Yes, today produced another amazing sunset to close out the day, this time on the banks of the North Kennedy River. The heart of croc country! No way the kayaks will be getting wet here.
We drove up from Cooktown today – about 180kms all up with all but 30kms on reasonable gravel. Only had to negotiate 4 wet river crossings – nothing more than .5 metre deep so no real challenges apart from patches of bull dust and some corrugations.
Have set up camp here for two nights and will chill out on the banks of the river (not too close) tomorrow. Today we are camped out in Lakefield National Park at Hann Crossing campsites 11 and 12. Arrived here yesterday after completing the self registration process a few kilometres back near the Ranger’s Station. Fees are $10.30 per vehicle per night – for that you get access to a long drop toilet and some of the best riverside camping going around. It’s a pity you can’t go in the water – it’s so inviting.
After a breakfast around the campfire, while watching our less than sociable neighbours pack up and move on, we headed out on foot back to explore the river crossing. The purpose of the expedition was threefold – check out the scenery, find some fire wood and (importantly) check out and make use of the long drop!
We were successful on all counts. The river winds its way back to the crossing through floodplains that must be completely under water during the wet. The crossing is getting a lot of care and attention by a local road crew, as are the approaches on either side of the crossing. We decided this must be an annual affair after each wet season to carve a crossing out of the alluvial mud that bakes hard like cement as the water levels recede.
We also managed to find some firewood at another camp site recently vacated by a group of motorbike riders and support vehicles. We had met them yesterday at one of the many river crossings navigated as we progressed deeper into the National Park. We took what we needed and left the rest for someone else.
Finally we managed to take in the sights and also meet a number of fellow travellers heading ‘to the top’ (as many seem to say). They were a mixed bunch from east Gippsland in Victoria and Tumut in NSW – seemed like country folk based on how they dressed and spoke.
Not sure what the rest of the day will bring – might go off with the camera hunting crocs!