WEDNESDAY 15 JULY COEN TO SILVER PLAINS CAMP 90kms
It was another hot day.
Packing up was relatively easy, being only the small tent, and with most gear still in Truck.
We refilled a gas bottle in Coen – cost $12.50! And topped up the diesel – 85cpl.
We had an interesting drive out to Silver Plains. Had to retrace our way of two days ago, for 28kms, then take the Port Stewart road.
The road was very corrugated, in parts, and there were some rough-ish creek crossings. It was attractive country, especially where the way went over a low range. We had no difficulty finding our way – with a combination of our maps and the directions given to John on the phone.
Our route from Coen to Silver Plains, skirting the McIlwraith Range – and our camp location
The homestead complex was impressive, with the usual many outbuildings and sheds, but a modern homestead. This looked new, with wide verandas, screened with insect mesh, all round. There was a young bull (steer?) grazing the house surrounds – tame, but huge – a Brahmin type. Chooks were pottering about.
We introduced ourselves to DT, the property manager, who lives in the house. Our stay here – in a bush camp – is going to cost $16 a night, which seems expensive to me, but I guess it is a unique experience?
D took us out to our camp, by a little freshwater creek, about 7kms from the house. He seems rather bemused that we do not have a boat. It seems his usual guests are keen fishing people who bring their own boats and thus have to camp where they can access a creek or river that will take them to the sea. Obviously, not many people come here just for the bush experience! I don’t know whether that is ominous or not.
On the way, we passed the large, well-kept airstrip, which D later told us was kept up to standard by the government, so that it could be used for military exercises.
D also showed us the way to his boat mooring area, on a tidal reach of Breakfast Creek, where John could fish. The tide had just turned and was coming in and there were big fish splashing and jumping!
We went back to our camp place and set up the big tent. We thought it was a great bush spot. There were some boards laid across 44 gallon drums as “tables”, clean buckets made from drums to use for water heating on an open fire, and a bush “dunny” – D’s term. This was a hole in the ground, with a seat, of sorts, and a bit of a screen. The creek seemed rather stagnant, though and D said we could get drinkable water from up at the homestead, if we wished.
After setting up camp, we went back to the tidal reach of Breakfast Creek, partly to make sure we remembered the tracks and could find it again, and partly for John to do a little fishing. He lost a lure, after snagging it on a mooring rope of D’s boat.
John fishing the tidal reach of Breakfast Creek – mud and mangroves
It is quite a big boat. D said he can only get it right down the creek to the sea, twice a month, on the highest tides. There is a lower landing, but the track to it is washed out and he is not going to fix it because the land is being resumed – all 256,000 hectares of it – for the aborigines. It seems there is a real push on the Cape, for pastoral leases to be bought back and then passed to the aborigines – land rights claims and all that. Des reckons Silver Plains will become a drying out place for people from Coen, rather than a proper cattle venture. He says there are some local activists whose agenda is to gain a full E-W holding across the Cape, to add to the Top that they already have, and maybe set up a state within a state up here. He regards the National Parks people up here as tools of the aborigines. According to him, the government has already paid some very inflated prices for some of the leases. He says most places are de-stocked before hand over as the aborigines do not want the cattle. It is a pity that this is to become the fate of Silver Plains – presumably this will end the present camping access for tourists like us. We have seen in other parts of Australia, the adverse effects on property infrastructure when such hand backs occur.
There were horrendous sandflies at the boat mooring where John tried to fish, and there are plenty of mozzies and flying bugs in general, at camp.
Around our camp is typical dry season savannah country – longish, dry, grass and scattered trees and saplings.
Tea was a stir fry with tofu. I was not very hungry. Still feeling a bit off colour.
The stars at night are absolutely brilliant. There are many bush night time noises, predominantly insects and little critters rustliong in the grass. I hope the cattle stay clear of our camp in the night!
This Adventurous Age 