Fri, 10th Aug, 2018 Bush camp, 50km east of Weipa to Musgrave Roadhouse campground, Qld (exploring)

Beautiful clear blue sky this morning with a light breeze. Amazing how many cars went by driving in the night.

Back along the Peninsula Development Road where cars drive more in the table drains then on the road. Bitumen as we past York Downs Homestead. Saw a herd of goats grazing as well as cattle. A very long truck and load passed us heading out of Weipa.

Continued down the PDR on the bitumen. Caught up with a group of 4WD going slowly as we went back onto the gravel. At least the wind has picked up and is blowing the dust away quickly.

At the turn off in to Aurukun (another dry community) there is a picnic table surrounded by empty beer cans!!

The tour group stopped at the Weipa/Cape York Road intersection so we pulled in too. Made a cuppa then got on the road just before they got started again. We are on bitumen so they won’t be eating our dust.

If you put up a rough road sign you don’t have to rush to fix it!!

Back onto bitumen to Archer River – kept going as we stopped there on the way up.  Back onto the gravel again. Lots of traffic going north still. Caught up with a slow going truck. 

Another short bitumen stint then back on the dirt then bitumen as we entered the Quarantine Station north of Coen. We all passed.

To ‘The Bend’ on the Coen River for lunch.

We laughed when we saw the sign after Coen stating ‘Floodways for next 244.9km – could have rounded that up!!’ Slowed down for a group of horses crossing the road.

Continued on to Musgrave to camp for the night. Stopped at the graves first.

Looking across to the old Telegraph Station building which is now the roadhouse.

Fuelled up and paid our camp fees then parked up for the night.

Today’s route.

There is a lagoon at the back of the property where they feed some freshwater crocodiles so I walked down for a look. Obviously they have had some problems.

Very pretty.

I heard some quacking then spotted all the ducks going for a walk across the paddock.

Lovely big trees over the horse paddocks.

Heard a plane take off. Found out it was the RFDS collecting a lady – poor thing.

Margaret & Bob wandered down and found a friend.

Back to the lagoon for the 5pm feeding. Only a bit of rope to separate us and the crocs so they aren’t a threat obviously. We watched them slowly make their way towards us. The turtles and tortoises obviously get fed too as they were all lining up.

The owner said that a few children had been throwing rocks at them so he threw out the family – hence the sign. The crocs haven’t been in for a feed since then unfortunately. He fed the turtles etc but the crocs wouldn’t feed. He had 14 but one has died. We saw 5 of them. One came in close and swam around. Took videos.

Everyone moved over to feed the horses.

I waited after everyone left and one croc came in closer.

I picked up a brochure about the roadhouse and telegraph station.

Two guys who pulled in beside our camp. His truck said ‘Cairns Cleaning Contractors’ and looked familiar so we went over for a chat. His name was Troy and said he had done work for the Volleyball Assoc and had checked signed by Brian. They joined us for drinks. He and his father coming fishing up this way each year.

More and more travellers are pulling in. Glad we got here early. The Landdrover group arrived who were fixing one of the trucks at Moreton Telegraph Station. Chatted with them about their trip.

Lovely clear night. The boys found some firewood down near Saltwater Creek so we got the fire going and had a great night chatting.