CAMPSITE # 154 - Top End of Australia

We were almost at the top! Cape York was in our sites. First things first, we needed to cross the Jardine River. I suppose the joy of running the only ferry transporting vehicles to Cape York is that you can charge as much as you bloody well like! $88 for a return transfer gliding across no more than 50 metres of water. However, we didn't think twice about handing over the cash and continuing north - we couldn't possibly put a price on reaching the top.

 With every ferry of course must come a ferry driver.. ours had a um, rather feisty temper, dropping his four letter words left right & centre to the car infront who didn't move far enough forward... and by four letter words... I'm including the whole she-bang... I counted at least 7 or 8 c-bombs dropped... how's that for service with a smile!!

One catch about crossing the river and arriving at the Top End...

I must say, I've never been one to let any booze go to waste. So, while we sat at the southern side of the ferry crossing for lunch, I was acting the part of terrible role model to James...

Upon first glimpse of the seaside at the Top End, it's very difficult to believe that you're still actually in Australia. The red dirt roads, crusty lifeless grass and coconut palms painted the picture of precisely how I would imagine beachfront Papua New Guinea to be. It certainly did not feel as if we were still standing on Australian land. After studying the map in further, I found out why it feel so much as if we were in PNG, we were less than 200kms away from it! Looking out towards the Torres Strait Islands, I struggled to think of any other part of Australia where you could see another country while standing on land. We had arrived at a very unique & untouched  part of the country.

Site : Seisia Holiday Park
Rating : 6 / 20
Facilities : Right on the beach. Pretty second rate caravan park if it wasn't for the beach. Red dirt sand EVERYWHERE! Not very good camp kitchen facilities. Bathrooms were clean but showers were quite pathetic. $40 per night powered. Right next to the wharf which was a really winner for fishing!!

Jim was getting right into the swing of things with Tommy's cast net,
even catching us some perfect bait fish...

Yep, that's me and another big catch! It only took me ten months but
I'm now finally able to contribute to the fish dinners!

Two Queenfish, cooked on the BBQ plate of the Cob just with some slices of our only citrus on hand - orange. Really good eating fish & not too bony.

You just have to proceed with caution when fishing on the beach, this 5 metre fella was sunning himself on the beach directly across the channel from where we were fishing. We were all on our guard when all of the sudden he disappeared, no doubt in search of his dinner...