Hi everyone,

It's been a hot and mostly very dry month, with more than average fires on the peninsula.

National parks are closing for the season, and - Vrilya Point has a gate - because people did not respect the road closure signs.

Also - during the coming Wet Season - I am planning to get busy writing a separate booklet with detailed info for those travelling with caravans :-)

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In This Issue:

• Vrilya Point Has a Gate

• National Parks Close

• Fires and Weather Prediction

• Caravan Booklet with the Destination Guide

• Feedback Always Welcome

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VRILYA POINT HAS A GATE  

So the story of Vrilya Point continues, and the current stage is that there is a gate at the road entrance from the Bypass Road.

It is there until the decisions have been made about Vrilya Point's future.


The gate at Vrilya Point.

It does not necessarily mean that they will close it forever, but is there because the current closure has not been respected.

Over the time, road closure signs have been taken down by travellers, which has upset the rangers and traditional owners who have even asked the police to patrol and take action with trespassers.

The area went back to the Indigenous owners in early 2015, and it is up to them to make the decision about when or even if it will open again.

Travellers need to remember that up here it is indigenous country and if we don't respect the signs, or announcements about the closures, places can get closed down and we can lose some of our favourite spots.


NATIONAL PARKS CLOSING

Also national parks are closing for the season, like always this time of the year.

Cape Melville, Oyala Thumotang and Palmer River Goldfields have all been closed a couple of days ago on the 1. December, and Lakefield should close within the next month (the date has not been announced yet).


FIRES AND THE WEATHER PREDICTION

Weather wise, it has been very hot, and mostly very dry up here.

It is normal for this time of the year that the fires are around, but this year the fires have been worse than average.


Smoke on the PDR - been a very usual sight lately.

Within the last month, the fires were quite bad around Cooktown, and reportedly as much as one fifth of the peninsula has been burned this year.

And while we are very much in need of rains (and there have been scattered showers in some places, and the south eastern parts have been wetter), this month's report of the Bureau of Meteorology predicts a drier than average December and January - despite the earlier forecasts about an "early and normal wet season". 


CARAVAN BOOKLET WITH THE DESTINATION GUIDE

Other than that, it's very quiet and there are almost no travellers.

The quiet season is a great season for us locals to get around, most people get more time off to enjoy our own fun.


Out and about on the local roads :-)

But I have also been spending lots of time on the updates in the books, and it looks like I might even manage to add a caravan booklet this year :-)

It means the Destination Guide should have two additional booklets from this year on - "Taking Your Caravan" and "Taking Your Dogs" - and I am planning on some more booklets in the future :-)
 

FEEDBACK ALWAYS WELCOME

I really appreciate any kind of feedback on the Destination Guide.

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 happy travels to those on the road!!

Have a great day :-)

Katrin.

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