21st June 2026: Left  Punsand , coping with the water crossings and the corrugations  thanks to Nic’s excellent driving. We went into Bamaga to go to the IBIS supermarket, surprisingly well stocked, and even more surprising was the “Queensland freight discount”of $21 taken off a $128 total bill!

We topped up with diesel, and fresh water at the BP service station and headed for the Jardine ferry, arriving at lunchtime for the ferrymen of course. We then proceeded to Fruit Bat Falls where we unhitched the caravan and just took the Prado down the Falls road(2.7 km). The Falls were an inviting place to swim which we did, despite some light rain falling at the time. We then drove the 6.7 km to Eliot and Twin Falls on Eliot Creek, which flows into the Jardine River. The underlying sandstone fissured in such a way to create the Eliot Falls and the Twin Falls, in a manner I have never seen before. Of great interest was the Pitcher plants along the way into each Falls. On the way out along the Eliot Falls road we had the huge treat of seeing a Palm Cockatoo- the first one I have ever seen, with an amazing black stand up comb and red cheek!

We re-hitched the van and headed for the gravel-pit-  a free-camping site about 10km south of Fruit Bat Falls. We were one of 2 caravans parked for the night.

I cooked us a dish of quartered field mushrooms, red kidney beans, tomatoes, fried onions and chilli jam, with asparagus and broccolini on the side.

                   Queue Jardine River Ferry
                  Jardine River Ferry
View from Jardine River Ferry

                   Fruit Bat Falls

                   Pitcher Plant
Fruit Bat Falls
Eliot Falls
Eliot Creek
Twin Falls
Lower Twin Falls
Sunset in the Gravel Pit
















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