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Great Northern Adventure
  • Michael Sharpe
  • Michael Sharpe

Great Northern Adventure

Trip up East Coast from Coffs Harbour to the Cape, over to Darwin then down the centre Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 8, 2023
  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    1770 13-15th May 2023

    May 13, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    1770 & Agnes Waters. 13 to 15th May, 2023
    1770 Camping Ground
    Great little camp ground with spectacular beach and ocean views, good walks
    Enjoyed the 4wd track (Wreck Rock Road) from Agnes Waters through Deepwater National Park - Flat Rock, Midd Rock and Wreck Rock (see Video)Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Port Douglas Low Island 1st June

    June 1, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    Had a great day out on the Low Island just off Port Douglas. 15 mins out by The Reef Sprinter (3 x 300 horsepowerengines!)
    Amazing coral and tropical fish, guide says reef is in really healthy condition. Visibility under water was excellent.
    Glass bottom boat tour was also very good. Overall, great day and well worth it! Not as "touristy" as I expected.    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe
    Lappa PubLappa pubBalancing RockAnother bigger rock..Some lizard..A rock with a view..2 big rock piles(Chillagoe-Mungana Caves)(Chillagoe-Mungana Caves)First night sert up..

    Day 1 of 4wd Adventure

    June 4, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    From Cairns up the Kungala way to Mareeba.
    Then follow the Wheelbarrow way thru Dimbilah to Chillagoe, where we spent our first of 18 nights in the swag and tent.
    Wheelbarrow way got its name from all the Chinese pushing their Wheelbarrows to the Chillagoe tin mines.
    Lots of sugar & coffee plantations. All they need is the odd diary farm and we'd be right!
    Chillagoe also has the Balancing Rock and a great cave system (Chillagoe-Mungana Caves)    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe
    Palmer River roadhouse
    Mt MulliganMt Mulligan mineMitchell riverMitchell riverTrevs big river crossingDigs for the night 🌙

    Day 2 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 5, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Day 2 - Chillagoe to Palmer River Roudhouse.
    A good day started with a visit to the Tom Prior Ford museum in Chillagoe, which was a bit underwhelming. (Nice Ford XW Gt though!)

    We dropped tyre pressure down to 30 psi to tackle dirt, dips, grids and the odd water crossing.
    On to Mt Mulligan Coal mine, site of the 3rd largest mining disaster, where 75 poor bastards lost their lives in a coal dust explosion in 1921.
    It would have been a tough life in the mines up here.

    After lunch at Mt Mulligan, we continued the dusty 4wd track to the Mitchell river, which was a very pleasant stop after the heat & dust.
    Tonight, we stay at the Palmer River roadhouse and have been promised a "bbq with all the trimmings, the best feed of the tour." Looking forward to it!
    Ps: bbq was a bit overrated..    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 3 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 6, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 31 °C

    First up, happy birthday, Julie!
    Have a great day🎂🥳

    Left Palmer River for James Earl lookout. Spectacular views but a bit overcast.
    Still on a mix of dirt and bitumen as we made our way to Split Rock.

    After a steep one km walk, we arrived at indigenous cave paintings. Plenty of them, I'm no artist but I reckon I could do better.

    Morning tea at Laura, famous for sending an indigenous tracker down to Victoria that led to Ned Kellys capture.

    On to the Hahn River for Lunch, then to Musgrave Roudhouse for an early finish.
    Saw the fresh water crocs being fed, I think the turtles were more aggressive. Thanks to Trev for thecroc video.)

    Julie's birthday dinner consisted of ;
    Julie- chicken kiev
    Tevor- barramundi
    Michael- seafood basket
    A couple of beers and sauvignon blanc rounded out another good day    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe
    Merluna Station camp

    Day 4 4wd Cape adventure

    June 7, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 31 °C

    Up early and left Musgrave Roundhouse for Merluna Station
    Still on a mix of dirt and bitumen, about 60/40%
    Stopped at Coen for a break, then onto Archer River for possibly the worst coffee ever made. Note to self: if they advertise their coffee is instant, that's a bad sign...
    Straight onto Merluna station, a 416,000 acre cattle station. A nice camp with grass and 3 differently bird watching tracks. We'll be taking advantage of that, while keeping an eye out for the 3m salty crocodile said to inhabit the creek... will post a picture of him if we see him first..    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 5 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 8, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Left Merluna Station this morning. The late start allowed for a brisk 6 km walk this morning, the first for a while. Plenty of cockatoos up early as well as a wallaby, sleeping in the middle of the road that had some personal hygiene issues.
    Only a couple of hours drive to Weipa where we went on a boat ride into the Port and up the estuary system. Plenty of crocs and birds.
    Tonight's meal is at the caravan park Cafe at Weipa called Barramunchies!
    Can't wait...
    Anyway, Weipa is renown for the Bauxite mines and fishing, but we ignore them and head of to Morten Telegraph Station in Wenlock tomorrow .    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 6 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Spent the morning in Weipa with a good walk, bit of shopping, and a look at the community centre/ museum for a bit of kulcha.
    On the road by lunch with a move thru Batavia Downs station. It's here we dropped tyre pressure down to 26psi as we get closer to the old Telegraph track. The roads are still pretty good, but the recovery gear comes into the car tomorrow for easy access!
    While today was a pretty quiet and uneventful day, tomorrow promises to be more interesting....
    Spent the night at Moreton Telegraph Station.    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe
    21

    Day 7 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 10, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Left Moreton Telegraph Station after a sprinkle of rain last night. Was very refreshing after sleeping with the flaps open and waking up to a mist of rain coming on....until got hot heavy.
    The real 4wd started today we hit the Telegraph track after passing through Bramell junction and Batavia Downs Station.
    The highlight was Cockatoo Crossing, Trevor maiden Creek crossing. He did beautifully as 2nd car thru (after our illustrious leader) see video.
    A couple of more crossing and some pretty horrendous washouts we rolled into Elliot Falls. We'll spend 2 nights here in a dodgy campsite, but spectacular falls.    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 8 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 11, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Day 2 at Elliot Falls.
    Trev & I did the Saucepan, Elliott falls and the Twin Falls by noodle last evening. Was spectacular, with Elliott Falls proving a bit hairy if you took the wrong line.. (seeTrevs injury pics).
    Got the drone up today at the saucepan, but was too windy for the rest. Will try this evening.
    It's hot today, would be over 30, plenty of ants & flies.
    Tomorrow, we are off to Seisha for 3 nights!    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 10 - the Tip! 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 13, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Well, after all that, we all reached the tip this morning.
    It was a good effort and a lot of fun.
    Another beautiful day in the low 30c's as we finished the tip and had smoke at Somerset Beach. Picturesque beach, just no swimming 😡
    We then did the 5 Beaches 4wd track, which was good solid 4wd driving, but nothing too challenging.
    Back to Punsand Bay which is like a tropical resort for lunch and a couple of beers.
    Tonight will be Loyalty Beach fishing club for dinner.    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 11 Thursday Is 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Boat trip over to Thursday Island (TI) from Seisia this morning on Peddles "Torres Magic".
    A good look around Thursday Island on the bus tour, rich history of WW1 & WW2 involvement. Neighbouring Horn Island was the 2nd most bombed part of Australia after Darwin.
    Had a big pearl and shell industry until plastic was invented for buttons.
    Lunch at the Torres pub then back home (Seisia)    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe
    1

    Day 12 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 15, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Left Seisia this morning for Fruit Bat falls, stopped off for a refreshing swim.
    Needed it after we were woken last night by a wild horse rummaging through our camp-site.
    Apart from making a noise, it left us a fairly large present. Do you know how big a horses arse looks from a swag?? ( pretty big...)
    Crossed the Jardine River by ferry and didn't pay the ferryman until he got us to the otherside.
    Into Bramwell Station for an early finish.
    Tonight we have dinner and a show, so looking forward to that
    Dinner show was excellent, both Trevor and I showed them how to sing along to some golden oldies...    Read more

  • Michael SharpeGreat Northern AdventureMichael Sharpe

    Day 13 4wd Cape Adventure

    June 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Left Bramwell Station late this morning after lovely egg and bacon Muffin.
    Drove to Octavia Goldfields, which was abandoned in the sixties and is littered with rusty old equipment. It's still a popular spot for fossikers
    Drove onto Archer River roadhouse, where we will be sampling the famous burgers tonight, before heading off thru Lakefield national Park tomorrow.    Read more

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