SEQ/CQ/NQ/FNQ - CAPE YORK 2013 (Brains, Richo, LFaR & other vehicles)

[DSS150 Find all posts View Profile Close DSS150]

Great shots of Fruitbat Falls Paul, certainly getting me excited more and more about our trip up there in a few weeks!!

Please keep the posts coming, thoroughly enjoying the read and photos!

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Great shots of Fruitbat Falls Paul, certainly getting me excited more and more about our trip up there in a few weeks!!

Please keep the posts coming, thoroughly enjoying the read and photos!

Yes trying to get it done before I depart for Cape Melville on the 20th June.

And you'll have a great adventure up there!


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[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

Hope Cape Melville is better than when we dropped in in 2012. Howling gale with sand whipping across the beach. The campers there said it had been like for a few days

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Yes trying to get it done before I depart for Cape Melville on the 20th June.

And you'll have a great adventure up there!


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Brains, Cape Melville again are you semi retired now? Taking the Oztent? Don't forget the signature set up beer in hand on the camp chair DONE!!

Richo.

Richo.

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Loving the report Paul.

Sitting under those falls was a highlight of my trip in 1987.

Here is an old photo http://s5.postimg.org/hh3jj6cvb/Page..._1987_0000.jpg

Hazza

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Hope Cape Melville is better than when we dropped in in 2012. Howling gale with sand whipping across the beach. The campers there said it had been like for a few days

We went last year had beautiful days with a bit of wind through the night. Part of the adventure. There's not too many spots on the coast that don't have a bit of wind!


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[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

Brains, Cape Melville again are you semi retired now? Taking the Oztent? Don't forget the signature set up beer in hand on the camp chair DONE!!

Richo.

Richo.

Richo,

Mate just me with no family, going with a group of guys, some toys and capture devices. Wish I was fully retired.


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[JoshF Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshF]

We went last year had beautiful days with a bit of wind through the night. Part of the adventure. There's not too many spots on the coast that don't have a bit of wind!


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True, Capt Billy has 30 minutes of ugly rain and wind but was pleasant before and after. Cape Melville could have been pleasant and looked like a great spot also (and we had planned to stay) but it wasn't so we moved onto Laura

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Paul, great shots as usual.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

We made our way back along the boardwalk path to the carpark and get reacquainted with our Prado's that had not featured in the last posts photos. To recap the OTT trip so far was that we had left our travelling companions at Bramwell Junction in the Landrover Discovery the previous day as we crossed and camped at Palm Creek. We then left Palm Creek and travelled the southern section of the OTT making our way north towards Eliot Falls for a 2 night stay. The thought behind the 2 nights was to give the kids and wives a little bit more time to unwind, as well as Matt LFaR having the opportunity to get in some Laps of Eliot Creek. I still think that some of the other creeks would have been suitable as he could have maybe picked up a training partner or two to motivate his rapid movement forward. The other reason to have a two night stay was to give us a night and a morning off hearing Richo say "DONE" when dealing with his Oztent. Our friends in the Disco would be travelling the Bypass Road to meet us at Eliot Falls.

We departed the carpark of Fruit Bat Falls and drove out the track back to the intersection with the Bypass Road. Rather than jumping onto the Bypass Road you make a sharper right and continue of the OTT towards Eliot Falls Camping area about 7 or 8 kilometres up the track. As you travel along this track you come to a section which includes a bit of a puddle. Continue through that and it's not far to the turn off to Eliot Falls.





We drove into the Camp Ground, we knew everything would be good as we had pre booked a couple of sites and we had our forward scout vehicle (the Landrover Disco) should have arrived hours ago making sure the site was ready for our arrival. As we drove around to site 29, the largest camp sites available at 23m x 10m we met our friends in the Landrover as they were returning from a swim. We had also booked site 28 as we had 6 vehicles and technically site 29 was for 4 vehicles and trailers. We were all able to fit on site 29 with plenty of space to spare.

As we were setting up Geoff and Joan told us that when they arrived there was someone setting up, but once camping permits were presented, these people proceeded to pack up their camper trailer and move on. The Rangers were at that time patrolling the Camping Sites. My only advice is to sit down early when you are planning your Cape York trip and book sites at Eliot Creek and Chilli Beach early, especially if you have a large party and want to stay for multiple days. Once again the four year old in Richo came out again as he sat in his chair next to his quickly erected Oztent after yelling out 'Done' while sipping on a beer. Now I don't know how but I'm thinking that maybe that beer wasn't as cold as it should have been because while Richo may have finished with his tent he had some 12 volt issues that were of importance to deal with. It had become evident that his 2nd battery wasn't receiving the charge that he had expected it to even after a full day of driving. Some call it Karma other people call it bad luck. Now while Richo had been exceptionally quick to yell out 'Done' he is also a gentleman who had come prepared. (We had previously used his 12V soldering iron to repair a cigarette lighter plug at Endeavour falls) In one of the nooks and crannies Richo had managed to pack a spare Redarc BCDC charger as well as a collection of cable and connectors that most mobile auto electricians would struggle to cart around in the back of their utes. I was beginning to believe that Richo's 150 Prado was quite Tardis like in its storage. (Maybe it was that I had to share my Prado space with my family and Richo was 1 up).

Anyway we continued to finish setting up camp and then we all rallied around the front of the white V6 150 Prado to watch Matt LFar work with surgeon like precision on the Redarc heart transplant he performed to make sure that Richo would have a fully charged auxiliary battery. Richo was not the only person with cold issues. Tano (Blue Nissan Patrol) was having his own issues with the first ever 12 Volt fridge available in Australia that was in the back of his Patrol. Once again Tano tinkered with his Patrol and fridge issues as we settled into camp and cooked up a feast after out successful Southern OTT transit.

While we had been working on the vehicles and setting up camp the kids had gone down to the Saucer for a dip, and we all got down to check it out. There is quite a bit of water around this camping area with the Saucepan, at the southern end of Eliot creek, from the Saucepan, Eliot creek runs to Eliot Falls and where Canal Creek joins Eliot Creek. Upstream on Canal Creek is Twin Falls. You can see the layout in the following sign.





After dinner we settled in for a few well earned beverages and chat over the southern OTT as we told stories of the crossings to Geoff and Joan who had travelled the Bypass Road. If only Joan had let Geoff attempt Palm Creek. There was nothing that was too difficult that he wouldn't have made it. I guess we had two nights to talk Joan into taking on the Northern part of the OTT. We finished the night off with some mini-beers (Licor 43 and cream) and made our way to rest for the night. I know my kids had had a great day with the crossings and then finishing off the day with a swim at Fruit Bat Falls and arrive at Eliot Creek Camp Site and another swim at the Saucepan. They pretty much fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Someone else was pretty sleepy after their large swimming training.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

The next day we awoke to the kids (Matt LFaR included), swimmers on chomping at the bit to get down to the Saucepan again and into the water. So we had breakfast, cleaned up and all went down to the Saucepan. The Saucepan is a rock shelf that in the centre has area where you can jump into and be pushed along by the moving water while underwater and then pop out about 5-6 meters down stream. The kids had a great time doing this over and over again, (once again this included Matt LFaR when he wasn't swimming laps)





After our swim at the Saucepan we floated and swam down Eliot Creek to Eliot Falls. Here we stopped to take it all in and some of us had a jump of the falls into the water below.





After Eliot Falls we had a look around at twin falls and where Canal Creek joins Eliot Creek. realistically this is somewhere where you could quite easily spend a week if time permitted. The kids had a great time exploring the different creeks and falls. The larger kid enjoyed his time in the water swimming most of the day as well.









Once again that night we all retreated for a feast and prepare for departure in the morning before going down for a good nights sleep. As we were seated around the dinner table it was becoming evident that Nolans was not on everyones bucket list. There were some who were concerned. How were we going to convince Joan to let Geoff take the Disco through when a Prado driver was concerned ( Actually the blame can actually be pointed at Derek11 for posting that video or was that Berniebfg that posted it) Now I was having to convince 1 Landrover driver, 1 Prado driver and 2 Nissan driver (I won't name and shame them but Richo and I had no concerns)! The discussion continued and I offered to go first (only because of the third vehicle rule mentioned in derek11's video) so that I could pave the way for the rest of the crew. ANyway we all put our heads down and went through some of the crossing which lay ahead on the Northern OTT.



I'm trying to get some vehicle shots in too!

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

My name was still remembered LOL, great read Brains, looking forward to the next instalment

Cheers Derek

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

My name was still remembered LOL, great read Brains, looking forward to the next instalment

Cheers Derek

I don't think you'll ever be forgotten!


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[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Brains

Bringing back fantastic memories can't wait for my next trip in September now

Richo.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

After a great nights sleep at Eliot Falls we awoke to the day that we would tackle the Northern OTT. The daily routine of packing up camp and hearing Richo yelling out "DONE" after about 30 seconds were beginning to become like Groundhog Day, well Richo's incessant 'DONE' calls were beginning to wear thin as I was getting a bit over folding that roof top tent every morning to get down covered in red dust from leaning over the rack to tuck it inside the cover and zip it closed. Maybe I should have gone with my gut and taken an Oztent but it wasn't until that lady from Jayco went on about Crocodiles and snakes that my wife demanded not to sleep on the ground. Anyway it was a great opportunity to use the roof top tent on an extended trip to work out that with a family of 4 there were better options out there. Anyway back to the adventure, so after packing, breakfast and a quick tidy up as well as the rather successful persuasive speech given to the shy Landrover passenger and a convincing pep talk for LFaR in relation to taking on his Nemisis (well Derek11's) Nolan's Brook!!!! Da Da Daaaaaa.

Once again I may have promised more than I could deliver but I had instilled the spirit of adventure and giving anything a go. I did not mention failure or words like bogged, stuck or drowned as these terms tend to scare people away from tackling water crossings but rather spoke about preparation, capable vehicles and a team of adventures that would get us to the tip. All I was thinking was I hope I don't get stuck on these crossings.

Okay so we departed our home for two night, goodbye site 29, you will be missed but we will come back again someday to visit you and your falls again, and hopefully again, and maybe again…. So we drove out the track from Eliot Falls back to the OTT to cross over Canal Creek. I have always liked the colours of Canal Creek with its whitish sandy/clayish texture making the water almost a milky turquoise colour, the water looks so inviting. There are a number of entries and exits with an uneven base and some holes, most of the guides I had read say to walk it work out the easiest passage across but hey we were there to experience the OTT so we ended up driving most of the way down the creek at this crossing and coming out about 10 or so metres upstream.

Matt LFaR had steamed on ahead and got through as we were heading down to Canal Creek. Richo was in front of me and made his way through successfully.



After Richo I was ready to get through and entered the same entry as LFaR and Richo, drove up Canal Creek and out the furtherest exit. Check out the flex on the back of the Prado!



It must be noted that the three Prados were again out the front making the way for the rest of the vehicles - 2 Nissan Patrols and a Landrover Discovery. So after persuading Joan that they should take part in the northern part of the OTT (Geoff needed no convincing whatsoever) they were ready to take their first real creek cross of the trip. Geoff brought it down to a path that led pretty much straight across the Canal Creek, easing the Disco in and yeah it looked deep on the front of the bonnet but maybe that was the entry angle! Anyway Geoff successfully negotiate Canal Creek and lined up on the northern sight to wait for the Nissan's to get across!!!



So the Nissan's made it across and brought up the rear of our convoy for us to continue to the next crossing. Including Canal Creek there are 5 creek crossings in quick succession prior to the ford before Nolan's and Nolans itself.



Going through the photos and I found one of my youngest son looking back at Canal Creek and I'd like to think that he's pondering about when he can bring his 4WD up here and drive to the tip of Australia on the OTT. My eldest son has already said that he want to do the trip when he gets his licence. We can only hope that these sorts of experiences are still around for them when they are old enough and continue to be there for them to share with their children!