Pearls On Wheels

An early start and farewells to Andrew and Mereditth who have been our kind neighbours at the Campground at Seisia .  We are keen to get to the ferry early and to reach Archer River before dusk. We took three days to come from Lakeland up to the top of the Peninsula but plan on taking 2 days to return. We need to reach Darwin within ten days for Dick to catch a plane back to NZ. We drive through rain forest with some welcome showers of rain which dampen the dust  First stop after the Jardine Ferry is 100km south at the turn off to Elliot Falls and Fruit Bat Falls.  With barely a pause the traffic swings around into the side road and sends up a shower of red mud spray.  It is a change from red dust.  The rain has softened the corrugations but the road is slippery. At the Bramwell junction Road house.  Both the hospitality and the food are great.  The Road Houses we have visited are staffed with a cosmopoli...

 Rainbow. A portent of something special today.  It is Boat Day.  Reminiscent of Niue  when we lived there in the early 1970's  Cargo being offloaded onto the wharf here whereas it was loaded onto lighters on Niue. The road lane marking machine comes off first.  There is very little tarseal to mark. $250m has been budgeted for upgrading the Development and Telegraph Rd to Bamaga including building a bridge across the Jardine River.  Spectators - folk waiting for the ferry. Early morning dew-kissed flowers.  My fellow passengers board the  9m boat - described as offering a smooth and comfortable trip. There was only one berth available for the trip so Dick wasn't able to accompany me.  Captain Cook was here on Possession island in August 1770. The plaque commemorates the site where he raised the union flag claiming the East Coast of Australia for the crown. I have always wanted to visit Thursday Island . ...