Day 45: No fishing (I promise) and a trip to the gulf
Last night we went to bed to an amazing light show. Looking out from our camp the stars were reflecting off the mirror like McArther River. In the distance, the orange glow from a fire lit up the horizon like some earie acoloyptic event.
By the morning we woke to a thick fog blanketing the River, it's earie fine mist twisting between the trees and our tents leaving beads of water behind.
"Fog is not good for catching fish" so we were told by a local last night. Heading out we found a nice spot along the river to sit and watch the world go by. Obviously we didn't fish. Eagles flew overhead spying an early lunch, competing with the water birds floating over the calm water. Did I mention we did NOT go fishing.
These were photos of two other blokes who decided to try their luck without listening to the locals.
After having enough of fishing, oops, I mean sitting, we decided to head out and dip our toes in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The road out to the Gulf all of a sudden started to take on a mars like appearance with orange trees and shrubs lining the orange road. It turns out that the road is used by haulage road trains taking iron ore from some far away hole in the ground to the Bing Bong Port. Here it is stockpiled forming man-made mountain ranges before being transferred into barges then reloaded in to huge floating ships moared of the coast.
Unfortunately much of this part of the world is fenced with large signs warning of severe penalty for unauthorised access. It is such a shame that parts of this great country of ours is denied access by large private corporations. In my travels this trip I have had discussions with disgruntled fellow travellers about the need for permits to travel to Arnhem Land and other Aboriginal communities. I wonder why the same argument is not put about land owned by largely foreign companies who have only been here for 10s of years rather than 40,000 years. I guess this is a debate not talked about much due to the $$$.
Despite this we followed one track, then 2 wheel ruts, then one lone wheel track that weaved through the coastal wetland, mangrove and salt marsh. Following our nose, we knew that the gulf had to be close. We couldn't drive any further, so left the car with the hope that a large tide does not maroon us, or even worse, we see the white prado float out past one of the ore tankers. Picking our way through the mud flats we reached the torques blue water with the Sir Edward Pellew Islands on the horizon. From here we collected shells, looked at flotsam that had likely travelled from some far country, tried to find Hux an extra thong, and marvelled at the remoteness of where we were standing.
This was to be the last sighting of coastal water until we return to Sydney. Our journey was soon to take us back inland to the heart of Australia. Back to desert country. But for now we just stood and looked out into the ocean, glad that we decided not to go fishing today...........
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