Sunday 1st August 1971
Started off at 9.00 & drove through thousands of magnetic anthills, had a left over fish lunch on the
Hann River. We got on the wrong road after the river but found our way after we had driven about 30miles on the
wrong road we passed a lagoon 4 times (same lagoon). We saw about 100 pigs though out the afternoon along with
Brolgas and
Jabaroos also a Plains Turkey. We then reach
Lakefield homestead at 4.00,
Lakefield is owned by Americans, they have a lot of capped off oil wells on this property. It is about 6000 sq miles and runs from Laura to the coast & to about 20 miles south of Marina Plains.We then drove south to a
beautiful lagoon on the Kennedy River approx 20 miles from
Lakefield.They get a lot of Crock's here, also there is a lot of Wallabies. The whole river is actually a series of lagoons, there are also prawns and small lobsters in the river.
Monday 2nd August 1971
Drove into Laura took on 20 gallons of fuel the back to
Lakeland Downs owned by C.F.Foyster, the place is about 30 miles across, he has done about $2
million worth of
improvements, it also has a motel on it , he was offered $4
million for it but knocked it back. We then drove 53 miles into
Cooktown passing the Black Mountains, they are mountains of black rocks, we got to
Cooktown at 12.30 had
lunch & had a look around the old mining town
which once housed about 30 pubs. We had a look at the monuments to Captain Cook and drove up Grassy hill to look at the view you can see the outer reef from here, we then
decided to drive back to Palmer River 73 miles away we got there at 7.00 and made camp.
Tuesday 3rd August 1971
Drove onto Cains and booked into the
Golden Keys Caravan Park it cost $12.00 for 2 nights.We went and bought some stores cost $12.00, could not get a replacement trailer hitch.
Wednesday 4
th August 1971
Went to green Island on the ferry called the Minerva it cost $1.20 & took 1hr 15 min though rough sea's. Had a look at some films of the sea life and checked out the Underwater
observatory, we then returned to cairns had tea bed by 11.00.
Thursday 5th August 1971
Till now we have covered 3372 miles. Took on 25 gallons of petrol cost $12.00. We then drove up to
Mareeba an onto
Atherton,
Ravenshoe,
Conjuboy on good gravel road along a very
boring dry scenery to a dry creek 13 miles from
Hughenden on the
Flinders Highway. We also got 12gal of fuel at
Lindhurst cost $6.00 and did an oil change as well.
Friday 6th August 1971
I have put $100 into kitty at this stage. We drove into
Huenenden then onto Richmond & Julia Creek where we had lunch, we then proceeded onto
Cloncurry where we had a beer and i got $60.00 out of the bank. Till now we have been driving across country that is very-very scorched, dry, brown grass and bare small hills. The landscape changed as we got closer to Mt Isa to very sharp mountainous country through a 40 mile strip very interesting.At the Isa i picked up the mail a letter from gran & aunty
Lemay, We then had tea 7 drove another 40 mile across the Northern Territory boarder where we made camp at 10.00
Returned to Katherine then on to Tennants Creek past the Devils Marbles & camped about 170mile from Alice Springs, very boring country.
Pulled into Alice at 11.00 phoned mum then looked up the Raja we found him at his Betting Shop under the name of Victor Lomas, he asked us to stay at his home so we settled in & he told us he had a copper unloading contract and a betting shop and allot of real estate including a couple of large cattle properties. His home was his office and set up very well, he is said to have a fortune of $300 million. We also met the Lord Mayor a good friend of Victors.We got an oil change & went to see the Pitchy Ritchy Sanctuary and the view over
