We had to call into Bramwell Station on the way back to collect our boat and then headed to Chilli Beach. Many people tell us how great Chilli Beach is, and it was lovely, but really, it’s a long way to go to see a nice beach.
We did enjoy speaking to the ranger here as he informed us that the new booking service was troublesome for people this year. This we knew as we have had no end of drama with the service. He then went on to say that when they call up and book for people, the government is charged over $30 from the booking agency. The thing is, for Tim and I it only costs around $12.50 a night. Don’t get us started on fleet bookings. Our government truly is useless.
After Chilli Beach we decided to have another couple of nights at the Hanh River and this time stay at a better camp. We saw so many crocs. It was crazy.
We then headed back to Cooktown, but not before the spring on the boat trailer snapping for the third time. Not to worry, by this stage, the ‘Pit Crew’ had it sorted and we were able to change the spring in 20mins! That includes the time needed to make the new spring! Go on, say it. WE ROCK!
When we got to Cooktown, we caught up with our mate Martin, the guy sailing solo around the world. Sadly while at the pub, we took a few calls. You see, while on our adventure, we were out of service, and due to limited batteries, we only turned the sat phone on sporadically. Unfortunately, for us, the calls we received that afternoon were all bad news. A close family friend had passed away only a few days before and then tragic news for Tim and I, that our little girl passed away. It was a quiet night and we decided to head back to her the next day.
So now your are all caught up. We are back in Innisfail and hope to head off in January. It will be different without Snow, and we couldn’t leave her behind so in a way, she will complete the trip with us.
