Day 15 / 16: Horn Island to Vanderlin Island with overnight under a big cloud.

Delays due weather, whether 100 years ago for Goble and McIntrye or Southern Sun today, seem pay for the course in FNQ. Anne flew out in the morning with Qantas through then above the rain back to Melbourne, whilst I sat on the ground practicing patience. After a few hours the weather started to lighten up, but it is was moving south into the Gulf where I was heading so needed to sit it out a bit longer…. I used the time after lunch and a coffee or two to film and edit FAFFC DISPATCH #3.

As the afternoon moved along, I figured the best I could hope for was a flight of between 1-2 hours once up and away. That looked like being either Weipa or Aurukun, but I needed to leave as late as possible to let that weather get as far south as possible. I departed at 4.15pm in quite delightful weather, well striking anyway, and the first hour was clear. As I approached Weipa I still had 40 minutes of daylight and Aurukun was 25 minutes south, so I decided to keep going, as tomorrow I wanted as much time up my sleeve as possible to arrive at Vanderlin at high tide. Also, I’d been to Weipa before and thought a new town is always good. I called ahead to make sure a room was available and check on local weather.

Having made that commitment the last 10 minutes of the flight was into rain and a reminder that even landing 5 minutes before sunset, if it’s overcast and raining it can be pretty dark! The runway lights certainly helped, and soon after landing the rain got heavier… of course it did! The lovely Vera from the accommodation came out in the rain to find me, and having advised that nothing would be open, and there was no food at the hotel, I grabbed one of my emergency tins of tuna for a night of fine dining.

The next day the cloud was high, and after a chat with Macca was airborne before 8am, for a splendid flight down the coast. The coast on this western side of the penninsula was quite different to the east, much flatter, with a flood plain appearance and lush green growth. Landed in Karumba to refuel and frequent the facilities. Met a few local pilots who had been out spotting for prawns for trawlers in the Gulf, which I wondered out loud - how on earth do you see prawns from all the way up there? Ah, he showed me a photo, because the prawns are bottom feeders, from the air you can see disturbed murky brown water - so there you go!

From there tracking west along the coast, and this is river flat country, swampy but stunning, little sign of human life but veins of water stretching out through the land bringing slithers of green into the stark surrounds.

Now at Vanderlin Island, where I landed on the water to then lower the wheels and drive up on the beach. Visiting my brother Chris and his family, be here for two nights then to Elcho Island 100 years to the day from the original flight.