Loyalty Beach

This weekend is an opportunity to escape the "Rock". To be somewhere else rather than on  an island that is 5 square kilometres in size. Somewhere I have not been before and somewhere with some privacy - an escape.
An opportunity to explore, and do some birding.
Loyalty beach is a campground on the Cape York Peninsula. Run by Dan and Patsy Lennox (https://www.loyaltybeach.com/about) and caters for all camping styles. The camp ground has plenty of amenities and hotel style accommodation with a beer garden at the northern most point. I am told that the fish and chips are pretty good here. 
For me the priority was a relax and an opportunity to walk the long beaches and explore the bush nearby. This is also a birding hotspot (http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L2533974) for those that are interested and needless to say I managed to get some great shots over the two days of my stay.

View from our cabin

Flower Heads

Mistletoebird

Sunbird - out on a limb

Sunbird - female

Dusky Honeyeater

Red-Browed Firetail

Loyalty Beach

Papuan Frogmouth

Papuan Frogmouth - lifer for me

Loyalty Beach Camp Ground

Sunset - Loyalty Beach Camp Ground

Leaden Flycatcher

Fairy Gerygone

Part of an old midden - found whilst exploring the northern beach

Dugong - found at one of the local camps

Termite Mound - Loyalty Beach

Seisia

Seisia Jetty

A Trip to the Tip

One of the advantages of travelling and ending up on Thursday Island for several contracts this year, is that I have also had easy access to the Cape York Peninsula. For more information check out this website (http://www.capeyorkinfo.org). 

Standing at the "Tip of Australia" - bucket list moment

There are several options for getting to the Cape from Thursday Island. You can hire a chopper for a short 12 minute ride, take your own boat or catch the local ferry (http://peddellsferry.com.au) which runs twice daily Monday to Friday during the tourist season, and Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the off season. In this way you can get there the same day, without having to drive for thirteen hours from Cairns to Bamaga. Don't get me wrong ... that is still on my bucket list. At this time I do not have the vehicle and equipment to tackle such a trip. Meanwhile, I have been lucky to explore it from another vantage point.

When I travel to the Cape, I take the ferry to Seisia and arrange in advance to be picked up by the kind people at Loyalty Beach for a minimal fee (https://www.loyaltybeach.com) or on other trips, by one of the locals, (Des Dean). Des lives in Bamaga, with his wife Giz who works at the local Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre. Des has been living in the Cape and Torres Strait region for several years and knows the area very well.

Des

June 15th, is a return visit to the Cape and this time we were to head to "the tip". The northern most point of the Australian mainland. Once again Des was taking me for a drive to explore and showing off the country that he knows so well. First stop - Bamaga road house for lunch supplies. If you are lucky, you might even pick up some of the crocodile spring rolls. Note: There are limitations on what food you can bring from Thursday Island to the mainland due to quarantine regulations. For example, you cant bring fruit or vegetables.
We headed up the road towards Pajinka and stopped in at the "Croc Tent" first off to meet some of the locals and pick up some of the obligatory souvenirs.
 

Pajinka Road

Tawny-Breasted Honeyeater

There are quite a few points of interest on the cape so it pays to make sure to plan plenty of time. Why come all this way and not check it all out? Pajinka is the Aboriginal name for the area at the top most point of mainland Australia. There used to be a Wilderness Lodge situated 500meters from the tip which is now pretty much in ruins. You can still see evidence of the sporting grounds, the pool and the cabins that once graced the area. The forest is slowly reclaiming the grounds and it is a recognised hotspot for birders (http://ebird.org/ebird/australia/hotspot/L2534004). We did not have the time on this visit to spend much time in search of the local wildlife.

On arrival at the car park, there are two options. Setting out over the hill - believe me, it is worth the walk. The views are superb, I do recommend wearing sturdy shoes though as the rocks can be slippery in the wet. Take plenty of water and take your time to enjoy the experience.  If you happen to be there at low tide you can walk around the headland from the car park to the tip with less effort but then you miss the stunning view from the top.

Our next stop was Somerset, the original administrative hub of the Torres Strait before it was moved to Thursday Island in 1877. The history of this area is quite extensive and worth a read if you are interested in doing some searches. (http://www.cape-york-australia.com/site-map.html).

We also stopped in at Fly point before heading back to the west side of the cape to Cable Beach and Punsand bay for a late lunch at the Camp grounds there.