Cape York - The Australian Adventure

[JAG811]

14.07.09 Punsand Bay to Bramwell Station 255km
Day eight. We were up at 7am and set about packing up the camp. It was a really slow pack up, as I guess I didn't really want to leave. Terry and Cassy were up and out quickly. They had planned their special moment at the top, and were hoping to be the first to the tip that morning.
I got the tent down early and then made Inca some breakfast. Pancakes were the order of the day and they went down a treat. Jason, Jess and the kids had rolled in the afternoon before after spending a night at the old Jardine crossing. Jason popped over to share some more stories and catch up. I continued to pack up, although looking back I laugh thinking it was a really slow pack up and clearly I was reluctant leave.
After some time we were ready to go. The plan was to meet Jason, Jess and the kids, and Terry and Cassy over for some lunch at the bar.
Terry and Cassy were resting in triumph and we knew it was now time to say goodbye to Jason, Jess and the gang. They were on their way to their special moment but were taking a 7km track from Punsand Bay to the tip. I was a short cut filled with some heavy four-wheel driving and of course a creek crossing or two.
I bought a cooler for the collection on the way out. The Punsand Bay coolers are pink and Inca was most upset when I let her know it was for me, not for her. We were however on the way to the Croc Tent where all of Inca's shopping needs could be addressed. Like all good ladies, a girl needs to shop.

The Croc Tent is right at the junction where you turn off the PDR to head down to Punsand Bay. It's a bit of a must, when travelling to tip. You have to buy something, just to say you bought something from the Croc Tent. Two matching pink shirts for Inca and her sister, and a matching pink and purple cup each later, and Inca was on cloud nine. She carried the cup around all day, and begged for me to pick it up when she dropped it from her seat while driving. I also agreed to wash it up before dinner so she could drink out of it, at dinner.
Because we knew we'd left late I'd agreed to boost it down to Bramwell with Terry and Cassy. We were however all very keen to visit the breathtaking Fruitbat Falls. It was only a few kilometres off the PDR and board-walked right down to the water. It's literally amazing.

Flowing into the falls the water is only 6 inches deep. At the bottom of the falls its hip height and crystal clear. We stayed for a 30 to 40 minutes. I swam with Inca who didn't want to ever leave. She wanted me to keep playing with her in the water and was most upset when the fun was over. It's a magic spot to spend a few hours and although it was a really relaxing afternoon swim I'd imagine 12pm to 3:30pm would have seen the falls in full sunlight for any photo buffs.

There is no shade so sunblock is a must.

Again I couldn't help but think of the early settlers and what this safe swimming hole must have meant to them as they journeyed to the top.


The afternoon drive was long and tiring tiptoeing into the night. We did however have the most amazing sunset over some beautiful country. I just could find a spot to pull over where we could get the cars in the photo.


We pulled into Bramwell Station on dusk to live music and a big screen for the third and last state of origin football match. The place was rocking with all sorts of station activity, and travels camped up as far as I could see. The place was huge with cattle pens filled with calves and a few horses on the left and an open bar and restaurant on the right. What a great spot I thought!! It got better with hot showers and grassed camp grounds. I'd been saving a couple aces up my sleeve that I knew Inca was going to love. A glow in the dark pink wand !!! coupled with the pink cup from the Croc tent and her little princess heart was overflowing with happiness.
Dinner dusted, Inca in bed and we enjoyed some more conversation under a cold, star filled sky.

 

[Matto]

Thanks for sharing JAG - great writeup and great photos. Looks like there was a fair bit of water in the creeks this year. Glad to see the big Deefer conquered it all.

I'll have to keep an eye out for your car around town. Like you before this, we've had our cape trips plans thwarted each winter by one issue or another - we'll get there one day.

“Bubba … Can you promise me one thing … Can you do that”?
She paused before saying “What”?
“Can you promise me, that you'll never lose your sense of adventure” …
With a longer pause she replied “Ok Daddy, I promise” ….

As a bloke with a 2yr old daughter myself, that bought a sneaky tear to my eye.

Again, thanks for sharing - it's a beautiful part of the world.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[p1michaud]

Great area of Australia. We were up there in July 2012. Nice trip report so far.

 

[Rumpig]

a couple of really nice pics of you and your daughter at The Tip at sunset Jag....some beautiful memories for a life time

 

[wuntenn]

I loved this! Really did. Taking your daughter and giving her such an experience is an investment in her future that will reward both of you. Thanks for taking the time to prep and post it, it's so good to read about real adventures with family, especially small family! And a Defender too!

Here's something for Inca to look at - a complete contrast from the heat of Oz - my wee lad William in his first winter in Scotland (he was born in May and this is the following February when he was 8 months old) out with me whilst I was working.



Into the backpack wrapped in several layers of fleece topped off by my down vest:



Back from work and having his feed whilst looking through the alpine window at the snow falling (this is before the interior was all trimmed out):



Bliss!



And of course the calls of nature need to be attended to as well!



We don't need no snow to have fun!



But we had plenty this winter:



I made sure my heater matrix was good and the flaps set up properly so we were nice and warm. One inch of closed cell foam all over the sides, roof and floor really helps though!



The open road beckons.........

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Wow. Man, this is one in a lifetime experience. Enjoy with that princess of yours.

 

[gm13]

Great write up, thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks for putting it up.

 

[JAG811]

Thank you everyone !!!
And always good to see another Defer in action. Inca was taken less by the snow and more by the fact your Sally was blue ??

 

[JAG811]

14.07.10 Bramwell Station to Musgrave Roadhouse 337km

I was up early. It gave me a chance to look around as the sun rose against the distant gums. It was the biggest campgrounds I’d ever seen. Smiling I looked around to see that dozens and dozens of groups of trucks had just found their patch of grass and set up camp.
Home felt so close, the adventure felt as though it was still underway and sunset at the tip felt like it was last night.
Terry and Cassy had already let me know they were ducking back up to the Old Telegraph Track entry to grab a quick photo, so I knew Inca and I had a bit more time to get packed up. It took the whole trip to cotton on that putting the tent down first in the cool of the morning was by far the most comfortable way to pack up.
Terry and Cassy headed off and Inca and I made final preparations before launch and it soon became obvious I couldn’t go anywhere without keys …. so I checked every, single, possible, location they could be hoping, just hoping, they weren’t tucked away in the tent up top.

So 20 minutes later, after repacking the tent we fired up the old boiler and while she idled up Inca and I walked over to try and get a photo of her patting some of the calves that were penned. Only every time she approached them, they bolted. She looked back at me in bewilderment. I was already laughing when she asked “Why are they scared of me”? Still laughing I relied “Because they’re not from a petting zoo”.
We stopped on the way out to the Peninsula Development Road to get a photo of Inca on the car with a giant ant hill. The landscape is littered with them but rarely do you get the chance to get a good photo of one. Magic glow in the dark pink wand waving for the photo and then we pushed on to get some kilometres under Sally on the push home.

It was tricky going with the PDR bouncing us around everywhere. Knowing the suspension had already endured a heavy weight bout and was limping us home I wasn’t driving with confidence and therefor kept speeds under 100. Terry and Cassy were gracious enough to let us travel first so we weren’t eating dust the whole day.
We stopped for lunch at Archer River and it began to feel for the first time that this unbelievable adventure was coming to an end. I asked Inca if she remembered camping where the truck was in the river and she replied with a puzzled look. So I asked again “Where the wheel was in the creek” knowing she’d pointed it out to me. “Oh yeah” she said. Then she said “Soon we’ll have to say goodbye to Terry and Cassy hey” … My spirits dropped a little. Even Inca knew this adventure, was coming to an end.

At Archer River we got to park up stream off the bridge in a spot that was already taken when we’d passed through on our way up. There was a foot of water running through an off shoot to the river and so after lunch Inca got another swim. I found some ham that had expired and so I placed it on the sand to try and get the hawks to dive for it. They soon started and before we knew it we had a diving frenzy as they scooped up the ham before the crows could. Terry started throwing out some corned beef as we tried to snap a good shot.

We pushed on to fuel up at Coen and got to send some texts home. The fuel economy home was 12.56l/100km which was an improvement on 12.8l/100kms over the Telly track. The last place I fuelled up was Seisia on the way to the top so old Sally had been pretty dam efficient on the juice.
Punching on into the afternoon we were all on a mission to get to Musgrave Station. We popped out of some bush at the end of an airstrip and I knew we’d reached our destination. I let Terry and Cassy know we’d have one shot at a sunset photo once we got to the end of the strip. Racing the sun we pulled up at the homestead and I ran off with the camera and stand. Three shots on a ten second delay.

A fisherman’s basket, a cold bourbon and a hot shower later and I was singing a little lady to sleep. A cooked meal meant nothing came out the back of the Landy and most of all no cleaning up of any nature. So relaxed, happy and freezing under a million stars Terry and I were again laughing over stories of trucks, mates and glory days. An hour or two later, crawling up the ladder I realised, this adventure only had one more day left.

 

[bigjohndatsun]

I love what seems like the most friendliest of atmosphere when out on the trail. Great story.