Pajinka and Thursday Island.

Cape York. Part 2 June 4th 2023

Pushing on, feeling like the Cape is coming to a point. We’d heard that the Jardine river ferry had broken down and people had waited 4 hours to cross over the fast flowing river. So we packed a thermos and snacks in preparation. The hardest part to crossing over was paying the huge toll..$192 return! Never mind, we were a captive audience and I was happy to pay the cheery local boys to run the ferry. Otherwise we would never make it to the tip.

Not many cars waiting, we crossed at 10.30am and were told it was being shutdown at 11.00am so the oil covered mechanic could take off the head of the Lister engine. It was only running on 2 of 3 cylinders. 

We stopped short of Seisia to do an alcohol check. The communities are fairly strict regarding alcohol although the tourists can carry a minimal amount.

We continued to Seisia camping ground, a delightfully tropical place on the far north-west coast. Our 3 sites were almost on the beach. With a G&T in hand sitting in our camp chairs on the fine white sand watching a spectacular sunset, what more could anyone want!

Dinner at Loyalty Beach was quite disappointing – tough prawns & rubber mackerel fish. The setting was great but the food wasn’t.

The BIG DAY dawned, the day we reach the Tip of Pajinka. The drive from Seisia was not direct, Nick and Andrew found the short cut over a pretty deep river crossing. We were seasoned rough trackers by now. Even the many potholes and deep water crossings didn’t phase us. 

We got to the Tip carpark and saw many vehicles…ohh.. We started the 800m walk along the beach flats, past mangroves, in slightly slippery mud until we began to climb the rocks, through the scrub, like a bunch of pioneers. Suddenly there it was, a sign on a pole with a couple of people taking photos. It was perhaps a little underwhelming. I was expecting vast oceans of nothingness beyond the tip, but there were islands everywhere, very close, a yacht sailing past. 

Nick broke out our rainbow Priscilla, and had a few strange looks from people – “was this man coming out?” After the mandatory photos, we took the inland walking track back to the carpark, climbing to the top of the rocky promontory where the views were 360 degrees, amazing. Three rock cairns signalled the path. The last cairns I’d seen were in Mongolia where their spiritual significance was powerful. Every Mongolian who encountered one would walk around it 3 times and give thanks to the gods. Not sure this was the case here, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the indigenous people didn’t assign power to a pile of rocks.

We pre-planned a special lunch to mark our arrival at the tip. A bottle of Prosecco to toast our achievement, followed by lunch – san chow bau – lettuce filled with tuna, egg and spices, followed by a welcome cuppa. This is the joy of travelling with friends, the way we throw a little feast together. Many travellers saw us with envy in their eyes – it was a long way to a shop of any kind. The Croc Tent was down the road – a crass okka bogan tourist trap with no food.

We wound down this wonderful day with fish fillets given to us by a local fisherman.

The local people around Seisia are very much a mix of Thursday Islanders, Papuans, Polynesians and Aust Aborigines, and all very friendly. 

A day trip to Thursday Island was something I had never even dreamed of doing. I love being on the sea, loved the hour long ferry trip through the Torres Strait islands, of which there are many. I had no idea Thursday Island was so small compared to others nearby, but it was chosen for it’s protected harbour. We joined a bus tour on Thurs island and learned about the WW2 effort, the influence of the Japanese both as pearlers and ultimately as invaders. Life was tough for TI people, especially the women during the war. Boats bringing food supplies were bombed, the land was too rocky to grow much, although mangoes were in abundance. 

We visited the Cultural Centre which was being set up for the bi-annual festival of dance, music and celebrations of reconciliation, but it was the following week, damn pity we missed it! The paintings in the gallery showed a combination of styles…the dots of the indigenous people and the bright splashes of colours from the TI artists. The weavings with natural fibres, and the use of marine flotsam to make 3D sculptures were quite clever. I came away with some earrings made by a local that look like white birds from Paradise – I guess that’s what they were!

We lunched at the northern most pub in Australia, and it was good. Cold beers and yummy burgers. Locals with their families, cute little kids, some amazing characters, as you can see in the photo of George, behind him.

Walking along the main street after lunch, we 3 girls were drawn into a very colourful dress shop…we each brought 2 frocks. Marilyn did an instant nip and tuck job on mine, she’s a whizz with cotton and thread. It’s nice having the breeze around the legs and other parts in a frock.

Blog 3 will soon be done.

Cheers

Jenny xx