Cape York - To The Tip and Back - Cooktown, Wonga Beach, Atherton and home.

Cooktown

21 – 24 July 2016

We made our way into Cooktown and checked into a cabin in the caravan park. We figured after 5 weeks under canvas we deserved a treat. As luck would have it, new mates Boyd and Ruth had collected their caravan and were staying in the same park so we hosted drinks that afternoon on our verandah.

We had booked to stay for 2 nights but decided that there was plenty to do so we added an extra one. We caught up on the mountain of washing we had accumulated over the last week then visited the James Cook Museum which is housed in an old convent. It’s a great museum with each room themed to tell a part of Cooktown’s story – Cook’s visit, indigenous history and culture, gold and the Chinese, military history as well as the story of the convent itself. We had lunch at the Bowling Club and then had an afternoon swim. Yes, it is winter, but this is north Queensland.

Christie enjoyed the Museum.

On Sunday morning we went to the markets which are held on the foreshore and then drove up to Grassy Hill Lookout which affords spectacular views across the region. Later, we drove out to Keatings Lagoon Conservation Park, just a few kilometres out of town, and a good birding spot.

Large-billed Gerygone perched above an old nest at Keatings Lagoon. We could see the new nest from the boardwalk.

The Cooktown Markets.

View from the lookout.

Before we left Cooktown on Monday morning we stopped at the carwash to give the Prado and Cub a good scrub down. They were filthy and it took quite a while to get them looking even half clean.

Wonga Beach

24 – 26 July 2016

We drove down the Mulligan Highway and stopped for coffee at Lakeland, then on to Mount Molloy where we turned onto Rex Range Road. Through Mossman and on to Wonga beach, we stopped at one of the two caravan parks to try to obtain a site. At this time of year, most parks are full so you either have to book in advance or arrive early – we did the latter this time and were rewarded with a nice grassy spot away from the main sites. While most sites were full, our little section of the park had only two others camped nearby, and not right next door. Just what we like!

Male Fig Parrot.

Female Olive-backed Sunbird.

Dusky Honeyeater.

We had a leisurely afternoon which included a swim in the pool and booked a Daintree River cruise for the following day. In the morning we made a fairly early start to drive the 15 minutes to the Daintree River crossing where we joined the 9.30am “SolarWhisper - Daintree River Wildlife and Crocodile Cruises”. This would be the fourth Daintree cruise company we have tried.

The guide from Solar Whisper posts lots of nice bird photos on Facebook so I presumed it may be a good cruise for bird photography. I had the wrong idea, this is primarily a crocodile tour with the possibility of a bird encounter. Still good value as far as that goes. We had good views of a Papuan Frogmouth. Mick.

Two babies. There were lots of crocs out sunning themselves on the muddy banks of the Daintree.

The alpha male in front is about 4.5 m long. It is unusual to see two males sharing a bank like this.

This croc was only about a metre long.

Papuan Frogmouth.

This boat uses a solar powered electric motor and so is much quieter than others we have been on, but is focussed more on crocodiles than on birds, although we did see a few photographable (is that even a word?) ones. The highlight for me was not so much seeing the crocodiles up close, but seeing the young ones. I had only ever seen babies and juvniles at crocodile farms.

After the cruise we drove into Daintree Village for a coffee and another look around at the couple of craft shops, before returning to the caravan park for more swimming and relaxing.

We set off on Tuesday morning, headed back up to the Atherton Tablelands, this time to stay in Atherton.

Atherton

26 – 28 July 2016

We drove back through Mossman and up Rex Range Road before stopping at Abbatoir Swamp. We were delighted to find that they have finally repaired the boardwalk after several years, but unfortunately the swamp itself is now so full of vegetation it is impossible to see birds. Hopefully clearing it out is also on the list of things to do, although we suspect this may not be a priority for council. We stopped for coffee in Mount Molloy then in Mareeba for the op shops.

Not much in the way of waterbirds here but it's a good place for bush birds. Male Leaden Flycatcher.

Macleay's Honeyeater.

Again, we had booked our spot at the caravan park in advance and were glad we did. It was almost full. We settled into a nice spot with shade, and had lunch before setting off to do a bit of shopping.

Female King Parrot at the caravan park.

A great disguise.

In the morning we made Hastie's Swamp our first stop and were rewarded with masses of waterbirds, far more than we had ever seen at this spot before. From there we went over to Lake Barrine for a walk in the rainforest and the famous Devonshire tea. They have been serving traditional Devonshire teas at the lake since the 1920's and it never disappoints.

Great Crested Grebe at Lake Barrine.

A very light Plumed Whistling-duck at Hastie's Swamp.

A very small fraction of the many thousands of Plumed Whistling-ducks and Magpie Geese that were present.

We drove back to Malanda for some more shopping then stopped at Gallo Dairyland to buy cheese and chocolate. They have tastings of their delicious products and if you are there at the right time you might even see the cheese or chocolates being made. There is also a cafe on site but we were still full from morning tea so just satisfied ourselves with the tasting samples.

Back in Atherton we did the rounds of the op shops and stocked up on supplies and fuel. Later in the afternoon we drove over to Herberton - we had heard there was a good op shop there and called in to Hastie's swamp again.

In the morning we headed for home - but first we made our way to Ma:Mu Tropical Skywalk. This time the sun was shining - finally! This popular tourist destination allows views into the canopy and across the surrounding rainforest from raised walkways and a cantilever. It is located in Wooroonooran National Park the traditional country of the Ma:Mu Aboriginal people. There is also an observation tower which we didn't climb - my fear of heights preventing me from going further than the second landing.

Tree walk.

Brown Cuckoo-dove

Although not a great shot, it's fitting to finish this trip with another new bird for my life list. White-eared Monarch.

We spent a couple of hours there and headed off around lunch time stopping for lunch at the pub at Wangan. On towards home, with a quick stop in Ingham to check out (just one) op shop and then home at last.

We spent 44 days on the road and travelled 4500km, much of that on unsealed roads. We camped at four campsites (Cooks Hut, Chilli Beach, Eliot Falls and Hann Crossing) in three National Parks (Kutini-Payamu, Jardine River and Rinyirru) and camped at 5 beaches (Weipa, Loyalty Beach, Punsand Bay, Seisia and Wonga Beach). Our favourite spots were Eliot Falls (especially swimming at Twin Falls) and Hann Crossing (a beautiful, peaceful spot).

Cape York - To The Tip and Back - Moreton Telegraph Station and Musgrave Roadhouse

Moreton Telegraph Station

16 – 17 July

We set off early (for us) from Seisia, and reached the Jardine River Ferry, the last “place” until Bramwell Junction. There are toilets and a fuel station, as well as a campground. The ferry ticket you purchase on the way up is a return ticket which you do have to produce on the way back.

We set off again along the Northern Bypass Road – it was still in appalling condition in parts. We had hoped that maybe a grader had been along while we were at the tip, but no such luck.  We continued on to the small section of the Old Telegraph Track and then on to the Southern Bypass Road. Because of our early start, we were making good time.

One of the large termite mounds that are common in this part of the country. Across the road from Bramwell Roadhouse.

We stopped at Bramwell Junction Roadhouse for a stretch and a coffee, then headed on to Moreton Telegraph Station. We were fortunate to be able to get a powered site again, and set up on the same one we had last time. Iithin ½ hour the four powered sites were taken. If you need a powered site I suggest booking ahead or arriving by lunchtime. There is heaps of space for those not needing power. Once again Mick spent a good bit of time trying to photograph the resident birds.

I didn't get any special shots as hoped but managed some snaps of the Manucode again.

We set off early again, aiming for Musgrave Roadhouse. As we moved south, the roads continued to improve.

Musgrave Roadhouse

17 – 18 July

We stopped at the free camping area, known as The Bend, just before Coen, for lunch, then continued on to Musgrave. We arrived mid-afternoon, and were one of the first into the campground so had our pick of the spots. We chose one under a shady tree. There are no powered sites at Musgrave but we were able to get the solar panels into the sun for part of the afternoon.

Mick went exploring and found the dam, complete with freshwater crocodiles. We were also able to access the creek, but no swimming allowed - there could be saltwater crocodiles. We ventured up to the bar for a drink and chatted to some other travellers. We found that everyone wants to share their experiences of going to the tip, or hear about yours if they are on their way up.

We saw a few freshwater Crocodiles in the dam.

Torresian Crows were a pest around the campground, getting into bins and spreading rubbish around.

A Whistling Kite calls down by the creek.

A White-faced Heron by the creek.

We were very keen to get going in the morning, so after fuelling up, we headed off for Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park.

Cape York - To The Tip and Back - Loyalty Beach, Punsand Bay and Seisia

Loyalty Beach

10 – 12 July 2016

We drove along the Northern Bypass Road – by far the worst so far. There were some long sections of severe corrugations after a fairly good dirt section and even a long bitumen section. For a good part of the way it was again better to drive in the gutter. We arrived at the Jardine River ferry crossing and stopped to have a look around before paying our fee ($129 return for car and trailer) and crossing the river. Visitors are reminded that alcohol restrictions apply in Northern Peninsular Area lands - which covers most of the area north of the Jardine River.

Waiting for the Jardine River Ferry.

Once across we headed for Bamaga still not sure where we wanted to stay. We drove in to Seisia and had a bit of a look around and picked up some supplies at the supermarket then continued on the short distance to Loyalty Beach. This campground is in a bush like setting and is very spread out. We picked a spot with ocean views, but back from the beach.

Another encounter with a Palm Cockatoo.

We had a visit from our friends and discussed our plans to drive up to “The Tip” and call into Punsand Bay for a look. In the morning we set off but didn’t get very far. The corrugations were dreadful and we decided that, as we were going to stay at Punsand Bay anyway, we would save the drive for the next day.

We headed back into Bamaga and then over to Seisia jetty. There were lots of people fishing there and we did hear some success stories.

Taken from the Jetty.

In the morning we packed up and picked up more supplies (including fresh bread from the bakery in Bamaga) ready for the next few days. We had booked for two nights at Punsand Bay. We asked at the caravan park before we left about a road the “crazy woman” (my GPS) was suggesting we take and were told we must ignore her advice. Apparently all GPSs suggest the road that takes you through a swamp where even locals have been bogged! Lucky we asked.

Punsand Bay

12 – 15 July 2016

We took the back road (but not the one through the swamp) from Loyalty Beach which cut off much of the rough main road. It was little more than a track in parts but a nice drive until we rejoined the main road, which was rough in many parts.  We stopped at the Croc Tent which sells souvenirs and provides local maps. They had a huge selection of t-shirts – many of which we saw being worn in the camp ground over the next few days.

The campground at Punsand Bay is very big and sites there are allocated. We had a spacious site, with shade, back from the beach. There is a bar and restaurant that does wood fired pizzas every night and offers an a-la-carte menu some nights. We enjoyed pizza with our travelling friends Ruth and Boyd. The big attraction at the campground, apart from the wood fired pizzas, is the swimming pool. You can’t swim in the creeks or ocean because of the crocodiles so a pool is a well-used asset.

Civilization in the form of good coffee, drinks and pizza at the Corrugation Bar.

In the morning we set off for “The Tip”. The drive was beautiful, through some pristine rainforest and took about 45 minutes from the campground. Again there is an alternative route that takes you through swamp land – or deep soft sand – depending on the time of year.

The road to the tip through beautiful rainforest.

When we arrived at The Tip there was a tour bus there, as well as lots of other vehicles. We set off on the walk over rocks to the most northerly point on the Australian mainland. We timed it right – when we reached the sign signifying we had arrived, there was only one other couple there. We took each other’s photos and had some time taking some other photos. Amazingly there was mobile reception so we posted photos on social media and sent some to friends. As we set off back down the track there were heaps of people on their way out. Good timing on our part for once. We spent a bit of time on the beach before heading back to Punsand Bay. There are no facilities at The Tip - no toilets or picnic tables, or anything to encourage visitors to stay and enjoy the surroundings.

Interesting rock formations at the very tip of Australia.

We made it!

The beach at the beginning of the walking track to the tip.

There are some very nice views to be had from the track.

The car was a mess when we got back.

Our final day at Punsand Bay was spent relaxing. We figured we deserved it after all the driving on rough roads. We decided we would go back to Seisia for one night before tackling the road south again.

Drinks on the beach with Ruth and Boyd, very pleasant.

Just in front of where we were having drinks, charter flights come and go.

The beach at Punsand Bay.

 The non driving day was a good choice from a birding point of view. The park is crowded for most of the day but there is a quiet time, mid morning when most of the campers have either packed up and moved on or gone off to explore. I took the camera and had a walk around getting shots of Tawny-breasted and Graceful Honeyeater, Brush Turkey, Varied Triller and Bar-shouldered Dove. Mick.

Graceful Honeyeater.

Tawny-breasted Honeyeater.

Bar-shouldered Dove.

Varied Triller.

Brush Turkey

Seisia

15 – 16 July 2016

Because we didn’t have far to go, we didn’t rush our packing up, but instead made a leisurely morning of it. We were pleasantly surprised to find, when we reached the turn back onto the main (Pajinka) road at the Croc Tent, that the road back to Bamaga had been graded. Yay! That made the trip even quicker.

We made our way to Seisia and checked into the caravan park, again right on the beach. Because we were early we were able to secure a beach front hut. There are a number of these along the beachfront. There are really just a corrugated iron roof over a sink and bench, with some power points and a small fence around, but it was a really nice way to say goodbye to this part of the country. The floor is sand so it felt really tropical.

The view from our 'beach hut'. It was Friday afternoon.

We headed back into Bamaga to stock up again – fuel, groceries and alcohol. The pub bottle shop doesn’t open until noon. Because it is so remote everything is very expensive, but the variety is good. We stopped on the way back to the campground to look for Palm Cockatoos as Mick had been told about a possible spot – but they weren’t there. Instead he found them right where we were camped. That was a nice surprise.

Feeding on beach almonds.

My best shot of the local Palm Cockatoos.

Of course it rained in the evening, so we grabbed a burger from the take-away at the caravan park and enjoyed a couple of Friday drinks with a view. The huts are shared facilities and we were lucky that our neighbours were quiet types. As is common in many communities, horses and dogs roamed freely, including through the park. We were woken in the night by the sound of a horse (or was it horses) foraging in the neighbours food. There were signs warning not to leave food out.

Sunrise at Seisa.

In the morning we rose early for the long drive south, with Moreton Telegraph Station as our proposed destination.