The first 5 days on tour had already delivered memories, jokes and experiences that validated our decision to come to this remote and wild corner of the country but from day 6 it was game on, and we were plunged into what we all felt was the real Cape York.
Today delivered the stuff we had been imagining, and was the first time we tested out the 4WD functionality of the truck experiencing a small section of the Old Telegraph Track, including a water crossing at Sam’s Creek which was approx. 20 metres wide and about a metre deep. For the 4WD enthusiasts on board this short experience barely touched the sides in terms of thrill seeking, for some of us though it was enough to have a taste of it before returning to the red dirt corrugated roads that had brought us to this point.
On the other side of the crossing we set up camp in the Jardine River National Park and made our way to freshwater Twin & Elliott Falls nearby that would be our shower for the day. This was such a treat after the torture of no beach access in Weipa to now be swimming in natural pools and drinking the water straight from the falls.
Day 7 began in the same way with our morning bath at the spectacular Fruit Bat Falls – to be in an environment such as this is truly breathtaking and we all agreed that if we saw nothing else from this point on the last 24 hours had met our Cape York expectations.
Our next water crossing was a little more traditional, with our truck crossing the Jardine River on a barge into the Northern Peninsula Area. The NPA is everything north of the river and is governed by the 5 local communities in the area. We were headed for Bamaga which would be our final campsite for the trip and our home for the next 3 days.
Loyalty Beach campground proved to be comfortable for our final stop – good facilities, enough distance between beach and tents for croc safety, a bar on site and a large screen for the State of Origin match! Having made it to the north coastline now, our next stop was literally The Tip, known to the local communities as Pajinka.
no fixed address... 