9th October 2016 - Second day at Punsand Bay

First Cup of Tea for the Day - early morning - beautiful setting

We decided to go for a drive today and explore the areas around the Tip - heading for Somerset Beach, Flying Point and Five Beaches.

Somerset Beach

There is a camp-ground here but no facilities at all.  Used mainly by boaties.  Somerset was the earliest permanent white settlement on the Cape York peninsular and for a long time it was the only one existing. In the early days it was very dangerous area due to the Kaurarega headhunters & other tribes who attacked shipwrecks etc in the area.  In 1860 after much loss of life it was decided to set up a police magistrate with military support in the area and John Jardine was appointed and arriving by sea he set up home at Somerset Hill.  His son, Frank herded the first cattle up to Cape York and set up the first cattle station.  This was a major cattle drive as there were no roads or tracks.  Frank stayed on after his father retired and eventually accepted the position of police magistrate.  He later married a Samoan princess and moved briefly to Thursday Island.  In 1877 when the administration of Cape York was transferred to Thursday Island, Frank bought Somerset and he and his wife Sana moved back there for the remainder of their lives.  Their house was maintained by their children but after the war it was burned to the ground but the canons can still be seen together with the garden that Sana cultivated. See photo further below...

Memorial to some of those who died before the police magistrate was appointed

Somerset Beach looking across to Albany Island

Graveyard at Somerset Beach

An old-timer who was camping there pointed us in the direction of the old graveyard a few hundred metres away which we would not have found without his help.  There were only a few old graves but very interesting.

The canons pointing out to see with the remains of Sana's garden behind through the trees

Flying Point and Five Beaches to the south

Flying Point

On the way back to camp, we stopped at the Croc Tent to browse through the souvenirs & I treated myself to a couple of bangles made from sea-snake skin.  Made, I am told, from the sea-snakes that died after being caught up in fishing nets.

Not the real thing!

Back at Punsand Bay by lunch-time and  Tezza cooked a roast in the Webber for Sunday dinner! Yummy!

Tezza Cooking a Sunday Roast

Yummy Sunday Roast in the Webber