It's a long way to the tippy top Tip of Australia !!

Sun 16 July - Mon 24 July 

Off on our next adventure north again - to the tippy top tip of Cape York. Looking at the map it still seemed to be a long way to go and unbelievable to think we'd be as far north as we could go in Australia! We only had the night in Cairns to pick up the VIP who joined TGOT (Team Green On Tour ;) ;)  ) here. The Van park was packed to the rafters and we were so ready for some quiet open space anywhere heading north!!

South facing turnoff to Bramwell Station

View from our campsite in Cairns - the red flowering tree was incredible!

A friend had told us about Kuranda as a great place to visit - describing it as 'a little hippy dippy trippy' in my notes from dinner one night. With a decent climb up some big mountains from Cairns we pulled in to get some morning tea and such...oh my stars ...a little market town....it was fabulous!!! And of course as we pulled up 'Sir' says 'OK 30 mins and back here to head off' - so dreaming bro..I was off!! ;)

An incredible eclectic mix of shops from all cultural backgrounds....clothes, jewellery, bees wax & honey, leather goods and the food !!!! Wow an amazing Lebanese dude making delish felafel's in fresh pide bread, French dude with Choc top Profiteroles, Creme Brulee - I think you've worked out we were pretty busy checking things out while we were there. We will go back though as we didn't do it justice - which is also code for there is still some great shopping to be done ;) !

Fabulous Kuranda Markets....that winds it's way down the hill...

On the road to Cooktown

The drive from Kuranda to Cooktown was lovely with some massive changes in the landscape scenery. Black Mountain was most of the most bizarre site I've ever seen. Originally a volcanic plug with clay all down through it and over years and years as the clay washed away - it left what looked like a large quarry pile of grey rock. Next to nothing grows on this area and there a few small species of lizard/gecko that do survive here. I read when it's incredibly hot in summer and it rains onto the rock, the rocks have been heard to crack...extraordinary.

Kapoks on Black Mountain

Black Mountain

We had a night in Cooktown where admittedly we didn't explore too much. Our focus was to work out how to book campsites online for the National Parks we were going through on our way to Cape York. This meant we had to actually sit down and plan a bit more and have a bit more organisation - I'm so not a fan! We've never had to do this before and I get why they have the process. So we took a punt on Old Faithful Waterhole for the first night and Hahn Crossing the next.....nailed it !! Both sites were super!

Welcoming committee at Old Faithful Waterhole, Laura River, Lakefield NP

Old Faithful Waterhole is one of the southern campsite spots in Lakefield NP. The drive from Cooktown was divine and in patches so different to what I expected. Truth be told I've not felt overly excited about the Cape - not entirely sure why though...perhaps watching too many of Huges Youtube clips of Gunshot Creek and the Old Telegraph Track ?? I just don't think it was somewhere that was on my Australia-to-do-bucket-type-list. So ready and open minded we were at our first campsite. It was bliss - we were the only ones there and the other 2 sites no-one was on. Yes we had Huey (the croc) there to welcome us over the river, we met Duey the next morning up the river a little and no doubt Louey was somewhere we couldn't see too - bahahahaha!

The most enormous paperbark at Old Faithful Campsite - the stories she could tell...

The space to sit and have a read, it's never for long enough and I'll take whatever time I can get. However, sitting and reading with Stu and the kids fishing with a croc opposite them and Mum up there watching and helping is somewhat not the most relaxing read time, they're a challenge to get use to that's for sure. 

Aaahhh an afternoon read.....bliss !

Fishing attempt - croc in the sun the other side ;) 

A short run the next day led us to Hahn's Crossing, which we booked at a self serve kiosk near Kalpowar Crossing. Quite a few people around and as we travel through Lakefield I get why they have a booking system. It wasn't too busy and the campsites are massively spacious so you're not on top of each other. We also booked a couple of nights at Chilli Beach in Ironrange NP where we will stay on the way back down - a popular spot too.

Kalpowar Crossing, Normanby River, Lakefield NP

So great to be set up and chilling by midday. The kids enjoyed having a crack at a bit more fishing and some board games too. We didn't actually see any crocs here - although we'd heard of a whoppa about 8km down the track at the very last campsite at Hahn's Crossing. The plant and bird life was stunning and just blissful to have a water view from the dinner table.

Afternoon chess game - Hahn Crossing, Normanby River, Lakefield NP

Stunning pale pink lillies

Hahns Crossing on the Normanby River - I love this pic!!

Sunset on the Normanby River

The road heading to Musgrave Roadhouse was pretty good, it was an interesting run to Coen - with loads of corrugations. We passed a few trucks that looked like they were heading to Weipa with mining gear watching the trailers shake and jolt as we passed them, it would have to be so tough on their gear. It was great heading through Coen with phone service so all devices could ping to their hearts content and make a few calls and texts. We'd been out of mobile range for a few days so it was great to check in with the world !  Ran into a guy driving a short wheel base Landcruiser - I think that's what it was...from Woodstock about 30 mins from us ! So funny how even as remote as you can feel you'll find someone close from home !!

We had the night at Archer River Roadhouse. A few days before arriving here Will Comiskey had asked me to join in on a KLR Telecall with a few other friends about his upcoming journey to Mongolia to do the Mongol Derby for the second year running. Hooray for Roaming WiFi and the cleverness of technology!! The link is below if you'd like to listen to the replay and more importantly the link to donate to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

I'd had a conversation with a lady only that day at Archer River (in the Laundry block again) and still in a bit of shell shock, she shared with me about her mother-in-law being airlifted by the RFDS from Moreton Telegraph Station just north of Archer, unconscious in a diabetic hypoglycaemic coma - so a little bit holy cow!! Hearing about this only enforced to me the role that the RFDS play in rural and remote Australia. There has been numerous times where my over-the-top-I'm-taking-the-sat phone-and-personal-locator-beacon - has seriously reassured me that I have a connection with someone should anything happen to us or someone we come across on the road.

So link below for the replay of the telecall and the link for donating to the RFDS - dig deep people and thank you if you already have donated !


http://thanksmongolderby.respond.ontraport.net


Bramwell Station was our next stop and again another easy run for the day only a 150km or so. Fabulous chill out arvo - Stu and huges headed off to see some Old Telegraph track action and Mum, the girls and I just hung out, went for a run and played games. We booked into have dinner there that night - being Australia's most northern cattle station at 1336 sq kms. It was fabulous with entertainment to boot and some cracking cheeky poems that had a rolling off our chairs! A diversified business with tourism, cattle, the roadhouse and an earthworks arm as well. Ken who is the Events Manager at Bramwell - was brilliant and is sharing Bramwell with visitors in a very awesome and clever way. Sharing the history of any landscape or station is what people enjoy hearing about and it's story is brilliant.

At Bramwell Station turnoff

The road to Punsand Bay ended up being a long day and the day of the 'U turn'  - we missed some turnoffs and getting to places along the way took a little longer than expected. Hugo was hanging out to get to the absolutely infamous Gunshot Creek where stories and youtube clips grow more massive by the minute! Needless to say he and Stu loved it, the girls were gobsmacked I think and I just don't get it!!....... so I cooked eggs and bacon wraps instead. We helped out a couple of motorcyclists who struggled with the sand heading back out to the development track - the guy Stu and Huges helped out below was carrying close to 300kg and I didn't like the look initially of his respiratory rate when we pulled up behind him. Once upright he headed off on his merry way again. 

Huges at Gunshot Creek !!

A helping hand on the Old Telegraph Track

The Jardine River Ferry Crossing was fascinating and as we pulled up with loads of cars in front and behind us again the phones started pinging - best service since Cairns! The Jardine River is not a wide crossing and yes it looked deep and very tidal with quite a bit of outward pull as we crossed on the ferry.

Jardine River Ferry

The side mirror queue!!

The Jardine River, Northern Peninsula Area

Funky ferry dude - it was chilly for him.....30 deg !!

Arriving at Punsand Bay and seeing the beaches and views was an incredible rewards for lots of dusty days on the road up. Absolutely stunning beachfront views we had a night in a cabin as we arrived a day early before we set up camp on our site for 3 nights. A steady morning after our cabin sleep with some pancakes and coffees - we drove the 30 mins or so out to the tip of Cape York and walked up to the sign where we had seen so many Aussies have a memorable pic taken at. The views and sights surrounding this walk was amazing and not just geographically the location we were at, the planning, the initial idea...the family holiday with the VIP - it had all come into place and happened..which made the experience feel so much more fulfilling and meaningful. 

Eborac Island

York Island directly north from the tip of Cape York

Stunning low tide views over Cape York Beach

Team Green at the Tip !!

And.....of course the VIP !! 

The chap who had taken the photo of the 6 of us - a lovely guy that Stu had quite a yarn with. He was there with his 2 young sons, similar ages to Eves and Sash - part of his journey of why he was there was to spread his fathers ashes. I was quite amazed the number of plaques that were mounted on rocks above the tide line in memory of loved ones - quite incredible. We were up there at low tide which meant we could do the hill walk to the tip and then come around the base of the rocks and along the most amazingly pristine beach - with no other souls but the 6 of us. The space, the vastness and the isolation all meshed so incredibly into what was magical afternoon of memories - happy to eat my hat on not being excited about the Cape - it has completely delivered! 

The extroverts ;) ;) 

I loved the low tide patterns on the beach.....

York Island in the distance

Mangroves with roots plugged into the sand

Sunrise on Punsand Bay

Could there be another day that could rival our afternoon at the tip of Cape York ?? Yep !! Thursday Island was organised for the next day. An 8am ferry ride continued to show us the sheer mass of Islands up in the Torres Strait. I had this idea in my mind that when we got to the tip that I'd only be able to see vast miles of ocean as far as the eye could see - evidently it's obvious that I did sciences in my later senior school years and not Australian geography. There are islands everywhere and it is magical ! 

Prince of Wales Island near Thursday Island

View from Greenhill Fort, Thursday Island.....Horn Island to the left

Happy campers !!

A lady from Karumba had mentioned Dirk's Tours on Thursday Island. Dirk and his Dad Mr Laifoo were awesome !! It was only for about 1 1/2 hrs and enough to get a really personal overview of Thursday Island. With over 30 government departments on the island (TI is the centre for all government departments on the Torres Strait)  - there was a time when these departments competed for the rental market and some homes were fetching as much as $1500/week for public servants accommodation. So where do the locals live ?? In department of housing accommodation and they are THE BEST kept dept of housing accommodation I have ever clapped eyes on - so much pride in their homes and community! 

With Dirk Laifoo from Dirk's Tours

So the kids are with Dirk above and all doing the Lax hand mudra - obviously meaning Chillax !! He was a great dude and the kids as well as adults enjoyed his tour and generous spirit. He even introduced us all to his Grandma Daisy at the local cemetery, she is laid to rest not far from the 600 odd divers who lost their lives pearling the deep seas from the late 1800's to 1940's. His partner Tanya had made some freshly pickled Spanish Mackeral to try - sublime so smooth and sweet! I was also excited to buy a beautiful necklace made from a large seed from a local tree, as part of my 40th birthday present from Nan made by a local artist Vanessa from Tribal Boutique. Vanessa with this necklace has used some of the local Kulup seeds - it's gorgeous! It was a very rough ferry ride home and didn't diminish the fabulous day we had all experiences together at Thursday Island.

Punand Bay is a stunning place to set up camp with an incredible feel about it, similar and yet different to Lorella Springs it was the people we met here that amplified this beautiful landscape. Sally in particular was beautiful to meet with an incredible ability to remember names! All of the staff were welcoming and the tap beers and woodfire pizzas a fabulous dinner on the beach. Amazing time and memories at Cape York and a fabulous time staying at Punsand Bay Campground on the beachfront!