The time had come to pack up our campsite and leave the Cobourg Peninsula behind. We had completed some of the necessary pack up tasks yesterday, so there was little to do – except find out what had got trapped inside the recycling bin outside the Tvan overnight, pack away the awning and rear canvas, hook up the Prado and drive off.
Overnight the stillness at our campsite was interrupted by the noise of something fossicking in the recycling bin. It was 3.05am precisely when Chris was up, shining a torch in the direction of the noise thinking that maybe a feral pig was scavenging for something to eat. Nothing obvious was sighted and Chris was hesitant to investigate further, knowing that some of the possible options might be capable of killing him. Better left until morning when there would be more light about. Wendy was concerned that it may have been a small rat or mouse and that the noise it was making might attract either a snake (remember there are mainly western browns around here) or a goanna nearly the size of a small crocodile! After further investigation in the light of day it turned out to be merely a long-tailed marsupial mouse that had climbed a chair, then found itself in a lidless rubbish bin with no means of escape. Chris tipped the bin on its side and the mouse was off in a flash.
Right on 8.30am we climbed aboard the Prado for the 5-hour drive back to Jabiru. Calculations we made had low tide at Cahill’s Crossing occurring at around 1.30pm; this would be checked when we got strong signal around Gunbalanya, about 10kms from the crossing. Memories of driving up to the campsite were still fresh and we knew that the drive back to the National Park boundary was along reasonably well-formed gravel tracks, with some corrugations and bull dust to contend with. From the park boundary to the Murganella airstrip the track was badly corrugated in places, with deep patches of bulldust and washout to look out for. There was then a low-lying area of swampy ground, with two small water crossings before the best part of the drive where it was possible to average between 75-80 kph through to the Maningrida – Gunbalanya road.
The last 40kms that pass the Gunbalanya turnoff travel through rocky outcrops and into wetlands deep in reeds and glistening billabongs. Jabirus were sighted on the road ahead but took flight before a camera could be grabbed to snap a photo. Wendy checked the tides when we came into signal and we were out by 30 minutes, which was pretty good. We arrived at Cahill’s Crossing 30 minutes after low tide but still easily able to safely navigate the causeway. We were in more danger of being snagged by fishing lines being cast by idiots fishing from the crossing – in full sight of at least one 3.5 metre crocodile and countless more that couldn’t be seen below the murky water.
Once across we drove around to the Border Store to reinflate our tyres now that we will be back on bitumen for the next few days. The drive into Jabiru was uneventful and we were soon checked into the same caravan park we stopped in on the way to the Cobourg Peninsula – even the same shady site. The water tank in the Tvan has been refilled, we have had a refreshing swim in the pool and enjoyed dinner under the stars.
Our neighbours from Tasmania went on a fishing charter down the Daly River yesterday and the lady caught an 80cm barramundi while her husband caught a 63cm one as well. They have decided to give us a decent fillet rather than have it go to waste. It would appear we eat more fresh fish than many, without casting a line into a river or the ocean.