleased).
these are to stop us being run down by the huge bauxite mining haulage trucks that cross the highway dragging their heavy loads to the ore ships loading conveyor. It takes four tons of bauxite to make one tonne of aluminium, so the sizes of the vehicles like those in the goldfields are monstrous. A one night stop to see the famous sunset which is not disappointing and we leave to do the final leg to the top. Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, this is where the old telegraph track leaves the developmental road, I have been hoping that we would be able to navigate this challenging track and Jan has been hoping equally as strongly that we wouldn’t, from the many people we have met and spoken to on the way up who have done it, the jury’s out as to whether our vehicle is up to it or not. Now when you do this track they always tell you do it in pairs so there’s always someone to pull you out, even better have a winch with you, we unfortunately lacked both of these items but not being put off that easily, much to my wife’s disappointment we drive down the track to look at the first creek crossing. Palm creek crossing is supposed to be one of the more difficult crossings and if you can do this one the rest should be a breeze, but it soon became glaringly obvious that if we wanted the camper to have any resale value in Sydney we wouldn’t be doing the track. Palm creek has a very sharp descent into the creek bed with a three foot drop off about half way down, now we have quite an overhang at the back of the camper and where our rear step is, it’s quite low as well. This would have definitely become stuck on the mud step, leaving Jan the task off digging us off, that coupled with having to wade through all the creek beds looking for potholes, then standing by the potholes while I drove through, this just wasn’t Jan’s idea of a fun time, flying seaplanes is one thing wading creeks another. So we decided that just having a little look in at each of the track would have to suffice we managed to do about 10km of the track taking in Fruit Bat Falls and Elliot Falls, both very nice with crystal clear warm water just what you needed to wash off the dust from the road. Reaching the top of Cape York we head for Somerset, the old administration centre for the Torres strait islands, now derelict and deserted after the centre was moved to Thursday Island in 1877, but it still has beachfront access where you can bush camp overlooking Albany Island. We spend our first night at the tip camped here well back from the beach just in case there are any crocs that are thinking of dinning out that night! The next morning we drive as close as we can to the tip which is the car park of an old resort, which the owners just walked away from in 2001. Walking over the old boardwalks minding the rotten parts (no maintenance for 8 years), it’s a 15 minute stroll out over the headland to the tip, narrowly missing one snake on the way (Jan was pleased). WE'VE MADE THE TOP
We stop at Punsand bay for the next two nights again another beachfront campsite but from here they do trips across to Thursday Island.
We are both intrigued to visit TI as it known up here after reading the book Castaway by Lucy Irvine several years ago, where Gerald & Lucy spent several months on another of the Torre strait islands but had to go to Thursday Island when they became unwell. This could be bliss warm tropical seas (apart from the crocs & sharks) and the ferry business is even up for sale, could this be the retirement option we’ve been looking for? After spending a very pleasant day on the island with lunch at the pub, VIEW FROM THE TOP OF TI
it’s time for the one and a half hour return journey, the ever present trade winds have got the seas up, and Jan does not enjoy the journey back at all, so I think we can forget the TI ferry business for the time being!
it’s time for the one and a half hour return journey, the ever present trade winds have got the seas up, and Jan does not enjoy the journey back at all, so I think we can forget the TI ferry business for the time being! TI'S VERY BUSY CONTAINER PORT KNOWN TO DO TWO BOXES EVERY WEEK
So we’ve done the top, now for the 900 km drive back down again this is where you start off with a white camper and by the time Cairns pops back into sight you’ve got a red camper both inside & out we also thought our suntans were looking good until we showered. We are now back in civilisation, Cairns the in spot up north on the Queensland coast we like the town but we are surprised that the seafront consist of mudflats at low tide,
So we’ve done the top, now for the 900 km drive back down again this is where you start off with a white camper and by the time Cairns pops back into sight you’ve got a red camper both inside & out we also thought our suntans were looking good until we showered. We are now back in civilisation, Cairns the in spot up north on the Queensland coast we like the town but we are surprised that the seafront consist of mudflats at low tide, SHAME ABOUT THE MUD
apparently the lovely sandy beaches were eroded away through constant dredging in the early 1900’s, perhaps that’s a lesson Felixstowe might well heed with its disappearing pebbly beaches. The final leg of our circumnavigation of Oz is about to begin, we are heading down the coast to Sydney hopefully catching a tall sailing ship cruise at the Whitsunday Islands on the way. To all back home we are pleased to hear the weather is good and we hope you are all well. A special get well message to my father who unfortunately was knocked off his vintage motorcycle last week and is now awaiting an operation to fix his pelvis with some metal plates, I hope they use genuine parts to ensure his vintage is not compromised. We have our fingers crossed that the op will be soon and you can still make the NZ leg of our trip in November, you don't get out of making an apperance on the blog that easily, just mind the metal detector machines at the airport!!
apparently the lovely sandy beaches were eroded away through constant dredging in the early 1900’s, perhaps that’s a lesson Felixstowe might well heed with its disappearing pebbly beaches. The final leg of our circumnavigation of Oz is about to begin, we are heading down the coast to Sydney hopefully catching a tall sailing ship cruise at the Whitsunday Islands on the way. To all back home we are pleased to hear the weather is good and we hope you are all well. A special get well message to my father who unfortunately was knocked off his vintage motorcycle last week and is now awaiting an operation to fix his pelvis with some metal plates, I hope they use genuine parts to ensure his vintage is not compromised. We have our fingers crossed that the op will be soon and you can still make the NZ leg of our trip in November, you don't get out of making an apperance on the blog that easily, just mind the metal detector machines at the airport!! 
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