Port Smith

Mon 30^th June

 

The tide is coming in at a slow walking pace.

A number of people we have met along the way have recommended Port Smith as a must visit, so we decided to do so. The turn off was only a short distance from last night’s camp and the 22km road in,. Although it was a dirt road, it wasn’t too bad apart from a few places where there was loose sand. Thankfully neither of us took on any dust this time. We arrived at quite an attractive caravan park with palm trees, bougainvillea and  every site was surrounded by trees and shrubs. The ground was just red dirt – same as everywhere else. The toilet block is a big transportable block like the miners have. It  contains at least twenty individual spacious bathrooms that contain toilet, basin and shower. We had imagined the park might be on the beach, but it was in fact 750 metres away down another dirt track that is only accessible to park guests. There are warnings that any cars on the beach must be shifted to higher ground at least 2 hours before the tide comes in because there is a huge tidal range.

This is the map of the area showing some of the good fishing spots.

 When we got there we were confronted by the deepest blue sea I have ever seen. There was a sandy bay surrounded by mangroves. The sand went out through a gap and then to a big lagoon and then the sea. This is a haven for fishermen with lots of varieties of fish as well as mud crabs in the area. In the park most people have a boat and there were very few people around all day, even though there must have been nearly a hundred vans in. We could see that the tide was coming in fairly quickly so we had a paddle in the icy water. Later in the afternoon we had another look and the tide was nearly out and the entire area that was covered with water was uncovered. In fact we watched a car drive out on it and through the gap towards the sea.  Once again we have no internet no phone service and no TV reception. It’s amazing how many areas are in this position.

 

 



The same place with the tide out. The sand is damp with some pools, but solid as you can see by the tyre marks.