Cape York biggest tick off our bucket list to date!

What a month!, I can honestly say this latest leg around this country has been the most adventurous and thrilling yet.

The amount of moments our minds have been blown is ridiculous and encourage anyone considering to do the trip to tip to start planning NOW!

We began a month back now with the Bloomfield track from where Cape Tribulation ends to Wujal Wujal on route to Cooktown. With the day before pouring with rain I was a little nervous to hit the Bloomfield the more I googled the more I seemed to come across the comments on not to attack this track in the wet. Lucky for us as soon as we hit the range it seemed like the rain never made it to the other side and we had an easy run through. People say not to tow a caravan through although with all the steep crossings being now concreted at this time of year I think you would not have a problem passing a few on the way through.

The scenery was beautiful as we weaved through the rainforest coming out some time later at the aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal nestled on the beautiful Bloomfield river and onto the famous Lions Den Hotel. seeing as it was only 11am we had the whole place to ourselves and wondered through the bar reading all the history and adding to the walls filled with travellers passing through.

(View from top of rang on Bloomfield track)

(snake at river crossing on Bloomfield)

(River crossing on Bloomfield)

(Bloomfield River)

(cooler at Lions Den Hotel)

(Our signature at Lions Den Hotel)

( At Lions Den Hotel)

Then it was onwards and upwards to Cooktown where we set up camp for a week on a mates block with a shed and yes own kitchen and bathroom the excitment was nearly too much when we arrived and a few bevvys were consumed.

The wind picked up and it stayed at around 30 knots for our stay but Lyam was keen for a fish and off we went to the endevour river boat ramp. We dropped off our six pots on the way up the river and once anchored the wind was too much to even cast a line so we started heading back collecting our crab pots along the way which was proving quite difficult in the wind ,We got half way through our pots when the third ones rope swept under the boat and wrapped around our propellor and just like that we were stuck. Lyam attempted to untangle the rope a few times with no luck as I watched nervously and there was no option but to get me out of the boat onto the mudbank so he could try and lift it out of the mud. I watched on helplessly with a tomohawk in my hand as Lyam waded around in the muddy water a few minutes later which felt like a lifetime we were untangled scrambling back into the boat covered head to toe in mud. We arrived back at the boat ramp packed the car in silence as we had no words just shock. Lyam finally broke the ice approx an hour later with the line well how good is it to be alive?, We can laugh about this now however it was without a doubt the scariest moment of our lives and the only way the situation could have got worse was if there was a croc in that water floating on past.

So with the near death experience now behind us we weren't jumping out of our skin to put the boat in again anytime too soon and with the wind keeping up we decided to hit the Cape a few days earlier than planned unpacking the car and leaving what was not essential behind to lighten the load a bit for the roads that lay ahead of us.

(Finch Bay @ Cooktown)

( On top of Grassy Hill at Cooktown)

(Lookout from Grassy Hill at Cooktown)

(Lighthouse at Grassy Hill)

We decided to take the Battlecamp route up to Lakefield National park instead of the highway up to Laura which was a reasonably easy dirt track with tar bits as we headed over the range a creek crossing and a river crossing through Battlecamp station and we arrived at Old Laura Homestead in Lakefield National Park an old cattle station operating from the late 1800s until 1966.

We then hit Laura having a quick lunch by the river and headed to Musgrave Homestead. We arrived there at around 3pm with no reception or pub so headed onto Coen another 100km away. The road from Musgrave to Coen was horrible with the graders obviously not getting there yet from last years dry season bumping and jumping around the place our first intro to corragtions for the next few weeks which you cannot learn to love ... EVER.

(Old Laura Homestead)

(Old truck at Old Laura Homestead)

We arrived at Coen just before sundown a tiny town with a pub , general store copper station and thats about it , we camped behind the pub a nice setting with a few rolling green hills and creek in the distance and called it a night.

The next morning realising we had travelled way further then we thought the day before we thought we could easily hit Weipa in a day which we had planned to do on the way back but because the east coast was still blowing we headed off for there. The road dramatically improved from Coen to Weipa passing through some graders along the way the dirt became redder and Nelly started her transforation into a ranga.

We arrived at Weipa at lunchtime and it is a working mine town with Bauxite mines surrounding the town and the majority of housing being dongas for the mine workers. And to Lyam's dismay it was also blowing we got set up at the local camping ground which is a great spot right on the water with a pool and restaurant. We left the next morning to head off to Pennefather river we had heard about through the tackle shop ,We passed through the mine crossing and onto a dirt road and bloody corrugations 70km from Weipa later we hit the sand and started roaring down the beach tyres down to 20 psi and Nelly glided through and the sight of the water stunned us as the dunes parted ways the Gulf of Carpentaria lit up glistening like crystals under the sun as shallow reefs could be spotted less than 10 metres out. 7km down the beach and we reached the camping where the ocean meets the river mouth of the Pennefather. We immediately regretted pre booking the next night at Weipa but had already paid and right away planned to spend the week here went back the next day stocked up as there was no water,reception or any amenities and we were off!

The days drifted by as we arose each day to fish returning by lunch and lounge around camp with a book and stoke the fire and off fishing again before sunset. The fishing produced and we caught numerous species from Trevally to Estuary Cod to Mangrove Jack we had fish every way each day and we couldn't believe once it came to five days off grid how the time had flew.

One thing that fascinated me not so much actually at all for Lyam was the rubbish washed up along the beach coming in off the Gulf of Carpentaria was all from Indonesia everything from thongs to shampoo bottles to gas bottles. After busting a plugger the day before we left I searched the beach only finding groups of two lefts but the condition and the journey they took to get here blew my mind.

( Baracoota in Weipa)

( View from site at Pennefather)

( Trevally at Pennefather )

(Lyams first Mangrove Jack at Pennefather)

( GT at Pennefather)

( Sunsets from camp)

( fire at Camp)

( Another crackin sunset )

( croc across the river from camp )

We left Weipa to begin our next leg to the tip of Australia planning on beginning the old Tele track that day we made the turn off at Bramwell Junction and headed to the first crossing at Palm Creek we reached it some 5km down the track and I nearly threw up on the spot at the sight of the drop. Winching out would be the only option and a very heavy Nelly not only our car but our home the risk at something happening to her meant dream lap over.Much to Lyam's disappointment he seen sense and we reluctantly turned around and hit the telegraph road up to Fruitbat and Elliot falls. The road was not too bad a few corrugations here and there and we reached Fruitbat a couple of hours later. Beautiful famous falls a short walk from the car park were a beautiful sight and we then headed not far down the road to Elliot Falls crossing one creek which was steep coming in and out but water levels were relatively low and we reached Elliot by 5pm. A quick dip at the beautiful crystal clear pool below the falls we set in for the night.

The next morning we couldn't resist another dip to start the day at the falls and we headed for the Jardine River ferry crossing. The corrugations 15km south of of the ferry crossing were the worst we came across on the trip and had us shaking away all the way there. We arrived at the crossing and purchased our ticket which inc the ferry crossing and numerous bush camping spots within the Northern Peninsula area. Another not so great stretch got us to Muttee Head a nice spot right on the water looking out to the Torres Strait islands and decided we would come back to stay on the way back down from the tip later in the week.

(numberplate tree at Bramwell Junction)

(Bramwell Junction to Old Tele Track)

( The less scary but still scary Palm Creek Crosing on Old Tele Track)

(Fruitbat Falls)

(Elliot Falls)

( Morning dip at Elliot Falls)

( Muttee Head)

We arrived at Injinoo an Aboriginal community and then through and onto Bamaga the largest town before the tip with a supermarket ,service station and bakery and wild horses everywhere! , We assume people who have owned and run stations back in the day when they had abandoned the station the horse were too hard to transfer back due to the rugged location and they have continued to breed and carry on to this day.

First thing I thought on arriving was a strong Bali feel with numerous dogs roaming around palm trees along the water and the older buildings we were in love instantly and had heard great things about Loyalty Beach Campground and went to check it out and wow I fell in love my favourite campground ever yet to date in my life we had found. Right on the water a beachfront bar and acres upon acres so no one was camped on top of you we planned to stay for the weekend and left a week later! The highlight definitely being beating QLD in origin surrounded by QLD supporters who became surprisingly quiet and cleared out as soon as the final whistle blew.

The day after we arrived we headed off the next morning to the tip and luckily timed it with only one other car in the car park and made our way up and over the rocks towards the tip. We were lucky enough that the family ahead of us waited so we could get a photo taken with our bread and butter being our tooheys new cans and off they went headed back while we sat there drinking our beer and having the tip all to ourselves for a good 15 minutes. We started to head back and boom carpark full tour bus pulling in so in the words of Russell it was time to hit the road. On the way back we wanted to try and find the treehouse a former bird watch tower for the now derelict Cape York lodge resort and with a bit of luck came across it and what a sight it was nature was taking back over and growing in and around it lighting it up in the most beautiful selections of green.

( We made it ! )

( Lyam attempting to climb the treehouse)

( The infamous treehouse )

We ran into a couple we had passed after not going through with the OTT and got chatting and they were wanting to do a fishing charter like us so we split the boat cost four ways making it more affordable for all of us and we headed out the next morning and what a fantastic day it was , We caught a fair few species from Sweetlip to Trevally , Cobia tusk fish barracouta and a few sharks ! Particularly the 3m one that showed his head from the end of my line before snapping off. We fished all around the Torres Strait Islands and out past Possession island where James Cook had takne ownership hundreds of years before realising it was not part of the mainland.

(Possession Island Captain Cook Monument )

( Cannons in front of Jardine Graves at Somerset )

( Bomber WW2 Wreck)

We ventured around the other attractions on offer from the Jardine family graves to the WW2 plane wrecks and the most impressive and fully basically intact radar station at Muttee Head we ended up returning to after leaving Loyalty some week later and spent the night under an abandoned hut right on the waters edge.

It was now time to start heading back down towards Cooktown and we ended up just below the Moreton Telegraph station on the Wenlock river free camping with Lyam cleaning up in the morning with a couple of Barra and his first Saratoga and then it was on to Coen where we began to work out our plan of attack for Lakefield National Park ,decided to chat over a beer at Coen Pub and While Lyam was asking around for fishing advice we came across Justin and next minute we were off to camp with him on Running Creek for the night out down through dirt roads we had never heard of and onto the homestead we went. No fishing was to be had as the wind was howling so we had a few too many drinks and listened to the weird and wonderful stories of being a bull ringer in Cape York and the next morning we were off for Lakefield.

(Loyalty Beach )

(Our last sunset at Loyalty Beach )

( Finger mark best tasting fish yet Lyam caught on creek )

( Gun burrow from WW2 at Mutte Head )

(ww2 radar station at Muttee Head )

( Jardine River Crossing )

( on route to Running creek with e

Lakefield National Park is a very isolated and vast area with lagoons, open plains ,birdlife like you wouldn't believe and yes Crocodiles and lots of them. We camped two nights at Hanns Crossing due to the Limit of the tidal influence on the North Kennedy river which translates into the best chance to catch Barra!

It was Hot , Humid and our water was limited we fished in the morning and read all afternoon not wanting to get all sweaty by moving too much. We unfortunately had no luck on the fishing front Lyam catching a Tarpon and small Barra seemed to be the only presence of life in the river apart from the crocodile we drove past in the boat after collecting our crab pots the second morning and once again it was time to hit the road to Cape Melville.Road out to the turn off was no worries and once we turned off we realised this was some track only travelling 10km in 50 min we decided to turn around as we had 30 to go and late arvo creeping in we made it back to Kalpowar Crossing and hit the sack early after a feed of canned steak and mushroom over damper as our supplies were getting very bare.

We left early morning and headed to Elim Beach just north of Cooktown and wow what a spot right on the beach looking across at the coloured sands was stunning minus the five thousand children that seemed to migrate to the beach in front of our camp when the sun began to set. We walked out to the coloured sands in the morning as you had to get the tide bang on to drive up to them and the overturned Toyota on the sand flats was enough to choose the easier option. The coloured sands are quite amazing the silica sand against the red dirt stained sand and shades of grey sand all formed in different shapes across the top of the sand dunes. We then left mid morning to return to civilisation of Cooktown and were very excited at the vision of a hot shower and shed.

( Lagoon @ Lakefield)

( Elim Beach looking at Cape Bedford )

( Coloured sands from camp )

( brekky from camp at elim )

( overturned abandoned Toyota on sandflats )

We arrived and met our mates dad and his partner who we ended up having many great chats and drinks with while they camped in their caravan on the property. Luckily without knowing we had timed our return to Cooktown swimmingly being the biggest weekend in Cooktown all year round for the discovery festival celebrating the landing of captain cook and all the history surrounding this town. From Mud crab races to a re enactment of the landing itself there was something on everywhere , We ended up singing and dancing the night away at the Top Pub and I got lucky enough to dance the corroberee with an Elder !

( beverly hillbillys street parade @ discovery festival )

(re enactment at discovery festival of captain cooks landing )

Cape York is a part of our trip I will never forget and cannot wait to return already . We met some great people seen mind blowing scenery and sights and look forward to our next chapter back down to Atherton Tableands and on route to Darwin via Savannah Way.