Top and back to Weipa

The connection has been so bad and slow that so no updates. After Elim we drove very fast for us, to the top, two overnights at roadhouses on the way and stayed for 6 days in Seisia. What a fabulous place but the road is as bad as you have heard, one rocks and rolls all the way and it is around 900k! Parts are surprisingly good but mostly it is the corrugations and the very fast drivers that are so bad.
Seisa is around 40k from the tip and has a nice campground on the beach with a jetty behind which is the centre of the community. Lots of fishing as the small fish congregate around and under the jetty and there as so many they look like large dark patches in the water. The young aboriginal kids, 5-15, with perhaps one adult around but unsupervised, were the best fisherman, some had long bamboo hand spears and would spear fish to be used as bait for bigger fish. The kids were all so polite and friendly, I was very impressed with them.
We could see a crocodile on the beach on the island opposite, a few hundred metres away but in the afternoon around 30 kids would start running across the jetty and jumping in (3-4metres to water). They would all do it together and them sometimes the visiting white kids and dads jumped too. But I didn't! The Queensland kids went on hols during our stay.
As soon as the croc left the beach opposite, instantly all the kids got out of the water.
We spent one day going to Thursday Island and did a bus tour around the island. It is interesting and nice out there. The islanders are a mix of many different races. Do you know there islands nearby where one can stay. It would be a nice holiday destination.
We spent another fabulous day going to the tip, hence the plank, and that is a really terrific place. It is one of those places in the world that have a special vibration (or something) it is so very lovely. One drives though open eucalypt forest and rainforest to get there and with so many small islands around it is very picturesque. We had the best day, not much wind and sunny (I am quite a tan now) just perfect, the water was so beautiful.
On our way back now, in Weipa, at another campground on the banks of Mission River, a very large shallow inlet here. I do like flushing toilets and power, have decided that I am a soft offroader and I am so over those roads and the trade winds that we will not go to a lot of the places we could on the way back. The distances are so vast and the red dust is so intrusive that the backtop is looking very attractive.

Elim Beach, Cape Bedford, FNQ

Finally Christians important letter arrived in Cooktown; we spent 4 (nice) days waiting so he can fill in a form to prove that he is alive, he has to visit the police to sign it. It is a nice town, we wandered around looking at everything.
Yesterday we left for Endeavour Falls Tourist Park where we stayed the night. The falls are behind the park just a short walk down to the river. Unfortunately one can no longer swim as crocs have come to live there but we did walk out over the falls and I did not JUMP!
Today we came our to this lovely beach camp on a bay under Cape Bedford, facing north. The tide is out and the Coral Sea is around a kilometre from the shore. The trades are blowing again but we are quite sheltered here.
We will stay here a couple of days and unfortunately for Christian it is on aboriginal lands and there are alcohol restrictions (1 bottle wine) and he only had about 1/2 bottle in his cask so he has nearly run out.

Cooktown - the locals say "come to Cooktown and get blown away".....you better believe it!

Oh, the trades are blowing, and blowing and blowing! But the bugs are also blown away and at least it is warm, not raining, with fluffy white clouds.
After leaving Wonga, we went on a croc spotting trip on the Daintree River. The river banks were either absolutely covered in thick rainforest or cleared land that resembles the Bega Valley. Saw a few crocs lazing in the sun.
After the boatrip we crossed the river on the car ferry and went to Cape Tribulation (I have named it Cape Dripulation) to spend a couple of nights at Noah Beach in a Queensland National Parks camp. Very nice place except everytime I go to Cape Trib oops, Cape Drip it drips. We must have had 50mms of rain in the two nights, even during the day it was misty and cloudy and of course, the trades were blowing. BUT it was still lovely to wander the beach. We met a lovely couple of ladies around our age, fishing up one end and they invited us for a cuppa the next day. Now have a new friends one is called Lyn, she has a grandpa friend in Canberra so we will catchup. Lovely lady and her sister Pam lives in Cairns.
We had a great drive up the Bloomfield Track. Spectacular views along the coast and as it is where the Great Divide meets the sea the mountains and valleys are quite steep. A couple of creek crossings but it was very easy with the Landcruiser, the locals have done lots of work on the track to make it easy and safer.
Came on the Cooktown and are staying in a camp in town waiting for mail from France. It is a great town, nice folks and lots of interesting things to see. Doing lots of walking, my ankle is good and strong and Christian knee op has helped but he still has some pain. Getting old can be a pain sometimes.
It is good to be on the road.... now we are out of the rain, I love wandering around these nice places. Cooktown is not in rainforest at all so no rain since we arrived, we are warm and happy outside. So different to our very cold Murrumbidgee Meander, we now have 12 hours of daylight Now it is 6.19pm I am sitting outside in a teeshirt updating this blog, how good is that!

Wonga Beach....where the nuts fall from very large trees and do damage! Not just croc country!

Staying in a very casual park on the beach north of Mossman not far from the Daintree.
It is warm and humid and lovely, everything is so green after the Canberra winter. Just getting ready to head further north, to Cape Tribulation and up the Bloomfield track - north. Will be travelling slowly and staying often.
Nice to be back on the road again. Poor Christian I have totally rearranged the Landcruiser so everything is where I want it. He can't find a thing........
Will update when possible.

On the banks of the Menindee...... must be a song in there ....

At Hay we heard the forcast for the following days to be quite warm and sunny so we hit the hardtop and headed for Balranyld and Mungo. Stayed at Turlee Station with very good toilets and showers in the camping area - for you homebodies this probably sounds very mundane but the older I get to more important these little things are. A really nice place with lots of firewood,beautiful sunset and a starry sky. Next morning we headed to Mungo which is also amazing but they had quite a flood in February and no longer let people wander out on the walls, one needs a guide, whiich one only finds out about when you are out at the viewing platform - the road around the back of the lake is also still closed, so we only got to view the Walls from the platform. Still worth the drive.
There is moss growing amongst the vegetation. Lots of tiny flowers also.
Tonight we are in a caravan park on the top end of the only lake that is accessible (because of all the rain) in the Menindee Lakes. After a spectacular sunset tonight we hope to paddle tomorrow on a lake that is 100% full........

Darlington Point

We headed out of Narrandera a couple of days ago and meandered along the northern shore of the river looking for campsites. The Landrover Club ACT has a CD with campsites around the country and we have been documenting some, the ones we can find, as we travel down the Murrumbidgee. The MIA State Forest runs along the northern shore and has many places to camp. The river often has sandy beaches, most sites are good but no facilities, though at this time one can light fires. Usually they are too shady for us, as generally the days are around 15 degrees, sun is good, as is a fire. We stayed overnight at Gogeldrie Weir and continued to Darlington Point the next day. We were on very muddy slippery roads and the Landcruiser is covered in mud. We leave litle piles of mud -Christian scraps off the mudguards- at the campsites.
Today we were planning to paddle until I found a mouse in the car, have you heard that the farmers now have a mouse plague to deal with, so we totally emptied out the car and treated it with peppermint oil - the locals say it stops all critters, lets hope so. We have seen a couple of mice and they are very cute, tiny little things.
Tomorrow we will head out towards Hay, there are more State Forests along the river bank to check and hopefully find a nice sunny one to stay in.
Tomorrow will also be the start of our third week, only 606k of river to go.

Today was cold but with clear blue skies

We have been waiting for the weather to improve and it did. We had a lovely morning paddling looking at all the beautiful birds, including spoonbills!and a Great White Heron (I think) - cormorants, black swans, ducks, many ibis etc. it is amazing to see so many birds.
Tomorrow we leave Narrandera and our little warm cabin and head out along the river on the northside. There is a large state forest with quite a few places to camp and paddle so we will check it out on our way towards Hay.
It is a good time to travel, not many people around as it is cold. Many Victorians heading north for the winter...I wonder about their numberplates that say Victoria, a great place to be.....ummmmmmm!

Nerandera - Lightening and lots of rain

What a nice town Nerandera is, the locals seem to be very proud of there open spaces, lots of autumn colours and beautiful gardens. We are staying here waiting for good weather to paddle on Lake Talbot, in a caravan park overlooking the lake. The lake has wetlands up one end and we would like to paddle up there. It has good access for Noodle.
We were in a powered site when the storm hit yesterday with lots of rain and lightening at around 4pm. We ended up climbing into the back of the Landcruiser around 5pm and watching DVD's, waiting but it just got worse. This morning it was terrible so we have now booked into a cabin here for 3 nights, to dry out and wait for the fronts to go through.
We are spread out relaxing....dry and warm and comfortable............

Only 6 days travelling for us to reach Wagga

Living up to our name...today we arrived in Wagga, overnighted in Gundagai but did not paddle. Met the Murrumbidgee at Gundagai. After staying in a couple of great free camps with terrific facillities on the banks of the Murrumbidgee we launched Noodle and paddled very hard upriver...(it was running quite fast) We paddled for about 1/2 and hour, we were stuffed so turned around and drifted back down. It was really nice - only have another 900 kilometres of river to paddle - when possible. We had both camps to ourselves - it is cold at night but we had fires both nights.

Now in a terrible caravan park on the Stuart Highway at Wagga...it would be minus many stars if it had any....
Tomorrow we will head back along the northside of the river towards Narranderah. The forcast is not looking too good,hope it is not too cold and rainy, if it is we will move a cabin.
It is great to be back on the road again......

Gundagai

We drove from Tumut to Gundagai via Brungle, another beautiful drive through rolling hills and valleys. We have met the Murrumbidge and will now follow down and paddle when possible.

A great fun paddle on the Tumut

After the fog lifted and the sun arrived, we did warm up though and feel like heros surviving -3degrees! It was not so bad with the heater and hot food.
We headed back up the river to Jackson Park and launched Noodle. I took lots of great photos and I can say they were great because I then lost them when downloading.....bloody technology....drives me crazy.....anyway it was the first time I have been paddling in a fast flowing river, probably 8+ knots steering around logs, rocks and bends, it was fun. We were more than 1 hour - it was only around 5k to ride the bike back but the river wound around lots of bends before returning to Tumut.
We were able to land at a small beach in the park and trolley Noodle back to the car. It was a truely great day. Tomorrow we are off the the junction with the Tumut and Nimbo rivers.

Tumut, Day 1 Murrumbidgee Meander

Finally left Canberra yesterday with cold, blue skies....how will it be sleeping in the back of the Landcruiser in 0 or less degrees....but it was OK. We are in a caravan park (hot showers and power to run a small heater) are great, Ones bladder really improves when it is so cold outside and one has to walk 100 metres to the loo! But it was OK, we waited for the sun, a beautiful foggy morning,now it is 11am sunny and warming up. First time ever I slept in a beany!
The river looks great, fast flowing but only very tiny rapids AND there is a launching spot 5 kms, by road away, here there is a small beach we can land at and then ride the bike back to get the car. The river looks very beautiful.
Tomorrow we will head out northish to meet the Murrumbidgee, which we did see leaving Canberra, but from tomorrow will follow down.

Getting Ready Again...............

Time to start again....nearly a year has passed....in fact I have declared 12.May as DON'T JUMP day. Remember, DON'T JUMP!
We will meander down the Murrumbidgee, starting at Tumut then meeting the Murrumbidgee and paddling when we can.