Daniel and Marysia around Australia: Bamaga and Back.

Ready for return trip South

Heading on and moving on out! The Tip of Cape York now behind us it was time to make the road back south. The road back would be the Bamaga Road, bypassing the Old Telegraph track route. This road was almost as bad as the road we travelled to Cape Leveque (WA), the corrugation, the red dust behind cars left us pulling back away to avoid the clouds, but the corrugation was not avoidable. Our first stop for the night 5 hours later having left Punsand Bay was Coen.

The crew arriving at Bramwell Junction thought that we would stop at Moreton Telegraph Station but decided that we were all in good spririts to keep the momentum, briefly stopping at Archer River Roadhouse before deciding to continue and make the night's stop at Coen. In Coen we'd heard somewhere that the pub had tenting accommodation behind it with hot showers.

Very friendly Coen locals

Arriving around 3.30pm we made inquiries, filled up on diesel before pitching camp for the night for an unpowered site of $5 per person. We'd all decided the day's journey long enough to celebrate with a beer. Before long we were being joined by some of the locals and entertained with music!

Next morning's early start took us onto Musgrave Station before heading out to Lakefield National Park to camp at Kalpowar Crossing. With not much to do except a little fishing, tidying up the cars since they were incredibly dirty, with mess everywhere, music practice, some notes taken, maps studied, information literature read, a few games of 'Rummikubb' before calling it a night.

A good night after a long day's drive south

Packing up, moving on to Cooktown was the day's destination. On arrival we all piled into the Information centre seeking appropriate lodging for the next 2 nights with time to explore this region. Set up camp, a bit of lunch, where we all packed in the 'minute'noodles! Our supplies of fresh produce, after 20 days on the road, was beginning to run out so we had to start getting through the tinned and packeted stuff we'd packed for the right moment....like now!

A night of music with the local guitarist

It was now Sunday, Father's Day 2011. The lads decided to shout themselves a bottle of Jamieson's Whiskey for that special celebration. That night as we were all in our tents lets just say that the weather in Cooktown was probably the worst we'd seen for quite some time. The rain set in for some time, but the wind was almost a gale. At one point I thought the tent was going to take off with us inside!.....unfortunately not the case.

All risen the winds subsiding, the showers passing and onto the James Cook Musuem for some historical knowledge before heading out to Trevethan Falls, then onto the Lion's Den where we decided on a beer and bite of lunch before heading back to base for another night of the usual, cards, Rummikubb, talk and tomorrow's trek onto the Bloomfield Track through to Cape Tribulation.