Sat, 4th Aug, 2018 Nolans Brook, Old Telegraph Track to Bush camp, Roonga Point, Qld (exploring)

Warmer morning – humid with lots of flies and mossies. Packed up and headed back up the OTL then back to the Bypass Road.

Continued north to the Jardine River. $100 return ferry ticket for a very short ride. They have cut up the old crossing to the east so 4WDers can’t use it anymore.

As we had phone reception I rang Mum and Dad and texted the boys that we were all good. Dark clouds are coming over again and the wind has picked up.

I walked down to take photos of the river – didn’t see any crocs.

The ferry came across so we drove down to board it. The three of us just fitted lengthwise.

Stopped on the other side and had a cuppa. Lots of vehicles pulled in on both sides so we timed it well. I had heard that earlier in the year during the school holidays there were very long delays.

Continued northwards over rough corrugations. Passed the turn off into Mutee Heads then onto bitumen as we head into the Community of Injinoo. Lovely big mango trees.

Good fuel price ($1.80/l) here so we all filled up at the colourful service station. Handy map.

As we drove out there were horses grazing in the yards and on the side of the road.

Passed the turn off to another community – Umagico then into Bamaga. Lots of activity as the NPA (Northern Peninsula Area) Show is on.

Stopped at the IGA to pick up some fresh fruit and veg, $4.79/kg for bananas so not too bad. The dark clouds dropped some rain on us as we drove towards Seisia.

We were trying to find somewhere to have lunch. Eventually found a shelter shed near a quaint church. Little showers of rain passed over us but nothing heavy. The bay looks calm.

Lots of coconuts around. Mal got one to open up later.

Zoomed in on a wreck off Red Island.

Took a few photos of the view.

Zoomed in on the wharf where we will catch the ferry to Thursday Island from.

Called into the campground.  Great signs for the toilets.

We booked our trip to TI and a bus tour around the island too for Tuesday and booked into the campground for Monday & Tuesday nights. It is 1hr10min trip across on a nice catamaran. It is the same company we went with in 1986. I hope we have a better trip than that one – old boat and 40 knot winds! We only got to see the pharmacy and then sat under the palm trees waiting for the seasickness to pass.

Another shower of rain as we headed back to Bamaga. Some of the locals making use of the many horses wandering around. Apparently the horses are as common and free roaming like the dogs.

Through town and then we turned onto the dirt road towards the Tip, called Pajinka.

Stopped at the Croc Tent to check out the souvenirs. I got a stubby holder for Steve and a wineglass cooler for me. I had bought a sticker for the truck back at the van park. 

Got a great map and advice from the lady on where to camp. Decided to go up to Roonga Point first then do the Tip tomorrow and camp at Somerset tomorrow night. 

Signs about the mango caterpillar which is what the Quarantine Station at Coen is trying to stop going south.

The sun is trying to peek through the clouds as we continued up the track towards Punsand Bay. Smoothest road so far as the grader has just done it. I can see the sea. That is Possession Island. It was on that island that Captain Cook took ‘possession’ of the east coast of Australia for the British Crown. 

Turned off the main road to Punsand and onto a track to Roonga Point. It was the site of an old store, jetty and sawmill.

Lots of spots to camp by the water so we found one we could all fit in and set up camp.

How’s that for a nice view.

Malcolm got to work on getting the husk off his coconut. Slowly he managed to get it down. Will need more than coconut milk after this effort. Steve told him the record is less than a minute.

Poked out the holes and poured out the milk which he enjoyed and everyone got a taste.

Steve cracked open the nut and they all tried the fresh coconut.

Margaret and I headed onto the beach for a walk. Our camp and the bay.

We found thousands of little shells, oysters, mangroves and sea fern.

Found some people fishing. So many island here it is hard to know which is which. From the map Possession Island is a big one and there are two small ones in front.  The southern one is Roko Island which has a pearl farm and does tours.

One chap from Hobart had just pulled in a flat head.

Back to camp for a drink, using my new cooler.

Steve got out the cast net to try and get some bait for fishing. Bob and Margaret got their rods out. Steve got them some bait and a very little mud crab.

Margaret’s all set – now where are those fish.

Malcolm had a go at using the cast net and caught himself a toad/puffer fish.

Nice photo as the sun started to set – hidden by the big cloud.

A shark was the only thing out there but he didn’t even take their bait.

Of course lots of photos as the sun set. See we can have sunsets over the water in Queensland.

Apparently there are a few crocs around here and they saw one swim by but none out this evening. Nice dinner chatting around our fire.