A road some where.

Here are some more post cards with our trusty rig, team Ivan!

She hasn't let us down!

From east to west

 Back on the road again, we decided to check out a place recommended with good fishing and crabbing called Port Stewart. The road in was easy but it still took us about 3 hours to get there. Along the way we saw some lily filled lagoons filled with hundreds of birds. There are so many photo opportunities along the road, I'm always asking James to stop, slow down or go back!! Port Stewart is on the east coast of the Cape on the Northern tip of Princess Charlotte bay. The camp ground was scattered around mangroves and we were instantly aware of crocodiles. We couldn't see them but they were there. We met another Tvan couple and as we were talking to Dennis, he reeled in a fish and gave it to us! That was the only fish we had, unless you had a boat or didn't care about crocs, the fishing was hard. The boys set a mud trap but it got smashed by a greedy croc and James had to repair it.

 We stayed 2 nights, and I must admit, it wasn't my favourite place. It's a place men go with a tinny, a box of beer and fish and leave their wives at home!

 While we were at Port Stewart, we realised that our batteries were not recharging and the fridge was struggling to keep cold. We had run out of ice and we were down to the last bit of meat, our veges got spoiled and we weren't sure where we could get more stores. The nearest town was Coen and they had a mechanic so off we went and I was hoping we could get some more supplies.
 Coen was a very busy little place! With fuel, a mechanic, a pub and 2 shops with basic and very expensive stores it was a pit stop for many travellers.
 James got some advice on his batteries and I filled up the food supplies. We camped just outside Coen on the river and it was a great little spot. With the fresh, croc free water, I did all the washing, James worked on the batteries and Daniel played in the creek...until he got chased out of the water by a water python! It was a relaxing afternoon.

The next day it was up'n' at em and we were off. Destination; Chilli Beach. We were told that this place was beautiful and we might find the rare thong tree! The road was quite good and we had no problem finding the camp sight, the only thing was that the wind was howling. We tried to find a good camp spot but it was pretty crowded. A few people were leaving because of the wind so we decided not to go in there camp. We drove to the southern end of the camp and the very last spot was completely protected from the wind. Perfect!!

 As James pulled out his tool box, Daniel and I did some exploring. The wind blows so hard here that the trees grow in very graceful, wind swept dance poses. Some huge trees have been toppled over and continued to survive. One thing we saw was a lot of thongs that had been washed up, and some campers put them to creative use.

 True to Qld form, the weather began to turn drizzly again but luckily we had a roaring fire going so the rain didn't damper our spirits. In the morning, James continued to sort out the batteries, fix the hand brake, oil and grease the connections, and any other repairs that needed attention. Daniel and went for a walk and I noticed a man charging his batteries, telling James, he went to see him and got a gizmo to help him see if the batteries were getting any charge. Tony, we found out after introductions, just happened to be a mechanic! He gave James some advise and the two discussed car stuff and the roads ahead. I was just stoked that the batteries were recharging, fridge humming and the computer and camera could be recharged.

 On the low tide, we walked across the reef and climbed over rocks to get a great view of Chilli Beach. Even though the weather was drizzly, the low tide brought every one out to explore. There is never a dull moment or an opportunity for boredom. This is something that thousand of dollars of electronics and toys haven't been able to achieve!

 Our next stop we wanted to be was the Old Telegraph Line, but as we headed out we bumped into our Tvan comrades, Dennis and Linda. They were heading to Weipa, and we were concerned about the conditions of our tyres as it looked like we may have bent the Tvans stubs. Like I said, never a dull moment! We parted ways, and decided that we should head to Weipa and make sure Ivan was fit for the roads ahead. We had travelled all this way and not to complete the OTL would be heart breaking.

 We got into Weipa and went straight to the mechanics, who inverted the tires and assured us that Ivan should be ok but will will need to keep an eye on the tires. We stayed in weipa for 2 days, the boys fished and I did some relaxing. We saw our first croc, in fact we saw 5 in one afternoon. You really need a boat up here to fish without endangering yourself!

 Although we had a lovely spot we were very keen to head off and start the Old Telegraph road. So up we packed and head out, with more adventures ahead of us.

The road less travelled

 After leaving Cape Flattery, we head off again, destination Lakefield National Park. We decided to take the most interesting way through Wakooka and Cape Melville NP. We estimated that we should be on the road for about 6-8 hours. We needed to get to Musgrove to refuel which was on the boarder of Lakefield NP. Well, we always said that we wanted to get off the beaten track on this holiday and today we did exactly that. The road looked like no one had used them in ages. There was ruts, holes and boggy sand continuously and James effortlessly manoeuvred Ivan through. The going was slow but time just flew past as we went on, I was always hanging out the window taking photo after photo!

 after a few hours, we still hadn't seen anyone, we started to look for a place to stop and have a break, when the road got even more rugged when, uh oh, James hit a rut and the car would not move. after a few attempts, out came the winch but it wouldn't work! James was trying everything, and Daniel and I were running collecting rocks to give the tires some grip. James said, we may have to dig our selves out otherwise we are staying as who knows when some one else comes through! After awhile, James changed the winch over to the main battery and luckily the winch worked and pulled us out! We had been having problems with our batteries not recharging and this was why the winch wouldn't work.We found a place to stop and have a break and eat some lunch. It was a little bit weird being all alone in some wild country, even though it was beautiful.

 After a couple of hours we did pass another two cars who said that the road ahead appeared to disappear but it was OK. The road was always changing from sandy, rocky and then pot holes big enough to stop you. We came to another section that we knew we wouldn't get out of without the winch. At least we were prepared and even though it was really boggy, we got out.

 Back on track, the landscape continued to change and as we were told the road did disappear into long grass for a bit! The next thing we hit was miles of bull dust. It was so thick and fine that we couldn't see the Tvan behind us.

 The sun began to set and we were getting close to Kalpower Camp, we crossed the flooded cause way in the dark, and got cracking in setting up camp. We were exhausted and dusty but on a high from a very adventurous 7 hour drive! If the Old Telegraph is anything like this then we should be fine!

Cape Flattery!

 We spent a few days in Cook Town, with the boys having a charter with a local fishing guru. He took them deep into the state forest, through croc infested swamp and bush looking for barramundi. Daniel caught some Archer fish, but that was all! The guide worked hard but the barra weren't fooled!They didn't get back to camp until after 8pm. What they did get was some tips on how to catch them as well as trapping for fresh crays...yum ,can't wait to for their success.
 Cook Town was a lovely sleepy place and we spent a nice afternoon on the wharf fishing, the sun was setting and the people were out and about, a nice atmosphere.

 Our next stop was Cape Flattery, a place we heard was a gem, but first we wanted to check out Isabella Falls. It was really pretty and worth the stop. Daniel wanted to sit up front for a better view and he became chief navigator. The drive through the bush tracks was really something, I can't begin to express the beauty in its ruggedness and it's always changing.

 We set the GPS for Cape Flattery and off we went! James spoke to a local in HopeVille, who said that getting down to CP would be fine, just getting back up may be a problem, we just had to wait and see. The travel through the bush was an adventure in its self! Daniel came in handy as our scout and would run along the path in front to see what the conditions were like. Once, we took a path and the road just disappeared, we had to reverse back in a straight line to get out! We came to a fork path, both full of water and we had to guess which one would be the better, we got through fine but it was sandy and boggy. Full of confidence, Daniel said, as we approached another one, this isn't deep!! Looks were deceiving and the water came right over the top, Daniel got his feet wet!! We will know for next time! We hit the dunes, and the wind as we got closer and the dunes were soft but not as bad as we thought they'd be. Once on the beach it was an 18km drive up to the track that would lead us to Cape Flattery.

The main beach was blowing a gale and there was so much stuff washed ashore from all over the globe, it would have been a scavengers delight! We followed the track to the camp and OMG! Sorry for sounding like a teenager, but Cape Flattery IS an absolute gem. It was totaly protected from the south easters and the water is that tropical blue with white sand and the camp site was just set back from beach with plenty of shade. We knew it was going to be hard to leave here.

We spent 3 relaxing days at CP, Daniel got his first driving lessons and would always look for a reason to get the car out for a drive. We met a guy who shared some of his mud crabs with us and gave us some great tips on places we should visit. This place is so special and there was no one around, we had it almost to ourselves.

 The boys spent the days fishing and I got into some creative stuff and we just chilled out. The water was so inviting, but each afternoon the sharks would come thrashing into shore chasing the bait fish that is in abundance here. Although we wanted to swim we didn't want to be on the menu!
 Before long, however it was time to leave. Darren left at the same time so if we had any problems he could help us out, as it was, we got out without any dramas.

 So long Cape flattery, it was a pleasure!

Port Douglas and beyond

  After living it up with the reptiles in Innisfail, we pulled in late at Port Douglas. We weren't that impressed with the camp ground...or should I say the slab of concrete we were offered, so we kept on going to Wonga Beach. Man! Only 20 minutes further up the coast and it was peaceful and so spacious. Daniel was stoked because it had a pool, but best of all no crowds.

 We liked it so much we stayed for 3 days, it was good to regroup and get a few jobs done, like washing. The couple who ran the park were very friendly and gave us some free ferry passes so we could visit the Daintree which we did.

Daniel and the Boyds Dragon.

Waiting for the Daintree ferry.

 The Daintree was fabulous, although it was raining, it didn't hinder us at all. We are by now well use to this wet QLD weather! We spent a couple of hours walking around, taking it all in. It was amazing and quite fitting to see the rainforest in the rain. The highlight was Daniel's encounter with a Boyds dragon, something he was very keen to spot.
 After the Daintree we did a bit of sight seeing around the area before getting ready to leave the next day. James was carefully watching the rain as we were heading out through the Bloomfield track and it gets cut off in heavy rain. We didn't want to get to Cooktown via the highway with all the grey nomads.
 It rained all night and started to clear in the morning as we were packing up wet again! The way through to the Bloomfield track was beautiful, again passing the Daintree and all the surrounding rain forests. The road was also very busy with 4 wheel drives coming and going and at one stage we got stuck behind a convoy of 5 4 wheelers all driven by oldies....you can imagine what James was thinking!!

Yes, we crossed this cheered on by fellow campers!

 We got to the Bloomfield river causeway crossing around midday and we had to stop. The water was rushing over the top at quite a speed and no one was wanting to cross. Pretty soon the south side looked like a car park! We decided to wait and if need be, camp over night. Next to us were Two friendly older ladies wanting to visit one of their daughters who lived on the other side. They were happy to camp along side us. The water was still high and no appearing to ease, so we waited, by this time most people had turned back. Around 4, a local turned up and he had to cross still he waited about an hour before he went through. He got through fine and had told James that Ivan would work as an anchor to the car so we should be OK to cross. By this time the water had eased somewhat but it wasn't for the faint hearted, in fact, I nearly s#*t myself! My hands were shaking I couldn't hold the camera. James had it all under control and easily got the car and Ivan through with no trouble. I must admit, I was in awe of james' skill and have total faith in his judgment.

 After I caught hold of my nerves we headed out to the Lions Den. This place is a must for any one who travels this way. It is an iconic Aussie pub filled with with memorabilia of travellers stories.Out the back is lovely camp grounds and the serve a pretty mean Pizza too. With a gold coin donation, we also put our mark on the wall.

 The next morning we saw some of the people we met from yesterday and they told us that those two lovely ladies tried to cross the river and unfortunately got swept off the road. They were able to cling to some rope and get out safely but the same can't be said about their car and belongings. It upset us very much, as we didn't think they would attempt the crossing. At least they didn't get hurt. It just goes to show you what inexperience can do.
 It was time for us to move on again, we are now not far from Cook Town but instead of heading straight there, we detoured to Archer Point, a beautiful but very windy spot. At least it was not raining.

Crikey! Get aload of this one!!

 It just wouldn't be a Qld experience without a wrestle with a crocodile, and so off we went to the local croc farm to do just that! We went to the one at Innisfail, you find these places up and down the north Qld coast! We got there early and and had our own personal meet and greet with the reptiles. Daniel was all excited but the baby croc was cranky and kept thrashing about, freaking him out just a bit! Funny enough it was calm as a kitten when James got a hold, as for me, well some one had to take the photos!
 Next was the snake, and poor Daniel got it wrapped around his neck and got a bit freaked out again! I had a hold and the smile on my face was more of a grimace. The one thing we all loved was the friendly black cockatoo. He went from shoulder to shoulder and decided that Daniel was his new best friend. This was more to Daniel's liking. Now a visit to a reptile place would not be complete until Dan got a hold of a bearded dragon, and cuddle one he did!. The croc talk was really entertaining and informative, putting a few fears at rest for me.

The place was littered with crocs!

Daniel getting in the middle of some bad mannered Roos!

Even though it was pouring with rain, we had a great time but soon enough it was time to head up the road, destination Port Douglas. We could only hope that the weather would some how improve.

Post cards from all over.

They say a pictures says a thousands words and I can not begin tell you about all the beautiful things we have seen.Take a look and see for your selves.

Stormy seas @ Scotts Head.

Daniel meeting the local @ Boreen Point

The Road Into Wreck  Rock @ Agnes Waters

Wreck Rock.

Relaxing @ Carmila Beach.

Great fire in a great spot. Carmila beach.

A night in a paddock with friendly beasts!

Beautiful Townsville.

Dan had the whole skate park to him self in Gladstone.

Bingil Bay From Clumpy Head Look out.

Stormy Bingil Bay.

...and we still have a way to go, so its back on the road for us, we will keep you posted!