Cape York & NORTHERN TERRITORY Honeymoon (august - october 2013)
In August 2013 we headed off on our 'delayed' honeymoon , which was to incorporate a trip to Cape York and then over to the Northern Territory for 7 weeks of exploring our great land. We ended up travelling a total of 13,367 km in 49 days.
So why Cape York? Any 4WDer will tell you that Cape York is one of the ‘must do’ locations in Australia. To say that you stood on the northern most point of mainland Australia is something we’d wanted to do for a long time ...... and was it worth it - DEFINITELY!
So why Cape York? Any 4WDer will tell you that Cape York is one of the ‘must do’ locations in Australia. To say that you stood on the northern most point of mainland Australia is something we’d wanted to do for a long time ...... and was it worth it - DEFINITELY!
We started our trip to Cape York with our good friends Kristy & Stewy and their beautiful daughter Rori. Things didn't turn out quite as planned (see our blog), but all turned out ok in the end!
We tackled some great 4WD tracks, including the Old Telegraph Track & CREB Track, which are like nothing else we've ever done before, amazing! We met some great people along the way and couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our honeymoon.
We tackled some great 4WD tracks, including the Old Telegraph Track & CREB Track, which are like nothing else we've ever done before, amazing! We met some great people along the way and couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our honeymoon.
Jardine River Crossing, FNQ
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Lions Den Hotel, FNQ (between Cape Tribulation & Cooktown)
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Loyalty Beach, Cape York
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Trip Summary & Highlights
So what can we say, what an amazing holiday. Couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our honeymoon. We are so privileged to have been able to spend time in some of the places we did, it truly is a blessing to have been able to travel our great country. The people of outback Australia are some of the kindest, laid back and most genuine people you could ever meet. It really is a totally different world out there. You could not get any further from the hustle and bustle of Sydney if you tried. We met some amazing people on our travels, both in the towns and our fellow like-minded campers. To think that we set up camp and then spend the whole day out exploring, leaving to tent unattended, unlocked, suitcases and belongings inside, chairs and table outside and you come back at night and everything is how you left it. There is a mutual respect and no-one would even think to touch your belongings. Yet at home we close the windows and deadlock the door before driving to the shops for 5 minutes! It really was refreshing being able to live in a world where everyone looks out for each other and respects others and their property ............. even if it was unfortunately only for 7 weeks. |
Cape York, FNQ
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Everyone is amazingly friendly, you rarely pass a car without getting a wave (even from the truckies and coppers!). We even had a truck driver stop his truck and get out to warn us about a huge pot hole on one of the dirt tracks we were travelling on. The road train drivers are equally courteous of fellow drivers, a quick chat on the CB will often let you know if its safe to overtake or warn of any upcoming traffic/road issues. It really does remind you that there are still good people in this world, unfortunately in the city many people are just too busy to worry about anyone else but themselves.
Each day we would set up camp and there was always someone walking by, beer in hand, ready to have a chat! Always someone who has been where you are heading and ready to answer questions or give advice and always someone waiting to hear stories of our adventures.
We visited some wonderful places, saw some amazing things and experienced so much. We stood on the northern most point of Australia, drank beer in Australia's most northerly pub (on Thursday Island). We stayed in a refurbished train carriage and went on a tour through million year old volcanic lava tubes at Undarra Volcanic Park. We stayed in an underground motel at Coober Pedy (where 80% of the population live underground), we toured the Rio Tinto bauxite mines in Weipa, learned the history of the gold mines in Tennant Creek and explored an opal mine in Coober Pedy. We saw the sunrise over Uluru and watched the sunset over Uluru and Kata Tjuta from on top of a camel!
We travelled in the footsteps of some of our early explorers, we followed the Old Ghan Railway line and we had the chance to drive some of the 4WD tracks on every true 4WDers 'must do' list. We drove through bushfires (and even had one surrounding our campground), we survived gale force winds at Captain Billy's Landing, 100km/hour winds at Port Augusta and we met Ron and Viv Moon in Cooktown. We ate camel burgers at Kings Canyon and Crayfish pie at Thursday Island! We felt the magic and beauty of being at the Devils Marbles and we were overwhelmed by the sheer size and presence of Uluru. We saw more wildlife than you could ever imagine, birds, eagles, crocodiles, emus, camels, dingoes, lizards, cows, snakes, goats, horses, dogs, sheep, kangaroos. We even had the awesome opportunity to hold and play with a baby orphaned wallaby at Wycliffe Well.
We swam under waterfalls, bathed in the 43 degree natural springs at Innot Hot Springs, drove through croc infested rivers and near cried as we were constantly teased by the fact that we were surrounded by all this crystal clear, bright blue water that we couldn't swim in (crocs, sharks, jellyfish, stingers, snakes .... the list goes on!!)
We were covered in red dirt, went days without a shower, toilets were few and far between at places. We encountered more flies than you could ever imagine (even one in George's beer ... nice surprise!). We got used to eating the odd bug in our dinner and having sand and dirt throughout the car, the tent, the sleeping bags and your belongings was just normal. We encountered a 2 degree night and 40+ degree days, wild winds and torrential rain, had dingos stalking us for our dinner and we had spiders living on our chairs. We wore the same clothes more than one day each and washing with baby wipes was the done thing.
But we loved every single part of it, it is all part of the adventure! And at the end of the day, every single person you meet is in the same position as you so no one even comes close to caring!
So to say that we enjoyed our time away is an understatement, we loved every minute of it and cannot wait to get back out there again. The chances of us moving interstate or to a more remote location is definitely more of a possibility now than ever before.
Each day we would set up camp and there was always someone walking by, beer in hand, ready to have a chat! Always someone who has been where you are heading and ready to answer questions or give advice and always someone waiting to hear stories of our adventures.
We visited some wonderful places, saw some amazing things and experienced so much. We stood on the northern most point of Australia, drank beer in Australia's most northerly pub (on Thursday Island). We stayed in a refurbished train carriage and went on a tour through million year old volcanic lava tubes at Undarra Volcanic Park. We stayed in an underground motel at Coober Pedy (where 80% of the population live underground), we toured the Rio Tinto bauxite mines in Weipa, learned the history of the gold mines in Tennant Creek and explored an opal mine in Coober Pedy. We saw the sunrise over Uluru and watched the sunset over Uluru and Kata Tjuta from on top of a camel!
We travelled in the footsteps of some of our early explorers, we followed the Old Ghan Railway line and we had the chance to drive some of the 4WD tracks on every true 4WDers 'must do' list. We drove through bushfires (and even had one surrounding our campground), we survived gale force winds at Captain Billy's Landing, 100km/hour winds at Port Augusta and we met Ron and Viv Moon in Cooktown. We ate camel burgers at Kings Canyon and Crayfish pie at Thursday Island! We felt the magic and beauty of being at the Devils Marbles and we were overwhelmed by the sheer size and presence of Uluru. We saw more wildlife than you could ever imagine, birds, eagles, crocodiles, emus, camels, dingoes, lizards, cows, snakes, goats, horses, dogs, sheep, kangaroos. We even had the awesome opportunity to hold and play with a baby orphaned wallaby at Wycliffe Well.
We swam under waterfalls, bathed in the 43 degree natural springs at Innot Hot Springs, drove through croc infested rivers and near cried as we were constantly teased by the fact that we were surrounded by all this crystal clear, bright blue water that we couldn't swim in (crocs, sharks, jellyfish, stingers, snakes .... the list goes on!!)
We were covered in red dirt, went days without a shower, toilets were few and far between at places. We encountered more flies than you could ever imagine (even one in George's beer ... nice surprise!). We got used to eating the odd bug in our dinner and having sand and dirt throughout the car, the tent, the sleeping bags and your belongings was just normal. We encountered a 2 degree night and 40+ degree days, wild winds and torrential rain, had dingos stalking us for our dinner and we had spiders living on our chairs. We wore the same clothes more than one day each and washing with baby wipes was the done thing.
But we loved every single part of it, it is all part of the adventure! And at the end of the day, every single person you meet is in the same position as you so no one even comes close to caring!
So to say that we enjoyed our time away is an understatement, we loved every minute of it and cannot wait to get back out there again. The chances of us moving interstate or to a more remote location is definitely more of a possibility now than ever before.
Uluru, Northern Territory
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Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
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Fruit Bat Falls, FNQ
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