Day 19 - 4 June - Loyalty Beach to Punsand Beach via Pajinka "the Tip" - 48 km

 Cool overcast morning, perfect for cycling to "the Tip". We set about 8.00 am on the side road past Loyalty Beach until it joined the main road after 7 km. It was a bit rough but rideable.

Ever wonder what happens to old Frosty Boy vans??

 Another helpful set of street signs.

 From there to the "Croc Tent" at Lockerbie was a further 4 km. We were keen to stop here to say thanks to Dale who gave us each a ice cold soft drink when we were pushing through the sand near Gunshot Creek last week.

The Croc Tent is a souvenir shop. Tony bought a stubbie holder and we had a chat with Lee Dale's wife. She said her parents walked the OTT to the top years ago and people had stopped to give them cold drinks so she was happy that Dale had done the same for us. She also gave us some advice about conditions which proved to very accurate.

 Joe wrestled this one, but it was so fast I didn't get a picture.

After the Croc Tent the road was corrugated for 5 km and smoothed out for a nice ride through rainforest until it opened out near the top. 

 this was waht is left of a resort near the tip.  Apparently built by Bob Ansett and then handed over to be run by Aboriginals.  Generator stopped working so they all packed up and left.

 We arrived at a little beach and parked the bikes for the walk to the tip. We though that we might unload the bikes and take them but decided to check out the path 1st. It was a scramble over a couple of rocky hills to the tip. Arriving there we got another tourist to take some pictures of us near to the sign. The scenery around is lovely.

There were quite a lot of people arriving so we headed back to the bikes. We decided not to take the bikes as it just a little too far over rocky ground.

 Yeehah!!!  Made it.

 It was now 11.45 am so we set off for Punsand Bay Camping Park. We had the option of a shortcut through a side track that would save us 21 km but Lee at the Croc Tent had warned us it was soft. It turned out to be very sandy and we ended up pushing the bikes about 5 km.

On the way we met the same couples we had seen struggling through the Cockatoo Creek crossing. Earlier we had seen the couple we had spoken to at Palm Creek. Not surprisingly in such a small place we keep running into the same people.

 Just on 2.00 pm we arrived at Punsan Bayd. We ordered lunched and booked in. While we were there Kat the tour bus driver with OZ Tours that we met at Fruitbat Falls came over for a chat.

 When i saw the picture on this I just had to have a go.  Not bad.

 Who should roll up while we were having lunch, but our buddies Will and Liam.  Thank God Liam has shaved his 70's porn star moustache.

We have a beautiful beachfront campsite.

A lazy afternoon reading followed by the Barramundi Special for dinner at the Corrugation Bar. Not so special but ok. A good chat with Kat who is taking her tour group to Moreton Telegraph tomorrow.

Bedtime Tony got bitten by a centipede in his tent. Squealed like a girl. It escaped and he wasn't sure if it was still in the tent. It also rained during the night.