Made it to our overnight stop at Coen. Cheap fuel $1.80 a litre.

These shots will be of interest to family – The former Inland Mission Hospital in Coen run my the Uniting Church.

In Laura now – last of the dirt, dust, and corrugations for awhile.

Did have a look at the Split Rock aboriginal art site yesterday afternoon. It is different to the stencilling I have seen before. Some spirit figures as well as animals and people. Interesting that while this site is open to the public there is a request not to take photos or video.

With several loads of washing done yesterday, “Clifford” having had a wash, and hot air balloons greeting the new day I guess this is the end of the Cape York section of our travels.

We were off to Chilli beach. It was a national park campground and we hadn’t had phone signal to book a site, but the rangers station was on the way so we would be able to book there.

Wrong, the Telstra tower was down so the ranger station had no internet or  phone. Fortunately a ranger came and suggested we could go into Lockart River and make a phone call from there.

This is a sunrise shot on the beach at Chilli Beach.

The beach is lined with a lot of coconut trees.

There is also an enormous amount of drift rubbish. A sign at the entrance does say how many tons of rubbish has been collected. It seems that it is the way the currents run that a lot of foreign and shipping rubbish end up on this beach.

Some one is keeping track of it every year they have a clean up where it is collected sorted and weighed.

Sunrise through the coconut palms.

Another day a different sunrise at Chilli beach.

So it may be the “Dry” but it does still rain – a rain squall while walking on Chilli beach.

We spent the night at Chuulangun campground. This is on aboriginal land where some people have elected to return to the cape and their homelands and have established a small community .

The campsite is on the banks of the Wenlock river and provided some shots in the morning.

Is there a Bunyip in there?

Wenlock River.

Wenlock River

Our first attempt to find the Batavia gold field failed. We were on the right track but “Clifford” is too tall to fit under a tree branch. I came back later on my push bike.

Flat bed truck

The flat bed truck had dual rear wheels but I couldn’t figure out what this diff arrangement was all about. If there are any technically minded people reading this post who know what is going on please let me know.

I am not sure what this piece of machinery is but it could be an early prototype for a power station coal mill. 🙂