Marina Plains Kenedy River

Tuesday 27Th July 1971
Started at9.00 posted mail to mum & aunty lemay at Jim Kings place.We then journeyed 16 mile from Portland Roads to an old abandoned gold mine 100 yards off the main road, a fellow by the name of Jack Gordon owned it, it has been said that he got at least $300.000 out of it & he employed 12 men. It had a Babcock & Wilcock ball mill & Gold stamper about the 1930's.Took a photo of a Water Gum, we then drove onto the Pasco River 47 miles away,took on some water and on another 22 miles to the Wentlock River We had trouble there getting the cars out of the river bed up the steep sand banks, while doing so we busted the handle off the trailer coupling so we had to wire the coupling onto the car it would present a problem on the way back to Coen. We made camp & cooked a damper.
Wednesday 28Th July 1971
Damper was great although a bit burnt on the bottom. Started at 9.00 photo a red lizard. Drove down to the Archer River reached there at 12.30, then onto Coen by 2.30. I phoned mum reverse charges cost $3.00. Nevile decided to go on to Port Stewart for a day and then meet up at Marina Plains in 2 days time. We left Coen at 3.30 and proceed to the Stewart River where we made camp.At 8.00 we gave Nevile a blast on the National Panasonic walky- talky but we could not pick him up as they were approx 30miles away over mountainous country. There is a tremendous amount of bird life here.

Thursday 29Th July 1971.
Started at 8.30 drove southwards to Musgrave, the road had been graded since we drove north on it 2 weeks ago. We reached Musgrave Station & took on petrol & coke a cola.We also met Collin Costello who owns Marina Plains Station approx 40 sq miles he runs cattle . Collin had a snake in a drum in the ute so he showed us it,he was a bit drunk as well. Apparently he catches small crocodiles & takes them to Laura pub under his shirt & sells them for about $2.50 inch.
We left Musgrave and drove on a very good road to a large lagoon with hundreds of water lilies on it. It is 19 miles from Musgrave. We also saw birds that walk on the water, & plenty of emus. We then drove on to Marina Plains Station, where we took on water at the wind mill and had a look at a crocodile skull he was about 16 feet long. We then drove down to the to the wharf near the homestead were we met some people from Sydney.While we were taking a trawler came in, they told us that the fishing was no good as some men had been netting Barrumundy in the Kennedy river close by, they took 5000lbs of fillets out that is about 25000 fish. We then drove 8 miles across country(because we had lost the track) to the Cattle Loading Shute on the Kennedy River, we had a fish but caught nothing, had tea with a billion mosquitoes then went for another fish and caught a salmon, bed by 11.00
Friday 30 July 1971
After Breakfast we went for a boat trip up the river for about 6 miles & set some crocodile lines, we also seen a tremendous amount of bird life & mosquitoes, we returned about 12.00 finished films 12,8. had lunch and drove back to the wharf to meet Nev we got there just in time to see the trawler fisherman flying out on a 10 day holiday, it cost $25 to fly to Cairns they left at 2.30. We drove up the road a short way but no luck we did not see Nevil, so we blazed a paper trail back to the cattle loader about half way across we got lost & ended up driving across country straight to the camp. We had tea & Bruiser went fishing caught 1 Salmon they also saw a 2 foot barra close to the river bank but he was to quick.We also shot a wallaby for crock bait.

Saturday 31 July 1971
after breakfast we checked the crock lines and pulled in a 45lb spotted code took 3hrs to clean him. that afternoon we drove across to the homestead & had a talk to Collin for a 1/2hr. We went down to the lagoon just behind the homestead & photographed some ibis on the way back to camp on a different route we drove through hundreds of ant hills. It took us 4hrs to cook the cod for tea it was to greasy and half raw did not like it went to bed and listened to crocodiles barking all night they knew we were leaving the next day and did not have the lines set cunning crocks.