Red Dust

We’ve reached the top and had to stop and now must go back the way we came, at least for a while.  Fortunately navigator Kim finds an alternative route out of Bamaga that eventually leads us back to the Peninsula Development Road (track) that is the only way to and from The Tip.  Once again we take the mini-cruise across the Jardine River (it’s free this time!) and follow the corrugations south until we turn off to see the Eliot Falls. 

Eight kilometres down a heavily rutted track that crosses one flowing river later we reach the falls.  This has been the only section of our journey so far that might be described as a bit challenging.  For the first time we engaged the difflock and dropped to low range to make it across the muddy river that was about as wide as the Jardine Ferry crossing.  About a metre in its deepest part it sloshed water over the bonnet.  Our pristine new homemade ‘bonnet bra’ worked well, keeping the worst of the muck out of the radiator.  Note to self, close window before negotiating deep water crossings!

Then south again, stopping only briefly to get a shot of just how big some of these termite mounds can be.

I really must take a short deviation here to describe the dust.  Blog stats tell me that we have followers not only in Australia but also in the UK, USA, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Palestine and Portugal.  Welcome all and we hope you enjoy sharing our little adventures.  If you have never driven in far north Australia, let me try to describe the dust.  To get an idea, take a full tin of talcum powder, give it a shake to loosen up the contents, then gently sprinkle the whole lot in front of a fan running at full speed.  For the full effect, do this in your bedroom.  Wait a couple of minutes until you can see across the room and then examine every surface, nook and cranny.  You’ll find that the powder has penetrated everywhere, into every minute gap and onto any surface, flat, curved, horizontal and vertical, on the top, sides and underneath.  It’ll be stuck to everything, especially anything remotely greasy and anything with a static attraction such as plastic.  Now imagine that this powder is not white, but a deep rust red that stains anything white.  You now have some idea of what the inside of Vin Rouge looks like after a day on the road.  And some idea of what the occupants look like too.  There is a bonus.  After a day on the road you really do appreciate a hot shower!

The corrugations in the tracks have had their little victory.  Two of the plastic tabs that hold the instrument panel in place have broken and so a ‘bush repair’ using gaffer tape is effected.  That should last a few months until we get back to Brisbane and make new parts. 

We overnight at the Old Morton Telegraph station where Kim cooks up a mean risotto using the last of our fresh provisions.  Delicious.  Tomorrow it’s more dirt roads.