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Published: September 13th 2013
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Pajinka - Cape YorkWe decided to have a morning swim at Eliot Falls. Tried to wash the worries of the Gunshot experience away. The car is good - tough even. B2 has run it's gauntlet and so we are off to the Tip ... Cape York.... Or the lovely indigenous name of Pajinka. We did not finish the old telegraph track ... I definitely did not want to lose B2 in Nolans Brook which was one of the creeks ahead of us. One of the rangers told us that 70 something cars drowned in that brook this year alone. After doing Sam and Canal creek crossing and watching Wayne walking around in beautiful white clay mud figuring out which way to go, we diverted to the Bamaga Road...... we were just over 100 km from the top of Australia. Excitement building.
The Bamaga Road
was pretty ordinary... we came to the Jardine River Ferry. $130 for a fifty metre ferry ride. Bloody Hell. Anyway once you cross the Jardine it's a real psychological milestone. The hard part is all behind you.
It's a lot dryer north of the JArdine at this time of the year. Bamaga is the main town, all the houses are covered in a fine film of red dirt. So hard to get away from it. So hard to get it off you. I swear I could be growing veggies in my nose.
We headed into Punsand Bay which is the closest Camping ground to the Tip. Very lucky to get the best beachfront spot in the place without having prebooked. I have not seen water that colour in my life. The weather was absolutely glorious and the temperature really balmy. The water was so inviting that you just want to walk in clothes and all, and forget that there is the menace of Crocs there. In fact we found out that one lives at the end of this beach and poked his head out a few days ago. Shivvvvvvveeerrr.
We didn't unpack but rather headed back to
town to replenish supplies as we desperately were is shortage mode. Then over to the bottleshop to spend $120 for a carton of JD's to give to the boys who helped us out. FARKKK. The alcohol restrictions are enforced and they charge a bucketload for alcohol to put it out of reach for most people. We also paid the camping fees for a couple of nights for our friends who helped panel beat.
Ok time to go to the tip before sunset .... It didn't disappoint. We arrived at the car park after driving through lush rainforest, past grass fires, road works and soft sand dunes. There's always some obstacle in the way - this country never makes it easy for you.
Then we arrived at the car park As always the Germans and Austrians were there before us, we saw them scampering up the hill.
Even when you get to the car park it's not as easy as getting out and walking along a path. You have to walk up barely discernible tracks over a very high hill or two even, then climb down to the tip.
On the ascent we came across a big
cairn. People have been visiting the tip for so long that they place stones at the cairn on the way there. Wayne placed a rock on the first cairn. This mound of stone is a symbol of the massive effort people will take to journey here. They also imply that you aren't the first, you won't be the last and you are about to follow the path of many many others who have done this wonderful thing.
Yet another cairn and it is my turn to ceremonially place a rock for a photo opportunity. As you climb the rocks it is quite striking to see so many cairns representing so many people making this impossible epic journey with all it's impediments in the way before you reach the tip who have smiled and said "I've done it".
We see the scenery it's a mixture of stunning island landscapes ocean, white sandy beaches, smoke and haze and the late afternoon sun. We are looking everywhere but keeping our eye on the prize. Ahead of us is the apex of the second hill and I know just over that hill we will see the Cape. Almost to the top and
I see that there are cairns on the tops of other Torres Strait islands in the distance. Then over the hill and we spot the sign. It's about 200 metres away down the rocks. A big smile lit up our faces and I wanted to run down the rocks to get there. Impossible for me - rocks and running, I have all the grace of a baby elephant.
Wayne holds his hand out - as always a real gentleman - I take his hand and he guides me as we pick our way down the rocks to the sign.
The Germans and Austrians are there with smiles on their faces waving as they see us approach. We have followed close behind them from way back at the Bloomfield track some 700 kms ago. They appear like clockwork everywhere we go. It's become a running joke with us.
Stepping over the last few rocks and onto a bit of a flat shelf the words of the sign comes into focus. "You have reached the northernmost point of Australia". We hug each other and hug the sign the other travelers take a picture of us under the sign. We
all smile and grin because we know what a mission it took to get here.
3600 kilometers of driving from the very bottom of Queensland to the very top - so many beautiful ever changing landscapes, interesting people, history, bad roads, good roads, creeks, mighty rivers waving drivers, smiling people, road kill, adventures. We give each other a big kiss - the Germans took a picture of that for us and they said "Aufweidersehn" and left us there alone at Pajinka. I looked at Wayne and realized that everyone I know in mainland Australia is standing, sitting, doing something somewhere behind him. I thought of Lisa Britton my cousin who is at the bottom of the country in Tassie.
We stood quietly for a moment and knew it was time to leave we had no torch and the sun was fast heading for the horizon. Goodbye Pajinka back to the camp ground to set up for the night some food a drink to celebrate our achievement and some sleep.
"I've done it - we did it together"
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