Bulldust in every nook and cranny after more than 1000kms on a gravel road

Weipa to Karumba and Normanton (via a very dusty road)

Saturday 13th - Thursday 18th August

The quickest way to get over to Karumba (on the bottom, eastern side of the Gulf of Carpentaria) is via a remote road that goes through cattle country and passes many outback stations. The road was actually reasonably good, but the bulldust in some sections was as deep as the bottom of the car and caravan. Consequently, no matter how hard we tried to seal up the van/car, there was dust in every cupboard and all through the car! It was a certainly an adventure taking this route. The days went like this:

Day 1 - Weipa to just before Alice River

582km, 90% gravel road, 4 sore butts!

We left Weipa at 7am knowing it was going to be a big day of driving. We made it to Coen for a late breakfast and enjoyed a stretch and a swim in the river. We pulled off the Peninsula Development Road (PDR) onto a road that cut through towards the eastern side of the Gulf of Carpentaria- it cut off a huge amount of time and kilometres but we were unsure of what to expect. The first part of the road was actually pretty good and we ended up getting quite a bit further than we expected, so we were confident we’d make it to Karumba the next day – 1 day ahead of schedule! That night we found what turned out to be a magical spot- it was just an area off the main road that was used by the road maintenance crews. There were two large cavities full of water that would be used for water trucks to keep the dust down. These waterholes were also used by a lot of wildlife and they created a scenic place to camp, complete with a gorgeous sunset and a stunning moon rising. A couple of highlights of this place were the footprints left in the clay by the many birds and animals that use the waterhole- it reminded us of the dinosaur stampede! The other highlight was the hundred of little frogs hopping around – the kids put head torches on and followed them around for ages. We got up early the next morning, I’d mapped out the route and we felt pretty certain we’d be in Karumba by lunch……..

Jackson stepped into a clay pit and sunk past his ankles - this is him scrubbing his thongs!!

The waterholes made for roadworks turned into a lovely place to camp for the night.

The sunset was magical, with such vibrant colours.

This is Emilia's creative photography shot- she put a long shutter speed on and the firelight on the grasses created a beautiful picture.

The area was covered in an array of footprints from all the birds and animals that use the waterhole.

Day 2 - Just before Alice Creek to Staaten Creek via Drumduff station

324kms, all of it on gravel road (with lots of bulldust), 5 river crossings – 1 of them uncrossable!

….so we definitely did not make it Karumba by lunchtime! We didn’t make it anywhere near Karumba. We had a lazy morning, Daniel went for a run and I did yoga, before we headed off and reached the first river crossing in about an hour. Oh No!! The Mitchell River crossing was about 200m long, only about 1/2metre to 1 metre deep but it had a soft sandy bottom. Daniel and Jackson walked it and it might have been okay, but we decided not to risk it as no-one else was around to help, and it was Sunday. If anything happened we could be in real trouble. We retreated with our heads hanging and had to do a 200km+ detour to get to the other side! Thankfully Daniel had 2 jerry cans full of fuel or things could have gone very pear shaped. We camped the night at another lovely bush spot near the Staaten River. We even got to have a quick cool off in one of the small ponds left in the river (it was too small for crocs) and we had a fun night using Emilia’s karaoke microphone to belt out a few tunes. 

Walking the Mitchell River crossing, before we decided it was too much of a risk to try to cross with the heavy caravan.

Today's injury - a screw in the tyre. Luckily Daniel had a repair kit.

Also lucky we had jerry cans of diesel, we needed it after doing a 200km + detour.

In the middle of the Outback is the perfect place for a karaoke session!

The bulldust was so deep in some sections we created dust storms when we drove through.

Day 3 - Staaten Creek to Karumba

194kms, 150kms of gravel road, a few small river crossings, a ridiculous amount of bulldust (knee deep in some sections)

We left early again and stopped for breakfast at the Gilbert River, before driving through a serious amount bulldust. Some areas were half a metre deep and we created some crazy dust clouds behind us as we drove though. We had dust all through the car and all over us- our skin felt so dry from the continual coating of fine, powdery dust. We pushed through though and arrived in Karumba in the middle of the day. We stayed out at Karumba Point, at a lovely caravan park opposite the beach. After parking the van we noticed that the water tank under the van had come loose and only had one bracket holding it – we were so lucky it didn’t completely break off when we were driving. Whilst Daniel and Jackson went off to find someone to weld a new bracket for us, Emilia worked on her blog and I tried to clean up some of the dust that had managed to get into the cupboards. No matter how well you seal everything bulldust just seems to find a way in! Thankfully the Dometic dust reduction unit stopped the dust from getting on the beds, but it was still all through the cupboards on the floor so there was a lot of cleaning up to do.

That evening we walked along the beach and enjoyed a few drinks at the Sunset Tavern.

Enjoying a cool drink at the Sunset Tavern

Beer with a view- we got prime position for the sunset.

Day 4 – Karumba

We all enjoyed a slow morning then we spent the day doing a few chores and just relaxing after the 3 big days of driving. The boys tried their luck fishing off the beach just out from the caravan park, but the fish weren’t biting. In the afternoon we went to the Barramundi Discovery Centre and learnt all about the fish that this area is famous for. That evening we enjoyed another magical sunset over the beach. We really enjoyed Karumba and could see why lots of people from the southern states (there were lots of Vic number plates) decide to spend several months up here escaping the cold winters.

Jackson is getting quite good at throwing the cast net.

The boys had a fish at the beach just across from the caravan park, but nothing was biting.

This cute pig nosed turtle provided lots of entertainment at the Barramundi Discovery Centre.

We just walked across the road from the caravan park and sat on the beach to enjoy the sunset on the 2nd night - Jackson found some driftwood and entertained us with ninja moves!

Then he 'planted' this bit of dead wood in the sand to make an interesting photo opportunity for me.

Day 5- Karumba to 50kms south of Normanton

After leaving Karumba we headed to Normanton to see the sights and for the boys to fish in the river there. We did a walk along the wetlands then the boys tried their luck from the fishing bridge over the Norman River. Luck was not on their side unfortunately. We then when to see the big crocodile statue- a model of the largest saltwater crocodile ever captured (shot actually). It was shot just near Normanton by Krys Pawlowski, a female crocodile hunter. It was actually quite sad to read about it, as the crocodile was then too big to move so it was killed for nothing. Krys and her husband went on to campaign about ending crocodile hunting (as crocodile numbers were dwindling) but not before they shot upwards of 10,000 crocodiles. The kids burnt some energy in the splash park before we drove about 50kms out of town (on the way to Lawn Hill Gorge) and found a great bush camp spot for the night.

Krys the Savannah King - the largest saltwater crocodile ever shot. It was 8.63m

It is incredible to think it was bigger than the 3 of us lined up (Daniel wouldn't lay down with us!).

We climbed up a rocky hill near where we camped for the night.

 

Enjoying a campfire before we all lay on the picnic rug and marvelled at the starry sky (the stars in the Outback are the best).

Just as we left in the morning we passed a termite city!!

'Dad, I'm on!'. Dedication pays off at Weipa.

Weipa, western side of Cape York peninsula

Tuesday 9th- Saturday 13th August

'Dad, I'm on!' screamed Jackson as his rod bent in half. Daniel dumped his own rod and ran over whilst Jackson held on for dear life as the fish took off. 'Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' went the line as the fish tried to escape. Daniel stood next to Jackson and talked him through it (he also stayed close in case the fish pulled so hard that Jackson went flying off the floating pontoon!). Jackson slowly started reeling it in, his heart pumping harder than ever. He doubted that he could do it, but Daniel encouraged him and eventually (after what seemed like an age but was probably only a few minutes) the fish was close enough for Daniel to grab the leader and hoist the huge Queenie up onto the pontoon. Loud applause broke out from the group of men who were on the pontoon waiting for their charter, much to Jackson's delight. He'd landed a big one!

It was a very prolific morning of fishing that day, and the boys returned to camp with 3 Queenies, a Golden Trevally and a Coral Trout. Jackson was beside himself after his exciting catch, and he regaled the story to anyone who would listen over the next few days.

Weipa proved to be a great fishing spot as Daniel also brought in a big barramundi the night before- he was extremely happy to have bagged a trophy fish. 

We were really impressed with Weipa Caravan Park so we ended up deciding to stay 4 nights. We had views of the beach from our spot and the caravan park had a really relaxed vibe to it. Other than fishing we:

• Watched the sunset over the beach every evening. I don’t think I could ever tire of watching the sun melt into the ocean and the way the sky changes colour. Every time is different and the colours are always so intense.
• Utilised the lovely salt water pool at the caravan park- whilst swimming we also got to see the helicopter charter leave a few times (it left from only 10 metres away), which was pretty exciting to watch.
• Visited the Western Cape Cultural Centre, an excellent and informative museum, where we learnt about the history of the local indigenous people, the changes since colonisation and the beginning of bauxite mining industry in the region (bauxite is the raw product that ends up as aluminium).
• Spent a day exploring some of the nearby beaches- Red Beach, Bouchat Beach and Pennefather River
• Enjoyed being able to shop for groceries at a Woolworths supermarket- there was so much to choose from after the limited supplies in the rest of the shops on Cape York.

Emilia finally fits this gorgeous jumpsuit she got before we left - the perfect outfit for a beach sunset.

It was approaching full moon so the tides went super low- which created a lovely effect for sunset photos.

The bridge from Weipa up to the northern coastal communities - it is the longest one-laned bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. When we visited Red Beach (the beach you can see on the far left) we got to see a mining train with a lot of carriages go over the bridge.

A mural at the Cultural Centre showing the totems, places and rivers of the 11 Traditional Owner groups that make up the Western Cape Communities.

Positioned to enjoy another lovely sunset over the beach in front of the caravan park.

He got a barra! Just before they were about to finish their late evening fish Daniel hooked on a barramundi. Barramundi put up a good fight so Daniel enjoyed the thrill of pulling this one in.

Some of the shell middens at Red Beach. Shell middens are mounds of cockle shells from hundreds of years ago. One of the explanations we read at the Cultural Centre was that the piles were made by local indigenous people as an indication to others of where there were plenty of cockles available to eat.

Totems on Bouchat Beach

One of the beaches on the way to Pennefather River.

While the boys tried their luck fishing the Pennefather River, Emilia and I relaxed in the shade with our books before wandering along the shoreline looking for shells (we found some great ones).

Although there were lots of fish jumping, not many were biting. They caught 2 fish, but unfortunately both were undersize and they threw them back.

Enjoying another lovely sunset. Jackson built a mini version of a sand firepit he'd seen further up the beach....

...he even filled it with firewood!

Proudly holding the Giant Queenie he caught and pulled in.

"All those thousands of casts were worth it', Jackson explained to me when he got home with a bucketful of fish.

One last pic of the delighted fisherman!

On the last night we drove down the beach to watch the sunset.

Jackson's hair has turned nearly white in some places from all the sun!

On the drive out from Weipa there was no wind so the dust from the roads hung around creating interesting patterns in the morning sunlight.

Fishing the Tip

Wroonga Point

Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th August

After stopping at both Bamaga and Seisia for supplies we headed towards Wroonga Point, a free camp near the Tip that we’d heard about. A few wrong turns later we found a track that took us out to a lovely beach. We’d been told there was a great camp spot on a point (where the fishing was meant to be fantastic), but we were unable to find it, so we set up on one of the beach spots. Daniel went off to get firewood and stumbled on the spot they’d been talking about (we’d chosen the wrong spot at Wroonga- Dad that joke was for you!). Daniel took the kids there fishing for the afternoon and they came back 3 hours later with a tusk fish, a golden trevally and coral trout. Due to their success, we decided it was worth packing the tent up and moving to the point in the morning.

After we’d re-set up the tent on the point, we headed up to the Tip so we could officially say we’d been to the most northern point in Australia. The boys took their fishing rods to try their luck. After spotting fish jumping near the rocks, they ran over and started flicking lures. Within a few minutes Jackson’s rod bent over and the line took off! Unfortunately the line snapped off but he was super excited to have had a bite from what was definitely a large fish (most likely a mackerel).

After taking a few photos at the Tip and enjoying the view we headed back, dipping our toes in the clear blue water. It looked so inviting and it was so hot, but there are signs everywhere warning you of the possibility of crocodiles in the water so we refrained from swimming.

We needed a few more supplies so we drove back to Bamaga, but unfortunately (and very unluckily) when Daniel was putting the shopping in the boot, the rear windscreen was hit by the shovel (which had shaken loose from the side of the roof). There was a huge bang and the whole thing shattered. Thankfully the tint held it all in place but that wasn’t going to last long. An hour, and $90 worth of the strongest tape we could find, later Daniel had taped up the whole back windscreen- this was the best we could manage up here and we hoped it would hold!

We finally got back to camp and the boys had another fish. Sam, our friend from the Telegraph Track, joined them and between them they caught another 4 fish which we all shared for dinner.

It was a lovely spot, but it was very exposed to the elements and we had all had enough sun and wind, so we decided to move in the morning.

The beach in front of where we camped the first night.

We had 3 different types of fish for dinner the first night- what a feast!

The boys trying their luck on the way to the most northern point on mainland Australia.

We tried to recreate the photo we took at the Tip in 2007.

Fishing the Tip.

WE MADE IT!

Walking back from the Tip- the water was very tempting!

Pajinka- The Tip

Fishing off the rocks at Wroonga Point

Daniel got a giant trevally that we all enjoyed for dinner.

Not a bad view from the campsite, and the boys could fish right off the rocks in front of the camp.

This is where we enjoyed our morning coffee on the day we left- pretty incredible.

Alau Beach

Saturday 6th - Monday 8th August

We moved to Alau Beach Campground and were lucky enough to score a spot for our tent right on the beach. It was a gorgeous beach with soft white sand and turquoise water. We enjoyed the pool in the afternoon then relaxed on the beach to watch the sunset. The boys tried their luck fishing and Daniel hooked on a shark!! It put up a fight, so it was very thrilling to watch. That night it was flake and chips for dinner. There was a lot, so we filled our fridge then shared some with our camp neighbours, who then gave us some queenie the next day, so we had another amazing fish dinner.

The next day we walked along the beach looking for shells, visited some of the WW2 place wrecks in the area, fished off Seisia pier, cooled off in the pool and enjoyed another breathtaking sunset over the ocean.

A highlight for the kids at Alau Beach was a young friendly dog who visited our camp regularly. They spent lots of time patting and playing with ‘Cheeky’ as they named her (as she cheekily tried to steal food from people’s bins).

There are so many dogs wandering the streets up here and it is unclear if they are owned or not- some were friendly, some not. There are also lots of wild horses and we were amazed to see horses just walking around the towns, some were even in people’s front yards! No one seems bothered, though I found it very strange.

After 4 great nights we decided it was time to head back south and pick up our van. It had been 12 nights in the tent, and we were all ready for our proper beds. Of those 12 nights, we ate freshly caught fish on 6 of them- the fishing was definitely a highlight of our time up the top of Cape York!

On our way back to the Archer River Roadhouse (and our caravan) we stopped in at Fruit Bat Falls to have a break from the serious corrugations on the Peninsula Development Road. It was a long, dusty and very bumpy drive back, but it was well worth it to get back to the van in a day 😊.

Sunset fishing at Alau Beach.

Emilia looked like a real fisherwomen in her new Cape York fishing shirt.

He's on!

The reef shark was about 125cm long.

Enjoying the reward from his hard work fishing - beer battered flake. It was delicious.

We did a big walk along the beach and around the other point, which took us to another gorgeous bay.

Jackson took his rod on the walk and flicked lures for a bit of fun.

A WW2 DC3 aircraft that crashed near Bamaga on its way to PNG. All 6 crew on board perished.

Another WW2 aircraft - a Bristol Beaufort- that crashed in the region.

There are heaps of fuel dumps near the Bamaga Airport - another reminder of the activity up in this area during WW2.

Seisia Pier

Fishing off Seisia pier - all the locals use hand lines and live bait. The boys tried live bait but didn't have any luck this time.

I made Emilia pose for this photo as I wanted to capture the two small children in the background- the little boy on the right was fishing with a hand line when we arrived, hanging right over the edge. He knew exactly what to do and I was just amazed that a 3 or 4 year old could do this (I was also a bit worried for him as he was hanging half over the edge holding the hand line, but after watching for a while I could see he was quite capable).

The thong tree at Alau Beach - thong trees are quite common up here (as are broken/discarded/lost thongs).

This tyre swing was right out the front of our camp- it made a lovely frame for a sunset photo.

'Cheeky' - the kid's adopted dog for our time at Alau Beach.