4 May 2013 – Bound for Cape York (Bramwell Junction to Jardine River)

We had such a good night with the Eliot family that we all decided to continue along the track together – safety in numbers.  They were in a 200 series Landcruiser towing a Bushtracker van, whilst we only had the 100 series Cruiser to worry about – much easier for us not towing but in hindsight we were kicking ourselves for not bringing our van up here.  It would have been just fine along the PDR (Peninsula Development Road) and we would have been so much more comfortable.  Onward and upward we went – first stop of the day was at Fruit Bat Falls.  This waterfall is about 120kms north of Bramwell Junction, roughly where the Old Telegraph Track (OTT) and the Southern Bypass Road join.  Thankfully the peak season hasn’t kicked in yet and there were only a couple of other cars in the parking area.  A short stroll along a boardwalk and you come to  this stunning sight – just as picturesque as the magazines show.  This waterfall does not have a steep drop but it is pretty wide and not too deep.  We wasted no time to jump on it for a swim in the lovely cool water and then climbed up to the top level for a bit of exploring.  Fortunately it wasn’t very slippery and we all got up easily, even little Cedar with some help.  Upon climbing back down to the lower level which had a fairly sandy base, we swam across the rushing water and climbed in behind the waterfall.  Zoe was our only worried warrior as there was a dead catfish lying somewhere near her feet, but it was the only fish we saw.  Presumably it took a wrong turn and ended up down the waterfall?  By the time we got back to our cars, it was around lunch time so we pulled some food out and had a quick bite.  The legs of our journey were about to become more difficult…  

We hopped back in the cars and ambled along the Old Telegraph Track before coming to a nameless water crossing.  It didn’t look much on the map but was a little deep.  Both Jenna and I hopped out of the cars and walked across and it wasn’t til the other side that we admitted that we should have thought about crocs – but trust me, we had our eyes wide opened and the heart beat quickened.  We all had a bit of fun and the cars made it across safely, on we went.

It wasn’t much further til we reached Eliot Falls and Twin Falls.  Ben was pumped as it isn’t very often he comes across “Eliot” with the same spelling as his surname.  Eliot Falls is pretty but not a great swimming spot, still Ben dropped off the side of it for a quick dip.  We grabbed a few photos and gathered our gear and walked along further to Twin Falls – another gorgeous swimming spot.  There were again a few people here already swimming but not many compared to once peak season really kicks in.  Twin Falls has a few overflowing tiers to it, dropping from one level to the next and the water flows at a good pace.  The water was cool but by no means cold, underfoot was not too slippery and the surrounds are so serene.

After moving on from this spot, our next hurdle was to get across Canal Creek, easier for us than Ben with his van.  They walked the creek first to establish that it could be done, not easy to pull out of with a crowd of people watching on.  This creek was pretty deep and has an even bottom so they had to work out the best way across.  We made it across and up the other side without too much trouble.  Ben too did really well to maneouvre the van down the ditches, across the creek and up the other side.  However, once up the other side it became quite narrow and a tree got in the way of getting through.  Ben whipped out his chainsaw and simply chopped it down – that made it easy, for now!

Further along the track, the path we took was too narrow for his van and he had to take a soft, steep alternative.  No luck for him this time, he was bogged and so the boys put Ben’s winch to work.  He was saved yet again – we were having so much fun! 

We found an old telegraph pole alongside the OTT “road” to throw a bit of history into the mix before coming to yet another water crossing, Sam Creek.  Again this was deep, nearly waste deep on Josh, and probably the deepest one we would have to endure.  Both the boys walked it to see what path they would take.  It was a rough track and there were a few clunks along the way but Josh got us across safely.  Next it was Ben’s turn with the van and Josh planted himself in the middle of the water to guide him the best route across.  Ben successfully thrashed through the water, and in doing so Josh got caught up in the tide and fell backwards in the water… it was hilarious to watch from the other side where I was standing and for Jenna filming from inside the car – absolute classic (I’m hoping I work out how to add video footage onto this blog to amuse you all).

The only thing left to do was bypass a termite mound along our path before following Mistake Creek back out to the Bypass Road.  I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we hit the safe road, especially Ben who jumped out to kiss the ground upon arrival.  We were cutting our run fine to make the final Jardine River Ferry crossing but scooted all the way there.  Unfortunately we’d missed the last one for the day so set up camp right near the river to jump on board as soon as they opened the next morning.  Jenna cooked up a storm, making us all spaghetti for dinner (the best ever – we were all so hungry) while we set up tents and showered in the nearby amenities full of green ants and white lipped green tree frogs.  It’s funny how we’re getting used to all the bugs and insects, etc. hardly flinching when they come near us or land on us.  It is just really good to have a shower at the end of the day to wash off some dust.