Through Stretton Strait around the northern top of Elcho Island was quite a nice paddle!! Two small aboriginal communities are on the north end, and I paddled through a shallow reef abeam one of Gawa. It made worth the bit of detour. But then the long paddle along the wide bay on the northern side of Elcho Island was kind of boring again…just the outlook to meet some nice people and to have internet was making the day.

Waringa Point was the landmark to go first, and then around the corner there were beautiful cliffs again!

I spotted the catamaran anchoring in Galiwinku town bay, where I was supposed to meet Caspar and Youngy, a couple working on Elcho Island as a police officer and teacher. they were living on the boat, and have paddled already from Nhulunbuy to Broome. It would be nice to chat!

I was approaching the boat around 6pm, knocked on the door (hull), paddled around, knocked again, but nobody was home…what a pity!

I urgently had to fill up water, so I paddled up to the town beach where a bunch of Aboriginal kids were awaiting my arrival with some curiosity. I tried a chat, but not much English there…they simply were curious and stuck their nose into every hatch I opened to get my empty waterbags out. I rather closed everything soon again including the cockpit, as I had to leave the boat to ask for water. I was too shy or too polite to ask for pics…

The first house up the beach was full with Aboriginal people playing cards on the floors, and I was able to ask for and to get some fresh water. they asked a few questions about me, but eventually carried on playing cards without paying too much attention. I tried to ask them if they knew where the catamaran people were, but they didn’t know.

I paddled back to the catamaran, tempted to enter and simply to wait for the couple to be back, but what if the date was failing fully? I didn’t feel comfortable entering and maybe sleeping on someone else’s boat, so I left in very last light for the next beach out of town sight. Sorry for the missed date! I noticed later I had a phonen number on my sat-phone, but then I was already safe and sound in my tent and not ready for visits any more.

I put up my tent in darkness, quite a bit scared about crocs coming up…I actually heard a strange grumbly barking noise at night, do crocs bark???

I had internet access, checked e-mail and did some phone calls, but sorry, didn’t feel like updating my blog and fell asleep soon.

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

12.02 135.33 Galiwinku.  6:30 am to 6:00 pm, 60km.  Filled up water 

Note from Chris Cunningham: Two kayakers in Galiwinku, Kellie Logan and Youngy (I only have the one name), were awaiting Freya—with accommodations and white chocolate!— but Freya missed connecting with them. Many thanks for standing by!