Cape York - Chili Beach

Leaving Coen we headed up the PDR and found out why people tell you to pay attention to the "Dip" signs - some of them are horrendous!

After a few klms we took on fuel at Archer River where the fuel price had risen to $2.20 a litre. Not really happy about that but what can you do apart from pay it.

We took the Lockhart River turnoff to Chili Beach and soon found more river crossings. This one is the Wenlock River and despite the crocodile warnings we found some people (on the far bank) letting their kids play in the water.

We had a chat with them about conditions and whether we could hit the Frenchman's Track on the way out. They took one look at my A/T tyres and said that I wouldn't make it.

Bugger!

We stopped for lunch soon after and this is Karen, Simone and Greg.

We soon entered the Iron Range NP and passed the tallest peak in the area.

Once through the range itself we again found ourselves in a varying landscape of rainforest then eucalypt forest and then some lush green meadows like the one below.

Strange place indeed, but interesting.

We found the Chili Beach camp area and set up home for a few nights. This is our place below.

And this is the other side of the site with direct access to the beach itself.

We had brought firewood in with us but we found that coconuts also make a great fuel for the camp fire

Just up the coast from Chili is the small town (and bay) of Portland Roads. There is a really nice little cafe there serving all sorts of home cooked delights. We had coffees with a lemon cheesecake and a frozen chocolate pecan pie. Yummy beyond belief, and the view from the balcony was gorgeous - check it out!

The place was a tropical paradise.

 . . . . . but not for some people. The history of the place is not always kind.

We also took a drive into the indigenous community at Lockhart River to buy a couple of things.

I have to say that this was the tidiest and cleanest aboriginal camp we have seen. Perhaps it is the fact that it is a dry camp that makes the difference.

Back at camp we found that Simone had been practicing her damper baking and had produced a magnificant loaf to accompany dinner that night.

Chili Beach - well I had to take a few photos just to record what it is like.

This is the northern end at low tide where there are some large boulders on the sand

And looking towards the south you get a different view - all white sand, blue ocean and coconuts.