Kowie weather - Dry Season

One of the questions people usually ask is 'how is the weather?'  As Kowanyama is located in Far North Qld, on the western side of Cape York, we experience only 2 seasons - Wet and Dry.  At the moment we are coming to the tale end of dry season.  I will describe the weather I have experienced since landing in Kowie.

Picture this - you wake in the morning to sunrise around 6.30am, the weather is mildly cool or 'fresh', you look outside to endless blue sky's, with just a sprinkling of clouds across the horizon.  Coming from Brisbane, to begin with you sometimes wonder if with the clouds there might be a spot of rain, however after a couple of weeks you start to realise there is a reason it is called the dry season, dah - no rain!!  The days warm up and by lunch time the tempreture ranges from the late twenties to early thirties.  There is no humidity - or very little.  At 3pm when we head home it is the hottest part of the day, thankfully it is only a quick walk across the street to home.  It finally starts to cool down at 5/5.30, this is when we take Cooper and Bronx out for a run.  The sun doesn't start to set until about 6.45, so there is more then enough time to enjoy the cool of the evening.

Watching the evening news we feel sorry for the poor Brisbanites experiencing more rain and another cold snap - unlucky!!

The landscape is very dusty and brown - but not dead, it only takes a sprinkling of water for the lawn to come back to life.  The locals also do a lot of burning off to prepare for the wet season and if the council doesnt' get to a patch in time, one of the helpful local kids will happily take a match and do it for them!  Thankfully that hasn't happened this year. 

Burning off at the end of our street

A burnt section of land on the way to Shelfo

In the last couple of weeks it has started to warm up and the humidity is starting to kick in.  The storms should start rolling in around October, so our beautiful weather will soon be replaced with daily storms and close to 100% humidity.

Crabs, Cod and Barra

When Pats spoke to the last acting Principle, we were led to believe that there were crabs and barra galore - you know almost to the point that they would be jumping into the boat, well the barra anyway! This wasn't quite the case, but if you know where to fish and drop the pots in you can definitely get a good fresh seafood feed.

Here are the catches we have made since landing in Kowie.  Oh, and when I say we, I actually mean Pats!!

Our first fishing expedition was the second weekend I was here.  We headed down to the South Mitchell River with a couple of the other teachers.  Launching the boat was not the funnest of activities - especially when you are as paranoid as I am about crocs - I was not taking any chances!

First came the Barra. 

Then the Travalley.

We didn't have anymore success that day.  Although we did see three crocs sunning themselves on the bank, unfortunately I couldn't get a photo of them, as soon as they hear the boat coming they slip back into the water, one was about 4m and the other two were about 3m.  It was good to see my paranoia was not unfounded! 

We haven't been out on the boat since, that fishing trip also proved what Patrick had been thinking since he got here - our boat is to big for up here.  As there are no boat ramps, you just have to launch from the bank and the boat is to heavy and just sinks into the muddy bank and it turns into a mission to pull it out.

A couple of times at Shelfo Patrick has thrown a line in from the bank, but with no luck.  There is a great fishing spot a couple of km's down from where we swim, called The Junction.  To get to the best spot for fishing you have to walk through thigh deep water a couple of times.  The catch 22 is that unfortunately there is also a big salty that calls that part of the water home!  A couple of the teachers have fished there a few times and caught up to 8 Barra - so if you are willing to play Russian Roullete with the croc, it is 'the spot' to fish.  I don't think I will ever be game and Pats hasn't quite worked up the guts just yet.

On Friday arvo Pats decided to drop the crab pots into a spot he found on the way to Topsy.  After putting all the pots in, he checked the first couple and was pleasantly surprised.......

He had these 2 in one pot.....



And this badboy in another!  Not to bad for an arvo's work.

He put these pots back in and left them all in over night.  The next morning after an early breakie we went and checked the pots.  Unfortunately, all the bait was gone and no crabs.  But we did have a nice surprise in one of the pots.....

A good sized Cod.

So this morning after taking the dogs out to Shelfo for a walk and a swim, we made fresh home made fish and chips.  What a great way to end the weekend!!



Shelfo - My favourite place

Yesterday was a big a day.  It started with an early morning bike ride with a couple of the other teachers - originally we were going to ride down the Cairns Rd to the Doggit but then decided on a more scenic route, Poison Track (this is what the locals call it - not 100% why, but something to do with it being haunted or something along those lines).

This track during the wet season is pretty much a swamp plain.  Parts of it off the track are still slightly swampy.  This is where a lot of the wild brumbies like to hang out and graze.  There was a few that morning, but unfortunately they are quite camera shy and our little camera can't zoom in enough to get a good shot.  We definitely have to invest in a better camera soon.

Further along the track we came to Gooseberry Creek, although to me it looks more like a river and this is pretty much the end of the dry season.  Imagine what it will be like in the wet season!

Trying to be a little arty with the scenery!! 

After the morning bike ride, we headed over to the school to move the old library to Kowanyama State Schools brand new library.  This was quite a big job - bigger then any of us was expecting, so we were there for quite a few hours. 

After a well deserved BBQ lunch a few of us decided to head out to Shelfo.

Shelfo is my favourite place in Kowie.  It is the only place to safely swim - or so we are told and I am willing to believe it because it is just so beautiful and refreshing and it is only a half hour drive from town.

Pats relaxing in 'The Spa'

Our croc spotters!

Lifeguard Bronx



Our shady 'Coolabah' tree