Lockhart River has some interesting history even though it is off the beaten track.
The first stop was to have a look at the air port,it started life called Gordon Field WW2 bomber field,built by American and Australian Engineers '( I was really interested in looking at this remarkable building due to myself while in the army I was a Engineers.
They really built things to last back then with very little equipment or supplies.
Operation Blow Down- was conducted from the Iron Rangers area in 1963.
This classified project/operation was aimed to replicate the effects of a Nuclear bomb explosion on a Tropical rainforest environment military operation.
The American/Australian/ British teams used 50 tons of TNT conventional explosives in addition to vehicles and equipment were destroyed that was left near the centre of the explosion.
This explosion was instigated by Robert Menzies Government to test and examine the feasibility of air burst Nuclear weapons for clearing and mangled forests in South East Asia, primarily Indonesia-Malaysia and Vietnam war at that time was simmering.
During WW2 a large USA bomber base was set up here with 4 air strips operating thus they would fly to Coral Sea battles They would leave here and be met by their fighter escorts based at Bamaga and Horn Island further north.USA air crew stationed here in WW2 called this place the worst airfield they were ever stationed at,due to the dust /dirt/rain/low cloud/and mud. This caused accidents resulting in fatalaties,one air craft and all crew vanished with out a trace.
There is not much left of the old port,some 44gal drums and bunkers.The jetty was very large it was a supply port for the war effort. There is still old Land Rovers scattered through out the area.
At Bamaga there is still remains of air craft that crashed a air craft bomber,DC3 crashed in 1945 and a Beaufort around the same time.We had trouble finding the Kitty Hawk, but did stumble across some remains of a burnt out plane that maybe may not be it.
In the past month up this way at least 50 vehicles have drowned attempting to cross one of the fords up this way.When we were in Weipa they were telling us that during the dry season the barge carries at least 70 vehicles back to Cairns,due to coming to grief in some kind of way .
Fuel averaged out to be around $2.20perlt some places were in the $2.40 range.To fill a 9kg gas bottleit will cost you $90 YES you are reading right.A case of 4x2lts cast of wine ( in areas where you are allowed to buy it $88.A carton of long life milk $4.50.Frozen loaf of bread $6.Carton of Pepsi Max (24 )$40.The freight is what is the killer up this way.
The best investment we made before we left was to buy a washable air filter as we had to wash it 4 times .so we recon it has payed for it's self.
There is a notice board displaying the rules and regs re bringing alcohol into this are .It spells it out very clearly. NO LIQUOR-$75.000 FINE -18 MONTHS JAIL -and Confiscation of VEHICLE....
So much history hidden in this part of Australia.
Hope I have not borde some of you with this post,but some members were wanting to know re our trip.
Regards Herbie.
-- Edited by herbie on Monday 15th of July 2013 03:44:32 AM
Great reports yep ive seen some vehicles come unstuck on the way to weipa
And a very costly expedition too !! I did see mushrooms at mt isa once 15.99
A kilo about twenty years ago now , and weipa prices yep either pay it go
Without ,always made sure we. Had stocked up well before then the prices
Are crazzzyyyyyy
Shall try to post you some photos of what folk do to their vehicles at some of the crossings. More money than sense as far as we were concerned. We camped for 2 nights at the 1st crossing on the OTT- Palm Creek. Also last year insurance companies were trying to get Nolan's Brook (last before Jardine) closed as they were sick of paying out on written off vehicles.
