Day 9 was the big one. It was an early start from camp to beat the crowd and the heat for our walk to Pajinka, the aboriginal name for The Tip. The view from the top is incredible – aqua blue water, palm trees and white sand. Yet more beaches that are off limits thanks to crocs!
The walk from the car park to the top of the continent takes about 20 minutes to the rocky outcrop where the Arafura and Coral Seas become the Torres Strait. From here we were closer to Port Moresby in PNG than any other city in Australia. It kind of felt like we had completed an Amazing Race and reaching the point where the waves crashed at our feet felt like a momentous achievement: there were high 5’s, hugs and a few early morning celebratory beverages!
We also had the chance to visit Thursday and Horn Islands in the Torres Strait, accessible by a 1 hour fast ferry from the settlement of Seisha. As with some of our other stops on this trip up north, we have been surprised to learn the extent to which Australia was preparing for and fighting in World War 2 as it evolved in the Pacific region. From the well preserved fort atop a hill on Thursday Island, to the gunners stations and plane relics on Horn Island, to a complete plane wreck on the mainland just outside Bamaga – its akin to an outdoor museum up there.
With the more adventurous leg of our QLD road trip ending in Bamaga there is no doubt that this experience has been a valuable investment of our time, money and energy. To experience it with our Garys (A.K.A. Gaz and G-PAC) has created stories and photos that we will all treasure for years to come, and we were certainly blessed with our fun-loving touring crew.
The Cape is not for everyone – it’s definitely not a relaxing destination and if insects, humidity, cane toads and potential croc threats are not your thing we would recommend you only venture as far north as Port Douglas. That’s our next stop!
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