Our objective is Cape Grenville, an isolated peninsula on the east of Cape York. This will be our fifth attempt to get to this point. We have walked from the South and found the Olive river too deep to cross on foot, We have walked from White Point to Round Point (15kms across the mud flats) only to find that there is no fresh water for resupply between here and on to Grenville. We also tried to float our quad bikes from Shelburne Bay to White Point then with a plan to drive the mud flats, this time caring water. However this time we were thwarted by 7 river crossings including the Harmer and McMillian and a lack of time before an incoming tide and a 4 metre Croc meant a hasty retreat back to Shelburne.

Our plan this time is to float a quad bike on the pontoon down the 10kms of the Olive River and then back pack the 40kms north to Cape Grenville, using the quad as a supply carrier.

On the track out we discover a litter of 8 small Dingo pups hiding in a gully.

The 64km track to the river camp is long overgrown and takes a full day to arrive in the vehicles.

Finally arriving we are met by a 2 metre Brown Snake that fortunately leaves the old camp site in a hurry.

The camp is right on the edge of the estuarine river and we know that crocodiles inhabit this area. Thus as a safety precaution out swags are set up inside our caged trailers. Perhaps an overkill but this way we can sleep well.

On an early morning high tide we set off with 4 of us on board. The small out boardmotor initially giving trouble with some over fuelling.

Even with high tide there are considerable submerged and overhanging logs in and above the river, but careful navigation avoids any contact.

On the way we discover the rare ...... Palms that only grow here and in two other places in the world. The palm trunk is below the brackish water line with only the leaves and seed pod above.

A holiday is a planned event, an adventure is planned but inevitably the unexpected happens.

We are continually captivated by our surroundings, as we turn on one of the final bends towards the river mouth we find a strong easterly wind had made the now wide river choppy and covered with white caps of water. Something our pontoon is not designed for.

Bailing starts but before we continue lets check the fuel. Three quarters gone......the distance from the camp to the river mouth is 22kms not the 10kms we were lead to believe.

Again we have trouble re-starting the 2 stroke outboard. We have fuel but no oil to make two stroke fuel. The motor is still over fuelling. Removing the spark plug we burn off the excess fuel, finally the motor is running and the reason found and corrected.

We have fuel for 10kms ONLY and 20kms to camp. It is 11am, the tide is changing, we fortunately have three oars. If we are lucky we will be back before dark...if we paddle HARD.

Eventually 10kms later the motor runs out of fuel...all is quiet.

It is midday...start paddling.

On the now mud appearing banks I see a large Crocodile about the size of a Landcruiser. “No it is just a log” said one of the others. As we slowly approach the ‘log’ gets up and slowly slides into the water. The paddling speeds up.

The river is like a bundle of rope dropped on the ground, it twists continually. When it goes east to west we can put up the tent fly and catch the easterly wind. This increases our speed from our best 1.8kms/hr rowing to a maximum of 4kms/hr.

As we very slowly approach camp the GPS tells us the distance is 600metres then 750metres then 540metres, then 635metres as the river twists and turns.

450 metres from camp it is dark.

In the light of the spot light used to negotiate around those loge we see three glowing pairs of red eyes of the crocks. The paddling increases in speed

Finally at 6.30 we arrive exhausted at camp, retrieve the pontoon from the river and have a well deserved rum and coke.

Although we have two stroke oil in camp and fuel available to continue our mission, the tides will now be against us. Negotiating the river and the beach north both require a particular high and low tide window. This now being past we have to cancel this project for another time.