BUSHABOUT - Darwin to Cape York

Another six weeks has flashed by on holiday's in Thailand, and we are back for our next Aussie adventure

Trudge drop us off at the Perth airport, rain and more rain!! – flight delayed one hour due to the late arrival of our air craft, not the rain, but made up time only 40 minutes late.

Quick taxi ride to the vehicle storage compound. Vehicle battery dead – jump start all okay in the van, connect up water, power etc. Off to get batteries and other stuff from BTC - that's Boat, Trailer Caravan - parts in Darwin on the Stuart Hwy, Winnelee, if you every need parts when passing thru Darwin. Groceries and phone recharge all done.

New BATTERIES - Ritar 100Ah AMG from Out Back Batteries. Previous inspection of the batteries found one battery had been dropped (not by me) creased corner, not noticed when I installed March 2010. Supplier Sparks & Spanners Port Lincoln not recommended for any vehicle work or batteries. Changed out batteries, modify battery box – clean up, sikaflex to van floor, external blocks to stop movement – direct bolt to battery, no post, slightly better as no battery clamps to fracture. Alas the bolts not long enough with the spring washer. The main battery has 3 large cables found longer bolt. – 3 hours to complete.

Sue washed the car – great job!!

Test the four old batteries – 2 dead and 2 seem okay in the mid 12 volt range.

Drop off 2 batteries at SIMMS Metal - .15 cents/kg = 61kg = $9.15 Oh, well better than nothing.

Lunch at Hogs Breath in the city – Great meal for $48

After a major re-stock for our trip to the cape and all packed away, and batteries working like a charm -, quick wash of the Van, and solar panels, top up some water and we are off.

Breakfast at Adelaide River. Next stop Katherine refuel 107ltrs include jerry can's x 2.

Kings River Rest Area jammed packed, onto Warlock Rest Area - 446k's for the day enough is enough – also jammed, but stayed any way for the night.

Yak to several different folks, all interesting stuff.

All keyed up and busy no time or just plain forgot to take some photo's - next stop - Oh! the rush is on as my Brother and wife are working at Loyalty Beach Cape York and will be hanging it up at months end.

Warlock rest area as stated jammed at this time in the season - we have camped here previously in April and May with the place to ourselves. 22 van and 2 trucks on the exit road, one was a refrigerator van with his generator going all night

0650hrs on the road just on day light not to many stirring yet. Good run to Hi Way Inn – breakfast. Fuel $1.80/ltr

Bullwaddy R.A. for a spell and tune in music.

Track onto Goanna RA #15 – warm but a pleasant breeze.

Fellow in a Lotus Traveller and Workmate ute, Robbie – from Cummins next door neighbour's to the Lettons farm – small world. Knew dad and brother motor bike shop in Lincoln

Just after we got on the road these folks from Borroola unable to get scissor jack under their vehicle (flat tire) to change out the tire. Owner of the Take away food shop in Borroloola taking his kid's back to Darwin - boarding school.

Off 0640hrs – Caranbirini Nature Reserve for breakfast, magic spot, bird hide on the water hole. Neat walk thru the sandstone formations. By-pass Borroloola direct to KAB.

By-pass Borroloola direct to KAB.

Booked in for 2 nights $44. Set up camp and visit John and Helen. Got all the gossip from Lindsay.

Drive to Batten point – Frank and Myrika still out fishing with Bill & Luba. Caught up with Frank and Myrika, Jack and Robin next day.

Camp and happy hour at Bill & Luba’s – the fishing has been lousy = no fish, with on going stories of the fish previously lost and or caught!!

Three men in a BOAT!! Just couldn't resist this photo,
along with the boat name.

Previous attempts to tackle the Savannah Way east of Borroola hampered by the Wearyan River, now we can see why. The past wet season did not happen, thus river levels low, right across the top end.

Dirt road as expected was slow going to the Calvert River - 3^rd gear and averaged 37kph.Neat camp spot on the west side of the Calvert River, one camper trailer pulled in late in the afternoon. Our drive time 5hr 30min 217ks, at a 39.4kph avgerage.

Not sure what the fruit is hanging off this tree,
but the only one in the immediate area.

Off early and got the Brumbies off the track

Calvert to Border road in better shape averaged 47k’s. Border to Hells Gate and 5ks thru town, then 20k’s mid section black top sections to Doomagee.

Not sure what happened to the rider,
but suspect this casualty has fallen of a bike rack.

Bit of Aussie humour - not a whole lot at HELL's Gate, but contrary to reports is open for business with fuel, food, accomodation

QLD Border in sight - Almost

Rest stop with the cattle

Doomergee to Burketown 70ks dirt 30ks black top Burketown to Leighardt Falls / River – magic spot all black top. River camp on the east side of Burketown – small area

Blokes from road crew down to the river for a beer and flick a lure = Barra. Red Claw in the river. We put 4 pot's in for 3 redclaw = 2 each, Yum!

Big drive for the day 379k's, 7 hours 28 minutes, average 51.7kph reasonably good track - the black top sections helped

With no wet season not likely to see water over the Leighhardt Falls, but would be impressive when flowing.

About 20 of these guys finding some thing to eat
off the rocks, and a quick drink in the rock pools.

Acre's of country like this, and more

white ant hills than you can count.

Leighhardt Falls / River Crossing - just as well we called up on the UHF before we approached as a water tanker came around the corner, we were still able to get off onto the rocks - behind us, and let him pass.

One of the guys on the road crew that we talked to the previous evening, flagged us down, he’s on a roller compactor and told us to use UHF Channel 6 for the crews near Dunbar.

Black top 30 k’s out of Normanton, then black top out of town heading north to Karrumba turn off

Now that's a CROC - see story below

Checked out the Normanton info ctr – Mitchell River x-ing and road to Orlines open.

Checked out all the food store’s, nothing we couldn't go without Mobile fuel on Woodward St the best deal at $1.77/ltr = 152.35ltr Pub lunch at the Albion Hotel – VG! Fish and Chips with salad

Our over night camp - Gilbert River - 265k's, 5 hours 40 minutes average 45.9kph on the Burke Development Road

Yep! we are off in the DARK!!

Short cut we are taking - if we can get across the Mitchell River, or it's 430k's via another track

Approach to the Mitchell River crossing - we had called up a 4 x 4 heading south, and got the low down on the Mitchell Crossing and track to Mitchell - Dixie track to Musgrave - no sweat!!

Here's the Plastic Track Pad - Mfg by Cough Plastic in Queensland. Search engine - 'Crossing Barriers with Ease' will give you the story on the Plastic Track Pad. Pad laid in 2011 - crossing all good to go!

There is a lot of miss information on some of the forums, this photo below posted Jan. 2012, if this is in fact a gate on the Mitchell Dixie Track.

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This sign was still on the Gate on the north side

of the Mitchell River - recovery $500

Yep! heading in the correct direction, with our moving maps we are on track. Road crew working on the road, we passed their camps early before any movement.

The best gate opener on the track - sure learning

how some of these gates are fastened!

Onto Horse Creek and Alice all into one it seems – on-board computer maps crashed again. No access point to Alice River all I could see was a track off to the left – perhaps on our return??

Thru to Mosquito Water Hole – Red Claw pots in and flick a fly and bait – but!!

4 Motor bike, several cars and a water tanker during the afty.

Great camp spot right on the water hole and no
Mosquito's as the water hole name suggest's -
Coord's. S 15.27 971 E 142 46 339 for future ref.

Gilbert River to Mosquito Water Hole - 238k's, 5hr 48min
at an average 48kph.

Bull Dust hole - 20 mts which had a by-pass track thru the grass, previous bull dust hole 50mtrs and required
diff. locks to pull thru.

Yet another GATE!

After the last Bull Dust road has been graded and in
great condition, crew's still working on remaining section
of the track. Should be all completed when we return in
3 weeks or so.

Musgrave Road House - crowded, so by-pass and re-fueled at Coen. This dead fellow an impressive size, pity he's dead!

Coen river bend camp - 250k's, 5hrs 39min, 44.9kph

Alive one!

Telegraph Junction Road

Quad bike tours out of Atherton - Neil and Teresa were orginally hired and worked at the Motor bike shop in Atherton and were going to be the roadies for this tour group - but the owner adjusted the hourly rates - hence they ended up at Loyalty Beach - Yardy and Shop Reception.

Mechanic required!

Relative quite night- off 0630hrs to Archer River RH – Breakfast and off to Morton Telegraph – by-pass Bramwell Station and Bramwell Junction to Gravel pit, 146k's South Jardine River X-ing

Track - Cohen to Archer not to bad, Archer to Telegraph Road turn off – 2^nd gear stuff. Telegraph up 55k’s good road with road works in progress, then 60k’s 2^nd and 3^rd to Bramwell. Bramwell Junction to Gravel pit 3^rd and 4^th. Howling Easterly. 252k's, 5hr 57min average 43.1kph

Gravel Pit to Captain Billy Land turn off okay, then 2^nd and 3^rd gear stuff to Jardine Ferry – 30K’s South of ferry JW track – stop for breakfast found Nissan bonnet guard, which is a perfect fit for Neils 1991 Nissan.

$145 for the ferry x-ing, includes camping and fishing permit. Track from Ferry to 20k’s out of Bamaga ordinary – but an over all average of 45.1kph.

Yep! we just fit on the FERRY!

Arrived Loyalty Beach 1100hrs – All good and Neil (Chook) and Teresa doing their thing – but ready to get out of here.

Helped Chook load his tinnie, some mod’s required – where’s he going to put every thing??.

Fish and chips night at the pub, one serve feed us all.

DAY OFF!! - Helped Chook with boat and trailer plus fuel tank tie down – shake down trip the ‘TIP’, with the Tinnie and folding trailer loaded – Great trip!

We checked out Pajinka – Australian Gov. a disgrace purchased from Out Back Pilots Assoc. for the Indigenous Eco tourism, abandoned and trashed. The less said, the better - But____!!!