Cape York - 2006

Day 25:  Still at Camp Seisia.

Popped in to see Andy at Spares and Repairs - got there at 11:30am to see the diff arrive - luckily it was complete - in Andy's words "just gotta add oil".

Agreed to come back at 2:30pm to see how he was going - in the meantime, popped out to Punsand for lunch and a swim.

2:30pm - came back, and work was progressing well - confirmed with Andy that we should check out of the hotel (if we didn't leave by 4pm, would miss the ferry).

Got back at 3:30 to find that somehow the cone retainers had been lost during the vehicle recovery - Andy rang friends and colleagues - finally finding some at his competition at Seisia.   Nearly had to stay another day!!

We got on the road at 4:10pm, for the 40 min drive to the ferry, making it by 4:40pm.   Across the ferry and pushed on south to Eliot Falls where we all went for a swim.   Ivan, Adam and Matt, jumping in at Eliot Falls, and swimming/walking their way around to meet Lea and Ben at Twin Falls - Sunset arrived just as we did - lovely.

Got some tea into us, before hitting the road and pushing on to Moreton Telegraph Station - knocking over some 250 km between 4pm and 9pm - this would make the next day a bit more achievable (hoping to make Cairns). - unfortunately though, still some 750km away from the DirtBike ride the next day..

The boys next to one of the large ant hills we came across - there were LOTS!

Adam, Ben, Lea, Matthew and Ivan - a 10 second timed shot - Ivan had to run fast ;-)

Ben at the falls

One of the tracks on the way home - not only in the middle of the road, but very wet either side as well..

Day 26:  Moreton Telegraph Station - Cairns

Up and gone by 8am, stopping for lunch at Lakeland, and running into Richard (LCOOL and Exploroz) there for a chat.   On we went, stopping in at the Lions Den Hotel for a beer, and to pick up a tshirt.   This meant that we would be doing the Bloomfield Track again, which is amazingly steep for a relatively main drag, and has some lovely river crossings which we enjoyed for the second time this trip.

By 4:30 we were heading for the ferry just before Mossman, when we thought "What if it closes at 5pm!!" - twice in two days, we were racing for a ferry, only to find it closed at 1030pm...   Relief ;-)

We got telephone service shortly after and made a few calls - to find that Rutman had gone on the dirtbike ride, and was still in Cairns - we got into the caravan park a couple of hours later, and cracked a few cans while catching up on the last weeks fun and frivolity.  

Out to tea with Steve and Rene, only to find we were too late for the marina, so went down to the Cock and Bull - what a feast - and this is the marlin centre of Australia - there is memorabilia and stuffed fish (HUGE) all over the wall - well worth a visit.

Got home and Rutman did his Great Houdini act (disappearing) - after a couple of hundred k on a dirtbike, a few beers and a bottle of red, he was done for.

Day 27:  Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef

We said our goodbyes to Steve and Rene, before leaving for our day -  a snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef - detailed here