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| View from our camp site Vyrilia |
It’s funny how when you spend a large amount of time in a place that you are quite fond of, that it’s very hard to leave.
We have been on ‘The Cape’ for 3 weeks now and are feeling that it is very sad to leave. But there is also so much more to see. After leaving Punsand Bay Australia
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| Sunset over Vyrilia Beach |
The beaches where we were camped at Vyrilia were beautiful! The tide goes out for miles leaving big sand flats. What was interesting about this place was the amount of ‘flotsam and jetsam’ washed up on the beach above the high tide mark, a legacy of the prevailing winds and big tides they get up here. We could have spent days walking the length of the beach collecting and looking at all the stuff. We were told that most of the stuff had been washed overboard from all the Indonesian and Korean fishing trawlers way out to sea. It had to be seen to be believed…thongs – thousands of thongs of all shapes and sizes (the rubber must just take that long to break down in the water) fishing nets, buoys, rope, bottles (couldn’t find any with messages) even though it was all rubbish it was still quite interesting to look at. Being the hoarders that we are, we felt quite pleased that we only walked away with one fabulously massive plastic white buoy and about 20m of big fat thick rope that is being transported home wrapped around our spare camper tyre.
The access to this particular camp spot was via a pretty dodgy looking log bridge that had not seen any maintenance for quite some time. On the way over we managed some pretty fancy moves to not come to any grief. On the way back from Vyrilia it was a different story. Managing to experience our first (and hopefully last) bit of 4WD mishap. I still blame it on the dodgy bridge and lack of maintenance, but my driver says that the mishap had something to do with the terrible navigation from the co-pilot on the other side of the bridge. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the 3 smallest Smith’s in panic mode standing with me. You see the bridge was made out of big fat logs all laying next to each other but one was completely missing leaving a nice gap all the way across and another log had fallen into the creek and was sticking up half way along the bridge. But you could not approach said bridge straight on as the track went off at an angle at either end and there was also a massive hole in the track to navigate around as well. So now I’ve painted the picture…. The vehicle made it across most of the way ok, but one of the camper trailer wheels fitted nicely in the gap left by one of the missing logs and became wedged up to the spring.
Driver and navigator remained calm but the 3 smallest Smith’s went into overload thinking that we were going to be stuck on the bridge for the rest of our days. The emergency was over before we knew it. Thanks to the creative thinking of the driver. You see, we have been carrying around this round billet of wood since we left our very first campsite after we left home….Dunns Swamp NSW. (Never let it be said that Geoff throws anything out!) Well anyway this billet of good wood just happened to be the right size to wedge in under the stuck tyre, give us enough leverage to get some grip and get the camper back up onto the bridge. Not to mention the expert opinions from the host of on lookers and people waiting to cross the bridge as well.
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| Ooops |
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| The log bridge |
We thanked everyone for their participation and calmed the little people down and went on our merry way.
A snappy over nighter at the Elliot and Twin Falls again, then onto Weipa for four days of admin, car servicing, fishing, groceries and a much needed shower. Weipa is on the west coast of the tip and is a mining town owned by Camalco, parts of the area were forcibly taken from Aboriginal tribes in the days of Sir Joe ruling QLD, but some areas have now been returned to the rightful ownership of Aboriginal tribes and are being run as very successful communities with schools, medical and businesses run by the tribes.
Geoff was fortunate to meet some fellow campers who invited him to go fishing off the coast of Weipa on a 6.8m ‘tinny’ much fun and fish catching to be had. As I have said again and again….we have been so lucky to meet such generous people. The kids loved Weipa as it was still QLD school holidays which provided lots of like minded little people to play with and the place we stayed at also had a pool! For me, the sunset over the ocean was a highlight (and a well stocked Woolies for groceries to boot).
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| North QLD car wash |
Our plan once we left the Cape is to head to the Gulf of Carpentaria, described very keenly by the passengers in the car as….’the big dipper at the top of Australia’ We were hoping to take some back roads and cross a bit of outback country and head west from Musgrave to Dunbar then onto Normanton in the Gulf. Don’t worry this meant zero to me at the time as well. But had the roads been in better condition and not closed still in some places and we could go that way, we would have cut out a fair bit of back tracking and about 500km. We had been advised by the Coen police not to go that way, so we didn’t.
So anyway we had to back track down to Mareeba and head North West
Had we not headed out this way we also wouldn’t have happened upon the Annual Mt Surprise Rodeo. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the Mt Surprise Rodeo. What a great night that was. Mt Surprise is not a very big town and I am pretty sure that every person who lived within cooee was there. A free camp out in the back paddock behind the main arena. Can I just tell you that I have never felt so out of place though, it would have been the funniest sight to see the 5 of us emerge from our vehicle looking like we were off to the beach in our classic coastal attire, you know…thongs, peaked cap, surf shirt, boardies – you get my picture? It’s 28 degrees in the shade and the whole population of Mt Surprise were decked out in their Blundstones, jeans, 10 gallon hat, chequered shirt, big buckled belt and a swagger to boot! There was no blending in the crowd what so ever. Talk about abandoning ship though, Geoff decided to change into his jeans, work boots and flanno for the evening’s program, it was a dead give away when he was closely followed by the four of us floundering around in our shorts and t- shirts. Too funny!!!
The evenings program was kicked off by a bit of a parade of local talent on horse back, closely followed by the MC swanning out into the main arena decked from head to toe in denim (double denim! A sight to behold) we all had to stand for a recital of ‘A Rodeo Cowboy’s Prayer’ I was so moved by the total silence of the place whilst the MC said the prayer over the sound system, it was to the beat or rhythm of ‘The lord’s Prayer’ (I managed to find a copy of it on the net for those of you who are interested, I have included a copy of it at the end of my words). And straight after reciting the Cowboys Prayer the MC threw himself into a magnificent rendition of the National Anthem that would have left Julie Anthony for dead. Goose bumps all round let me tell you.
We were treated to a wild night of mad people riding bucking bulls and broncos. Lasooing calves, barrel racing and more. And to top it off we were entertained by all the young cow-cockies partying on into the wee hours of the morning. Yeeee Haaaaa
A Rodeo Cowboy's Prayer
Our gracious and heavenly Father, we pause in the midst of this festive occasion, mindful and thoughtful of the guidance that you have given us.
As cowboys, Lord, we don't ask for any special favours, we ask only that you let us compete in this arena, as in life’s arena. We don't ask to never break a barrier, or to draw a round of steer that's hard to throw, or a chute fighting horse, or a bull that is impossible to ride. We only ask that you help us to compete as honest as the horses we ride and in a manner as clean and pure as the wind that blows across this great land of ours.
So when we do make that last ride that is inevitable for us all to make, to that place up there, where the grass is green and lush and stirrup high, and the water runs cool, clear, and deep -
You'll tell us as we ride in that our entry fees have been paid.
These things we ask - Amen.
As cowboys, Lord, we don't ask for any special favours, we ask only that you let us compete in this arena, as in life’s arena. We don't ask to never break a barrier, or to draw a round of steer that's hard to throw, or a chute fighting horse, or a bull that is impossible to ride. We only ask that you help us to compete as honest as the horses we ride and in a manner as clean and pure as the wind that blows across this great land of ours.
So when we do make that last ride that is inevitable for us all to make, to that place up there, where the grass is green and lush and stirrup high, and the water runs cool, clear, and deep -
You'll tell us as we ride in that our entry fees have been paid.
These things we ask - Amen.
© Clem McSpadden. In memory of Howard Manuel, Jim Moore and Zachary Vanwhy.
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