Sun, 5th Aug, 2018 Bush camp, Roonga Point to Bush camp, Somerset ruins, Qld (exploring)

Sun in and out of the clouds. Still windy but the bay is calm. No croc sightings.

Malcolm cooked bacon and eggs for everyone – Sunday treat.

Packed up and headed back along the track then up to Cable Beach and Punsand Bay which was originally called Cable Bay as a new underground cable for the telegraph was laid from here to Thursday Island in April 1894 after the original cable from Paterson Telegraph Office was abandoned due to repeated failures. The telegraph office was dismantled and moved to Peak Point nearby and then called the Cape York telegraph office.

We wandered into the resort.  Found some nice orchards.

They have ‘glamping’ tents with views of the beach.

Huge tree on the beach – I wonder where that came from. And a helicopter!! He does tours over the Tip and around other areas.

A Quarantine map showing the two names for each of the islands.

Looking across to Peak Point.

Kerry thought the name of the bar was very good.

Checked out the tourist information.

Good map – Thursday Island is so small compared with the others.

Back down the track to the Croc Tent then we headed to The Tip. Pretty drive through the Lockerbie Rainforest. Still a narrow track.

A creek crossing, we went straight through but the others took the bypass to the right.

Into more open scrub as we near the top.

Passed the remains of Pajinka Resort which was originally the Cape York Wilderness Lodge run by Ansett. It was bought back by the government to be run by the local aborigines etc but there was a dispute about wages just before we arrived in 1986 and it was abandoned. When we arrived then everything was just left open for anyone to help themselves. The machinery shed and machinery had been torched. What a shame. Nothing appears to have been done to it since then. Will check it out on our way out.

Arrived at the car park for the walk to the Tip and it was crowded – they were parked in like sardines. We managed to get parks along the side of the road but many more followed us in and drove right in then had to turn around and drive back out. Obviously no one is interested in providing better parking etc or making something of this area. At least it is still free to come up to!!

Had a cuppa then went down to Frangipani Beach.

Zoomed in on some vehicles further around the beach.

Bob decided to walk around the beach way as the tide was out. Kerry and Malcolm had already headed up over the rocks so we headed up after them.

Some of the many visitors’ cars to the Tip.

Great view from up on the rocks over the bay to York Island.

Steve found a rock cairn to add to.

Very windy up here – even the grass is laying over.

The east coast.

Further along we can see the east side of Eborac Island with its lighthouse.

Looking back down along the east coast.

Below us on the west side we spotted the ruins of something.

Stopped at a peak to check out the direction cairn. Cairns that way.

Continued along the path then York and Eborac Island came into view.

Where the two seas meet – the Coral and Arafura.

Looks like we will have to queue up for our photo with the Tip sign.

Didn’t take long and we had made it to The Tip and have the photo to prove it.

Steve was always after a Topless photo at the Top and when we were here with our boys – they were all topless so that should be enough. I played the game and when it was our turn for the two of us I said ‘one, two, three’ and lifted our shirts – of course I only showed my belly, no bra on – I would have scared all the tourists!!

The next lot waiting for their photos.

Rock tree. Rang Mum and Dad and sent the boys a text to say we have made it to the Top. Took a video over the islands and the Top of Cape York.

Walked back via the other track on the western side. No wind this side. Lovely view over the bay – took a video too.

Took off my shoes to walk in the water.

Sting rays have been here.

The mangroves along the beach.

Back to our vehicles then back to Pajinka Resort for a look. Such a waste. The tree roots have grown into the pool.

The cane toads are loving it here though and didn’t worry about us looking on while they mated!!

Someone did a good spider painting in the office.

Spied a pretty flower high up in the tree but don’t know if it belongs to the tree or is part of a vine.

Back to the main track then through more rainforest as we head to the east coast and Somerset ruins.

We drove down to the camp ground first as we knew another big group might be coming this way. A sign says $20 per night fee to the caretaker. Doesn’t look like anyone has cared for this area in a while.

Found a nice spot at the end and set up camp.

We are beside some graves of the Jardine family.  The graves are of Francis (Frank) Lascelles Jardine (died 1919) and  his wife, Sana (died 1923). The memorial was erected in 1924 by their family. Nearby is Frank’s grandson, Gordon Vidgen (1902-1962). Another grave is said to be Sana’s mother (about 1901) and possibly two children.

The government decided they needed an outpost up here and sent up John Jardine and his family. Originally they were supposed to settle on Albany Island which is only a short way off shore but when John arrived he decided the mainland was a better spot. A pre-fab settlement was erected here by 25 marines which included a Magistrate’s house for John and family, police quarters, customs house, hospital and barracks for the marines – amazing. Somerset was proclaimed on the 21^st August, 1864.

Walked down our little track onto the beach with Albany Passage between us and Albany Island.

Zoomed in on the house on Albany Island. Steve remembers seeing a fishing show about the chap who owns the island. Doesn’t look like he is roughing it.

Walked up to the end of the beach (to the right) and through the mangroves to find the windmill and well. The windmill pumped the water from the well up to the homes on the hill above us where the settlement was.

Steve climbed up with the camera to take better photos.

Margaret had climbed up too and found an interesting fungus.

Steve took us up another path to another grave he found – maybe one of the pearl divers.

Back to the camp ground area.

Dead crab on the beach and a big fish carcass too.

Must have been a jetty here as there are old posts.

We headed to the other end of the beach to check out some cave paintings when a shower of rain came over so I rushed back to fold up chairs etc. By the time I did that the rain stopped.

As I came out I spotted some more graves closer to the beach than the Jardines were. Cancan was a pearl diver. The other was a Japanese pearl diver, Kobori Itchimatsu, who was  buried here in 1909. Kobori came from the village of Nishi Mukai in Wakayama prefecture, an area that provided 80% of the 7000 Japanese who left their country to become pearl divers.

Next to them is a memorial to Edmund Kennedy.

I caught up with the others who were climbing over rocks to get around the point as the tide was still too high to walk in the water. Another big log stuck in the mangroves.

Bob charged on but Mal, Margaret and I decided it was too rocky and slippery. Steve continued on with my camera to find Bob. They got around the point to a little beach with exposed sandstone and a cave. They found some paintings right at the back and some interesting holes through the sandstone.

Quite afternoon relaxing and reading. Nice listening to the waves roll up onto the beach. A couple more rain showers but nothing heavy. Grey sky made it hard to know what time it was. Got the fire going and had drinks and dinner around it. Kerry was doing a crossword so we all tried to answer the questions.

Enjoyed a lovely warm shower. The sky has cleared and the stars are out.