At each creek crossing we had to get out and survey the best possible route and check water depth and for large holes under the water. So you would have to walk where one tyre would run on the way over and then walk back where the other wheel would cross on the way back.
Cannibal Creek was pretty washed out after recent rains.
The crossing below over the logs was a bit of a challenge as we couldn't line straight up with them due to the tight right turn onto them without taking off the trailer first and parking the Jeep on them while the trailer was re-attached when aligned with them as well. You wouldn't want to fall off them as it was nearly 2 metres down to the water and that looked a metre deep as well. The track between the creeks was often underwater and sometimes as deep as well.
Cypress creek needed good wheel placement and the track was 1 1/2' deep for long stretches.
One of the banks looked so steep that I got out the winch as I was sure I wasn't going to get up but prepared it with collecting logs and branches to put at the bottom of the vertical climb and cutting the top of the bank off with a shovel and throwing this over the logs. The only problem was that when collecting the wood I was bitten by a poisonous Whip snake that lashed out at my foot and I only had reefs on at the time. I could see a mark on my big toe and unsure if the venom had gone in started to worry how to get out of there as we were nowhere near anything or anyone. I started to break out into a sweat but couldn't turn the car around and still had the high bank to climb to go forward. You are supposed to sit still and strap the limb but it was not an option as the rain had started to come down again and I knew the rivers would come up higher stranding us between them. Working quickly we finished preparing the bank and I took a charge at it and amazed myself by getting up it.
Nolan's ck. was up to the windscreen and had the trailer floating!
With my heart rate still high from the snake encounter we faced what ended up being the deepest crossing for the trip. It was very deceiving as it didn't look deep because the deepest part was on the sand and so was lighter in color. Fortunately my wife crossed over on foot first and we were shocked to see it up to her chest. So we put the blind on the front and using the different intake hose we dived in. It came up to the windscreen and some water came in through the open front window! A friend of mine in his snorkel equipped diesel XJ found another XJ that had not been so lucky and vented the block by swallowing water about 18 months later!
Glad there was a punt across the Jardine river as there was no other way across.
After seeing no one for days it was a relief to find someone operating the punt across the Jardine river as at this time of year it is impossible to cross without it. Many try during the dry season but most don't make it across as huge holes were blown in the river bed by the punt operators to stop them from doing it. The fears from the snake bite had lessoned now as I had started to improve so pushed on to the top. Not long after getting off the punt it started to rain incredibly hard and small waves were coming down the track towards us which I had never experience before.