Archer Point…Day Four Trip to the Tip-

Part Three

Day Four (Archer Point)
I woke early; all through the night the wind had howled and buffeted the tent without a moments respite and the roaring of the incoming tide, with turbulent waves crashing on the nearby shore, seeming to compete with the wind for superiority. Morning found the wind still in control, but I didn’t let that dampen my spirits. Not yet anyway.

I wandered down to the beach for a walk, before coffee I might add, and enjoyed the vast emptiness of the clean white sand. Down the far end of the beach was an estuary that led to a small river, with a series of mountains running ‘round in a curve.
I watched and waited for the sunrise but was thwarted by a bank of heavy cloud.

I noticed what looked like a small island not far out at sea, certainly within walking distance if the tide went out that far and I hoped to be able to explore it later in the day.

It’s so relaxing starting the day with a roaring campfire, to sit with coffee and birdsong and rumbling waves (and the damn wind), but there was too much to see and do so I thought I’d forgo my second cuppa and decided to explore the timbered area that bordered the beach and stretched into the hills behind Archer Point.

I had already been told by our second youngest traveller, 5 year old Ryan, that a huge spider lived up
there and I was eager to investigate what sort it was. Young Ryan waved his hand expansively, its up there, he informed me. Of course I wandered off on a slightly different angle, missing the spider completely, however the dappled track was lovely (and wind-free), dotted with tiny wildflowers and filled with old tree growth. And I did see two large snake skins and various birds.

On my return to camp Ryan asked enthusiastically if I’d seen the spider and when I said no he was only too eager to show me. As I followed along behind him I came across the partially buried carcass of a wild pig, which I showed to Ryan. He was most impressed with my find and I had to come up with a plausible scenario as to the animals demise; I opted to tell the truth, pig hunters, as the boy had already picked up some spent bullet shells and young he may be, but silly he is not.

I explained that it was wrong to kill an animal if you didn’t intend on eating it and made him promise to never leave camp alone. It was a promise the adventurous boy found hard keeping.
I was much more impressed in the spider in its huge web…. a gorgeous Golden Orb, big too.

After lunch most of us wandered back to the windy beach; the tide was out now so we walked out to the rocky island which turned out to be a living coral reef. I ate oyster’s fresh off the rocks, just rinsed in sea water and we all marvelled at the marine life.

**

We saw dozens of Tridacna clams, which can grow up to a yard or more across; I saw one as a child, at the Great Barrier Reef… it was huge and chose just then to open its mighty jaws. The ones here at Archer point were little bigger than a man’s closed fist.

**

We also saw brain coral and a few Cone shell (Conidae) the latter came with a warning to young Ryan and any who didn’t know – Never Touch- . For as pretty as they were, the shells house a creature whose sting is deadly.

Before days end we lost a few of our crew, one who had come down with fever & chills (recovered to complete the trip) and a few others who had had enough of the wind. All moved back to the nearby camping grounds at Lion’s Den and we would meet up with them there, the next day.

For those of us that stayed, the day ended peacefully (despite the on-going wind) with a beautiful full moon flashing like liquid sliver on the tumbling waves.
The campfire was cosy, the food great and the laughter merry.

In a moment of fireside silence we heard a distant dingo howl and a plover call to its mate. This was the real bush… and a breathlessly beautiful place to be.

Sharonlee©2-Aug-12

Young Ryan running along the beach

Last 5 posts by Sharon-Lee

• Some of My Sweetest Dreams Died Today - October 3rd, 2012
• Call of the North Wind - August 25th, 2012
• Part 5 Day 6- Ranges and Plains and Red Dust Roads - August 8th, 2012
• Day Five- Part Four- Leaving Archer Point- Trip tp Tip - August 8th, 2012
• Spirit-Quest - August 5th, 2012

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