Day 10 to 15 Adventures

The following may be disjointed cos we havent had Internet for days and it was done in bits and pieces.
Day 10
Sightings: Jabiru and wild pig
Lychee Champagne cocktails tonight to celebrate my homelessness. Managed to get a campsite in Lakefield at Hahn Crossing we only booked one night cos we didn't know what it would be like. Right on the creek but a high bank. Beautiful and we have a secluded site to ourselves. Not as dusty, or fly and waspy as last night but still lots of mossies. Won't be able to escape them up here! Lindsay and Mat took the tinnie out, more barra got away and they saw lots of crocs! So, stew for dinner and Lawrie's famous camp oven bread.

Day 11
They are out again! Fingers crossed for a barra brekkie. Nope!
We thought we would stay a second night cos the place was so good and pay on the way out but unfortunately somebody turned up who had booked the night. We offered to share but no go. I should probably explain that the only way to book is online or by phone and of course there is no phone coverage here. The rangers station was 40+km dirt road away and packing up for an 80km trip seemed silly. The rangers were quite eloquent about the bureaucrats in Brisbane and the new impossible booking system.
So......we are camped somewhat illegally on Annie river.....but we need to be not too far from Musgrave where we are meeting people on Wednesday and of course hoping there will be a TV for State of Origin. There were lots of barra in the river and the mullet they were chasing were jumping all night. Mat caught and released a small barra but still waiting for that barra meal!
Day 12
Checked out a few campsites. We had to winch out of one creek because Lawrie wouldn't let the tyres down. Of course he took a tougher route than anybody else cos he likes to play. Egged on by a one or two people of course. The carpet (why do they put carpet in a ute?) in the cruiser got a bit wet but the Hi House was fine. Went to Musgrave because the others needed fuel and ended up camping by Stewart Creek which is absolutely awesome, not even mossies or crocs or other campers. The word idyllic comes to mind! No fishing, but we spent the afternoon lazing in the creek and drinking beer and avoiding the deep ruts in the sand made by Mattie who had to be winched out of the deep sand at the creek edge when we first arrived. We are going to spend 2 nights here it is so good (and free!).
Day 13
More lazing around and drinking beer. Such a tough life! Camp oven roast beef coming up for dinner. It was awesome as usual.
Day 14
Drove to Musgrave early to get a good camp site and get the washing done. It's late afternoon now and the place is filling up with state of origin fans. Only TV for who knows how many km. Joined by Max, Jess, Luke, Leanne, Ben, Dan, Sarina, Letitia, Trent, Nathan. Heading north tomorrow. Next stop Archer River.
We won't talk about the footie. We'll win the next one...god knows where we'll be.
Day 15
Sightings: wedge tail with snake in mouth
Went for a walk this am. Most camps haven't been safe to walk too far from the camp (crocs and pigs) on my own but Musgrave has an airstrip so I did 2 laps..or as Lawrie says 2 landings. Turned out the strip was a km long so not a bad stroll. Haven't done much walking on this trip so far but the hi house steps are keeping me fit!
On our way to Weipa, Mat and Nic have car problems just out of Coen. I'm sitting in the air conditioned car waiting to see if we need to go back. They're ok just can't use the auxiliary fuel tank. They just made it to the servo in Weipa. We had the best hamburgers ever at Archer River road house for lunch. Where we were told,we had to book if we wanted to get in to Weipa caravan park. No mobile coverage, fixed phone only took phone cards but we were told we may get mobile coverage 2 km out of town (why). Nearly missed it cos it lasted maybe 50 metres (we had to u turn). You really don't realise how much you rely on modern communications until you don't have it. We drove through what we hoped was a controlled burn off on the way to Weipa.
Saw an amazing sunset over the water tonight from the beach (not getting too close to the water) from Weipa caravan Park. Tomorrow we're going to Penne father river to camp and fish. I'm guaranteed to catch a barra there or so the fishermen tell me!