Three days and 2,600 kms later we arrived at Bramwell Station on Cape York Peninsula. This will be our base camp for further exploration of Shelburne Bay and the remote beaches north of the Olive River. 

Bramwell Station is owned by Wendy Kosicka and Vincent Bowyer and their camping area is leased and operated by Dick and Kaline. After such a long drive it is always a pleasure to arrive to a friendly environment and a clean and  hot shower.

The afternoon was spent unloading the quad bikes and general preparation for the 5 day trip out to White Point.

Thursday-Sunday 23rd-26th June:

There are five of us on three quad bikes together with food and camping provisions for 5 days.

It is more by GPS navigation and scrub pushing that we slowly wind our way into the bush. Only 2kms in, the quad temperature light comes on indicating I have no water in the radiator. Pushing through the bush has disconnected the radiator hose from the engine inlet.

Finally with this is rectified and we continue on until at 5kms we pick up the old track bulldozed in over 30 years ago by Dal Nixon.

In places this also is completely overgrown often requiring a good degree of walking around to find it or just heading towards one of my previously plotted waypoints.

Camp was on the track beside a spring fed creek that allowed us to wash off the accumulated dust and grime.

Finally at one river crossing we completely lost the track. We searched in every direction until finally we returned to our morning tea spot beside the river and I found the track had done a 120 degree turn and crossed another river tributary. The seasonal flooding had piled high trees and branches obscuring the river crossing.

In places it is burnt out by last summers lightning strikes.

On our last rise we see 20kms in the distance our first glance of the dunes before we descend into thick paperbark scrub and tea tree swamp.

Base camp is set up on the McMillian River. Its brown tannin stain from the teas trees a contrast against the now white sands.

Here we unload our tents and supplies to make the next full day run to the largest of the dunes on the southern end of Shelburne Bay at White point.

It is then into the swamp country

The leaf edges are covered with sharp barbs that cut into any exposed flesh.

Now a 100 metre climb to the top of a magnificent pure white sand dune.

And beside the lake a series of quicksand patches.

Returning to our McMillian River Camp the swamp is now so wet and soft it would be impossible to drive a vehicle out here as we had done so many years ago.