Moreton to Bamaga

An early breakfast and start again, we have the front seat of the coach today. Each day we change seats in numerical order, and the numbers are mixed through the coach. There's a little more leg room at the front, but the big advantage is that I can jump off first.

Our first stop was just a short way down the red track, where we stopped to admire the cycads. These ferns grow only 1 cm per year, and there was almost a forest of them. Off course, there were the ever present termite mounds




Back on the coach we watched a video by the bush tucker man about the ill fated Kennedy expedition of 1848.
He and twelve men landed at Rockingham Bay and set out to explore Cape York. Only three men survived this expedition, including Jackey Jackey, his aboriginal companion. Kennedy himself was speared by the local aborigines, and Jackey Jackey only barely survived to tell the tale.

We followed the line of the telegraph line, and some way along stopped at what had been one of Kennedy's camps. At camp 84, three men were left behind, and never heard of again. When they were searched for some time later, the only evidence of them was some local Aborigines wearing their clothes.
This was really scrubby country, but with some nice plants and flowers. A cairn commemorated the lost men.





Onward and northward we travelled, following the telegraph line, until we came to for an exciting River crossing. We all jumped out to watch Arn manouvre down to the River, and loaded on board again as he crossed.




Onto the Fruit Bat Falls, which actually don't have any fruit bats hanging around. A few hardy souls went for a swim, and reported the water as nice. This was our lunch stop as well.




The next river we crossed was the Jardine. This is the largest perennial river in Queensland, and the only river whose catchment area is all in protected areas.
There is only one way to get across, and that is by ferry.








As soon as you cross the Jardine, you are in the NPA or Northern Peninsula Area. There are five communities here, three of them aboriginal. Population is approx 2500, 85% of island origin, and 25% aboriginal. We are staying at Bamaga Resort. Once in Bamaga, we did a town tour which included the airport and the wreck of a DC 3, which came down just short of the airstrip almost 70 years ago, after running out of fuel.





After settling into our resort, we enjoyed happy hour, and another yummy three course dinner before settling down for the night.




- Posted from another day in Paradise

Location:Burkuma Road,Yuendumu,Australia