Hi everyone,

It's like the Weather Gods heard me complaining in the last newsletter :-)

The big news up north is that the Wet Season kicked in, complete with monsoonal rains and all!

At least now we can look forward to the end of it ;-)

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In This Issue:

• The Wet Season Is Finally Here

• The First Cyclone to Hit Cape York

• Roads Closing

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THE WET SEASON IS HERE

It took it a while but it finally got here, the rains started to happen a few days ago and today we have proper moonsoonal rains with grey skies as far as one can see.

For starters I always like it.

It cools down the troppo temperatures and is so calming to listen to .. until - everything gets moist inside the house and mold starts growing everywhere, and some time then I get properly sick of it.

In any case - it does keep me more at the computer as now there is nothing much to do outside!

CYCLONE OSWALD TO HIT WESTERN CAPE

Some time last year they predicted that thanks to the current El Nino / La Nina conditions, we would have less threats from tropical cyclones during the coming Wet Season.

Then some time later they said the conditions quickly turned to the opposite.

Here is the first proof - the first cyclone to hit Cape York is here (you can track it here (link deleted once BOM removed the page), refresh your browser's page for updates).

It turned from a Tropical Low to a category one Cyclone as I am writing this, it is currently above the Gulf of Carpentaria and it is approaching Cape York from the more unusual direction - from the west.

It is predicted to hit the coast somewhere between the remote Aboriginal communities Aurukun and Kowanyama some time late tonight, and once it has hammered the coast, it will continue its way inland through much of the southern and central Cape York peninsula.

What every cyclone leaves behind when crossing the inland is rain, rain, and more rain!

THE ROADS ARE CLOSING

So after Oswald I bet the Cape will be well and truly closed for the season.

But already now, there are road closures in place:

Burke Developmental Road is closed due to flooding

The main road through Lakefield National Park is closed for the season

Peninsula Developmental Road (the main road up) is closed at Laura due to flooding at Laura River Bridge.

(I will not send newsletters each time a road opens or closes, unless it's a main road and has some significance for you as a traveller).

FEEDBACK

I really appreciate any kind of feedback on the guide book.

Please let me know if you enjoyed it while planning before the trip, and while using the information once on the trip.

If you get any questions about anything, please feel welcome to contact me.

That's all for this time - happy planning, and, till the next newsletter if I don't hear from you.

Have a great day,

Katrin


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