2010/10 Australia trip - Cap’n Billy’s Landing |
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Thursday October 14th
We and our neighbours were both leaving Seisia, but taking different directions. We were headed back towards the Jardine River, and we retrieved our stashed rum bottle, still in its hiding place. No one had showed the slightest interest in how much booze we had and we’d been able to buy an additional case of beer with no problem. We still don’t understand the politics behind these strange laws and large fines.
We rattled back down the Northern Bypass road, and stopped at Fruit Bat Falls again, this time for 
Sandie to have a soak in the pool at the top of the falls while I watched for crocs. The water is shallow and fast but it’s very comfortable in the sand-filled pools. Then we were back into the dust and rattled down the Southern Bypass road. We saw this frilled lizard; it ran across the road upright but without its frill out and in display.
We took a side road about 15 miles down to Captain Billy’s Landing on the east coast, a really nice narrow and quiet track through dense rainforest. This is what I thought all of Cape York would be like. The track crossed a few streams and was rough in places, but worth it; the track came out on the cliff tops on the east coast overlooking the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef, and dropped down to a beach campground. 
It was burning hot when we arrived but there was a strong breeze, the southeast trade wind coming directly off the sea. That evening Sandie said she felt pleasantly cold, after all those steamy nights on the north and west coasts.
Friday October 15th 
The cool weather lasted until about 7.30 when the rising sun began to bake us, and everyone had left the campground by 8.30.