Week 7 June 24th – 30th
With rain and grey cloudy skies still hanging around we had to move to recharge. We had been at Walkamin for 8 days. We travelled up to the Mareeba Country CP a little out of town across the mighty Barron River. A little claustrophobic. This was one of those van parks where people come up from the south for months of the year. Very friendly but to close.
With everything charged and Cairns holding us up for another week, we decided to take time out up in the Cooktown area. With cloud and misty rain on the way up we decided to have a powered site at the must do Lion’s Den Hotel. This would be our base for the next few days.
The sun came out on Friday and we were off to Cape Tribulation via the Bloomfield Track. “A little disappointed”. The Cook Shire Council were doing roadwork’s to upgrade the track to bitumen. So there is only about 40km of adventure left. A rutted red dirt track that winds through rainforest, fast flowing creek crossings that gladly are not deep and a landscape that is what you see in the brochures with pristine beaches.
We got to Cape Trib and it just blew us away. An open bay with rainforest hills stretching down to the waters edge and about 60 people. Tourists from nearby resorts, buses, cars and private tours from Port Douglas and beyond, just amazing. It was hard to take a photo without someone else in it.
On our return trip the Bloomfield River was the feature, coming right to the road edge, then concealing its shelf back into the forest, crystal clear water.
Friday night was date night and what better place to go than the Lion’s Den in Far North Qld. It was great, one of those night where you drink and eat and watch the locals.
Saturday we drove 30 km into Cooktown. What a great place, lots of history from a long time ago. Captain Cook, gold mining and of cause the people that built the town all very interesting. The museum is excellent and there are great views of the town and Endeavour River from the grassy hill lookout. We travelled back along the Mulligan Hwy and stopped in at Archer Point. John read Ron Moon’s book on Cape York and Ron was very impressed with this area and now we can see why. Archer point is what you would imagine a deserted tropical island to be, a small sandy beach with swaying palm trees and just a light breeze. There is good fishing here so it is a place we will be back to when we are in the tent.
Sunday we did a round trip to Lakefield NP (over 200km) Mulligan Hwy, Battle Camp Rd and the Peninsula Development Rd. And once again we hit gravel roads, creek crossings and some bitumen. We stopped in at Trevethan Falls, which was deep in the rainforest, with serious boulders at the bottom of the falls, beautiful clear water. We visited the old Laura Homestead, just amazing the strength and stamina that people have in such harsh country.
Travelling on we stopped at the Split Rock Art Gallery, climbing the track to the artwork was painful, breath taking and heart pumping but we made it and it really was worth the climb.
Monday has come and we are sad to be leaving our base camp at the Lion’s Den Hotel it has been great, friendly staff, good food and coffee and great atmosphere. We are heading back to our bush camp at Walkamin.
