2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Thurs, 9th Aug, 2018 Moreton Telegraph Station campground to Bush camp, 50km east of Weipa, Qld (exploring)

Cool night and morning. Cloudy again with a lot of dew.

Packed up and headed south again across the Wenlock River. Up then down stream.

Turned west off the Bypass Road and through Batavia Downs Station to head to Weipa. Another station handed back to the Aborigines.

A dingo/wild dog ran off the road where he had been having breakfast on a kangaroo carcass. He ran into the grass and was jumping up and down checking we weren’t taking his breakfast.

Nice view as we crested a hill. Great smooth road.

Across Myall Creek.

Turned onto the Peninsula Development Road which was bitumen at York Downs Station. We stopped to check out a camp spot Kerry found on Wikicamps. We think the dam made to provide water for the road works as the sign said the bitumen was laid in 2017. York Downs Station have now allowed people to camp here and there is even a long drop toilet with a soft close lid - luxury. $2 fee which is fair. Will come back here after we explore Weipa. Had a cuppa.

I often say ‘On the road again’ so Kerry started writing lyrics for a song about the trip. In the end they became more like limericks. Mal’s one was ‘The Nissan’s gone missin in a cloud of dust’. Margaret said ‘Corrugated road rattle my bones, the bumps make my bum go black, but we have to keep going as it is the only track’. Mal – ‘Poor old Bob’s fridge is a bit of a fool as it is having trouble keeping cool and keeping the heat from his meat’. Kerry - ‘After hitting all those rocks we look forward to drinks at 5 o’clock; We look forward to our cold drink after a day of being pushed to the brink’.

Back onto a corrugated dirt road again as we head into Weipa. Our brains are working overtime coming up with more ditties. My effort – ‘We reached Fruit Bat Falls for a dip, then up the track to the Tip, caught some fish which filled the dish’. Mal & Kerry – Steve the leader out the front, has the car with the grunt; Sharon beside him giving the drum; Steve looks forward to his afternoon rum’. Another of theirs, they were on a roll ‘There was a man named Bob, who knew how to build a shed. We took him to the Cape and his hair turned red. He took Margaret who he called his girl and promised her a pearl.’ Another one from Kerry, ‘Cape York adventure has been full of shake, rattle and roll; it has stretched my anxiety but has been good for my soul.’ Mal – ‘Bob’s hair has turned to rust in the dust.’ Bob said ‘He was slack, just like Jack’. Last one from Kerry, ‘ I drove to the Cape with Mal in a dirty old car; it’s the longest he has left something unwashed so far’. That passed the time on the way into Weipa – I had fun trying to write them all down.

In 1963 the Federal Government signed the Comalco Agreement. This agreement caused the relocation of the people of the Mapoon Community. Most went to New Mapooon near Bamaga but some went as far south as Stanthorpe. Mining in the region commenced at Weipa in 1963. The site of ‘Old Mapoon’ has history information and a memorial to the Dutch who landed here in 1606. Families started moving back to Mapoon in 1974 and it is now a thriving community. The mine is now Rio Tinto.

Past the turn off into the Scherger Airforce Base. We explored this when we were here last time with Steve and Suzanne as their friend worked there.

Onto the bitumen. The lights turned red so we stopped and waited for the big truck loaded with bauxite rumble past.

Continued on past more mining areas.

Passed the turn off into Napranum, an Aboriginal (dry) Community.

Around to Lorim Point on the Embley River. Lots of mango trees. Plenty of bauxite too.

View across to Napranum and up the river then around to the loading facility.

Walked around to check out the boats being loaded with bauxite.

Continued into town – the other side of the loading facility as we passed over the conveyor belt.

Turned off to Evans Landing where the Navigational Beacon is. Looking out to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Onto Kerr Point Road and around to Lake Patricia. One of two freshwater man-made lakes put in by Comalco for recreation but obviously no swimming as there is a crocodile warning sign. Nice picnic area with ‘grass’. Steve went for a roll in it.

Very popular with the bird watchers too. The Palm Cockatoo has the strongest beak in the world. We have seen heaps of Blue Winged Kookaburras lately.

We continued on looking for somewhere to have lunch. Passed Lake McLeod which had no picnic facilities and then we reached the caravan park but no easy access to the beach and the tide was out.

We turned around and went back to Lake Patricia and made our lunch. I had just put our wraps on the picnic table and a crow swooped down and tried to help himself. Everyone continued with creating more ditties. Kerry is very good - ‘With the ensuite under the stars, most of us don’t wear bras. We cook on the open fire and then we may retire’. ‘Along our travels, plaques to be seen, to show where our forefathers and travellers have been. Places to visit, photos to take, and along the way memories to make.’ Margaret made another one - ‘Dust in your eyes then you see two eyes; You are then very wise as to how you drive.’ Bob’s contribution – ‘Island scene looks quite mean, Bob went for a swim, no more to be seen’. I came up with another - ‘With beer in hand Mal went to the creek, one short lesson with rod and lure, the barra was at his feet.’ ‘Well Mal had a kettle made from shiny metal. He couldn’t make it boil, so he put on his specs and employed the Gecks to share the toil to make the bloody thing boil.’ ‘Margaret loves her fishing but she got a dishing. When the groper grabbed her fish so it went missing’. ‘Sharon caught a Queenie that wasn’t a weanie. Fish and chips were had that night to everyone’s delight’. ‘We went on a trip to the very Tip, where the roads were as rough as toads.’ Last one - ‘Bob and Margaret from Mandurah and Mal and Kerry from Tassie, joined Steve and Sharon from Cairns for an adventure to explore the Cape and touch the Tip before Dementia.’

I rang Mum and Dad to let them know how we were going. Val had a foot operation so no pokie playing for a while. We all got some groceries from Woolies here then around to the Library at Rocky Point to check out the ‘history’ display. Unfortunately it was just books in a locked room that we couldn’t get to any case as the librarian was out to lunch. We wandered through the park next door and checked out the Bauxite/Aluminium monument.

A huge hunk of bauxite used as a memorial.

Walked down to the boat ramp on Mission River.

We will head over that bridge shortly.

As we walked back we noticed the huge tree. I went into one of the offices and asked if they knew what it was. One lady said it was a Mahogany Tree and had been there for a very long time.

Out of town and north across the bridge over the Mission River – only one lane and very long. Kept an eye out for crocodiles as Rebecca and Clive saw a big one here. View out to the Gulf then around and up the river.

Big fire just started. We are heading that way to check out Red Beach.

Another narrow bridge over the next creek.

Found the dirt track down to Red Beach which is called Prunung. Some history information and the scarred trees here. Another group were further over.

Red Beach gets its name of course from the red bauxite. There are lots of crushed shells in it too.

We walked around to the other side of the point – the fire is still burning but further along.

Found a fire place full of cone shells that the ‘locals’ have been eating what was inside.

Margaret said she had spotted a big eagle so we headed back to find it – well that was the funniest bit of navigation we have had, but we eventually found it and had a cuppa. Unfortunately this park has now been neglected – what a shame. It looks like there must have been plants growing over the frame as there was water piped up to water it and it appears there was a little creek that flowed down then to the beach. Bob went for a ride.

Looking back to the port.

Malcolm was fascinated by the termites going up the tree.

Back to the haul road where we were stopped again as a big truck came towards us then the lights turned green and the boom gate went up. The truck stopped so we crossed over. Obviously he didn’t want to go any further or they weren’t ready for him yet.

This ant hill is taking over the sign.

Back to the ‘dam’ campsite where we parked up for the night. The boys found some firewood and got the fire going. Enjoyed our drinks laughing about our ‘ditties’. A flock of whistling kites circled over the other end of the dam and the trees playing in the up current – lovely to watch.