CAPE YORK TRIP - 2005

The Northern Most Tip of Australia
Saturday 13 August to Saturday 20 August

Our caravan position at Seisia Caravan Park had the most fantastic view of the Endeavour Strait and the Torres Strait Islands. We spent some quiet time on Saturday just doing mundane housework and relaxing. We have really learnt how to relax. There is no rushing any more.
Sunday we took a day trip that included magnificent Punsand Bay, a beautiful beach and caravan park.

From there we headed further north to the Croc Tent, which is a compulsory shopping stop and of course we bought the compulsory T shirts but were not allowed to wear them until we had actually “made it to the TOP”.

We then took the short cut to the top after being told that the road was not too bad and the trees blocking the track had just been cleared.
Our time at the top was spectacular. From the car park it is a 15min walk through rainforest which leads to a white sand beach.

The tide was out, which enabled us to walk to the top on the sand and we walked up the cliff to get the view from the top, on our return journey. The pictures tell the story.
We opened and drank the bottle of Asti Spumante when we got there. Just a small glass each, sharing it between the 6 of us.

Then we put a piece of paper in the bottle saying where we were, who we were, the longitude and latitude and our satellite phone number, pushed the cork back in and threw the bottle into the Torres Strait.

We then took the sand beach road to a place called Somerset which was the site of the first Government station on the Cape established in 1864. Very little is left and these places are very poorly marked but we managed to find it.

Monday was spent on a day trip by ferry to Thursday Island. What a fantastic place. It is now the centre for many Australian Government Departments, quarantine, defence etc. A small community where everyone knows everything and everybody but VERY friendly and a lot of employment opportunities for the locals.

One of three guns protecting the shipping lanes at Green Hill Fort (built in 1891) on top of Thursday Island.

Monument to all divers lost off Thursday Island diving for mother of pearl shells.
The hospital and schools cater for all the islands in the region. We had a great day having lunch at the Federal Hotel.

Our next day trip was to a place called Muttee Heads, south west of Seisia, where the mighty Jardine River enters the Endeavour Strait. More fantastic beaches with white sand and beautiful blue water.

No swimming is possible anywhere because of the salt water crocodiles. Muttee Heads is where the military had a major radar tower and a couple of gun pits during WW2.
There is also the remains of an old WW2 wharf.

We then drove to the wreck of a DC3 aircraft, then to the wreck of a Beaufort Bomber near Bamaga Airport. We drove past old WW2 44 gallon fuel dumps. It was creepy.

By Thursday we packed up and said our farewells to the TOP and headed south. We got 110km along our journey when we struck suspension problems in our caravan and had to hobble back to Seisia Caravan Park. Our co travellers continued on their journey south. We are now here until parts arrive and the repairs are done. Seems like “Ground Hog Day” to me!!!

We are enjoying our fantastic spot on the beach and have almost become locals. Our second Friday night at the Seisia Fishing Club burgers and beer night and we spent a fantastic Saturday at the Bamaga Show, which is the event of the year. Everything runs on local time; it will happen when it is ready. The mud car races, the Bamaga Horse Race and Rodeo were great fun to watch.

Watching the locals with their kids was just as much fun for me. Sometimes you felt you were looking at a Pro Hart painting.

The local island children are just beautiful.

We were most pleased when Mark, the mechanic fixing our van won the mud races. We already knew many of the faces!!

Fellow Bushtracker friends that we had to leave behind in Coen while they waited for parts have now arrived in Seisia so there are still 3 Bushtracker caravans here and we seem to spend quite a lot of time together.