Hello all

I have been exploring this site and soaking up all the valuable info and advice and wisdom and most importantly, community spirit.

This really is a very special forum. I did a bit of solo travelling back in the 80's and there were times when I pulled up at a camping place or caravan park and felt such a strong need to share the experience with someone.

I did not necessarially want to travel with someone but it would have been great to arrive somewhere and go and chat to fellow travellers and share a beer at sunset or whatever.

My travel was mainly along the East Coast from NSW to FNQ and before that I did a couple of years on the prawn trawlers, like Crusin Granny, starting out at Kurumba and working out of Weipa, Cooktown, Cairns and Townsville.

I steamed around Cape York several times and the coastline from the top to Cooktown and Cape Trib was awesome.  Quite often the rest of the crew got totally inebriated and it fell to me by default to navigate around the cape - - a pretty awesome experience for a green 18 year old with zilch navigation experience.

These days the internet makes it so much easier. It's fantastic knowing I can shoot off a post from anywhere on the road and get responses from a caring community.

I am compiling my lists, working on the budget and taking lots of medication to prevent impulse buying:) .

I hope all of you out there are having a great night.

Ellen

Hi Elle,

Did you ever drop anchor at Portland Roads ?

Cheers,

Sheba.

Blimey - where is Portland Roads - this was nearly 40 years ago so the grey cells have taken a bit of a bashing. I dropped anchor in lots of places along the way so the answer is probably yes.

Ellen

First place to refuel for Trawlers coming down the East Coast of Cape York from the Tip.  There used to be a Fuiel Barge anchored there every season.   Weymouth Bay, just North of Lockhart River.

If there were a few Trawlers anchored at the same time, they would sometimes come ashore to Party.

Cheers,

Sheba.

No I never stopped by there. This was around 1979-82. We went from Cooktown to Weipa a few times and back again without stopping anywhere to refuel. Once I was on a huge trawler which also doubled as a mothership and we made the womplete tripfromsomewhere arounf Groote to Townsville again without stopping. We were stranded for a couple of weeks once off Murray Island waiting for a part and there were several boats stopping over and coming and going. I did a few trips in the Torres and went to Thrusday Island a few times as well.

cheers

Did you go ashore on Murray Island ? [ Mer]  Very historic place that one.  Even long before Eddie Mabo.

I got to Temple Bay in 1984.  About 2 weeks before Cyclones Jim and Kathy.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Unfortunately no - the only Torres Strait Islands I have been on are thursday, Horn and Saibai.

If you're travelling around Qld and into the Gulf country towards Darwin, there's a terriffic website; www.fc4magazine.com . I got onto it when I bought their fishing/camping magazine on my last trip through back of Qld. It has maps, GPS points, camping area and heaps of other useful information.

I haven't been to Thursday Island yet but it's on the top of my list, won't be long now.

Cheers

Cate