Our night in Port Douglas was bitter sweet – we knew the Port Douglas Motel, although modest, would be the nicest accommodation we’d stay in for a while. So it’s always with a little bit of trepidation that you check out and head off to your next destination. It was a swift up and out as we had a tour to make. We ate breakfast, packed the car, made one last visit to Coles and the servo and we were on the road.
Not far up the road, at the Daintree River crossing, we met our Solar Whispers Tour. For an hour we cruised along the river spotting tree snakes, birds, enormous crocodiles and fish. It was a great way to get off the road and up close to some wildlife.
From there we made the short drive to Cape Tribulation and set up camp – the first night back in the tent! We stayed at Cape Trib Camping – advertised as beachfront camping – we even had our own track through the trees to the beach.
Once we’d set up we made the short drive into the ‘centre’ of town, we had a walk on ‘the’ Cape Tribulation beach and took a short drive along the beginning of the Bloomfield Track. It was a lot rougher than we’d expected. Our main concern was our camper – it has let us down before (on The Gibb River Road) and we’re keen to avoid any more mishaps – especially on day 1!!
The campground had an awesome camp kitchen to cook our first meal and chat to fellow travelers. We were keen to chat with anyone heading south, specifically someone that had driven the Bloomfield Track. Not being very adventurous or experienced 4WD drivers and with our camper in mind we were keen for some tips or advice. We picked the wrong person to talk to – he almost had me packing up and leaving that night. He used words like ‘not for the feint hearted’ and steep drop offs and steep climbs (which we already knew about). I hardly slept all night worrying about driving the track – with the camper and the girls. I needn’t have worried AT ALL!! It was so fine, it really didn’t warrant a thought.
The 30 kms of Bloomfield Track – only created in the 1980’s (to many protests and blockades) was more than a track. The Bloomfield is a dirt road with many (I think we counted 6) small river crossings and beautiful views, mostly of stunning rainforest and at times spectacular coastline. The steep climbs were in fact steep but not a worry for the car in low range. We took it slow and the camper stood up to it all. It was a fantastic track and one of the highlights were the pair of cassawary’s we saw wandering in the middle of the track – as we approached they split and went into the bushes on either side of the road. We drove on a short way and I jumped out of the car and as predicted one of the cassawary’s crossed the road to meet up with it’s mate – I was there to snap away as it crossed – even forgetting myself for a minute and moving a little too close!
Our arrival into Wujal Wujal and the sealed road marked the end of the Bloomfield Track. We headed further north through Bloomfield, Bonnie Glen, Lorna Doone and Rossville to The Lions Den – an iconic outback pub. We set up camp and headed straight for the creek running behind the campground – we’d been assured by various sources it was croc free and we wasted no time getting in to cool down – our first fresh water swim – aaahhhhh!
Being Sunday night there was live music at the pub – after our dinner we sat in the bar for a drink and listened to the music. We even used the Telstra phone box out the front to make a few free calls home – no reception here!
After not much sleep due to some huge winds in the night we set off for Cooktown. Cooktown was a really interesting town – so much history. A relatively small town but jam packed with history and many many stories. Our first stop was the Cooktown History Centre. An excellent centre with a wealth of information run by volunteers – the volunteer on when we visited was excellent. Originally a Melbournian (from Deepdene) he was so passionate about Cooktown, making a little itinerary of must sees for the time we had.
We visisted Grassy Hill lookout, which gave us a spectacular view of the township, the Endevour River and the Coral Sea. The lighthouse at the lookout and the Captain Cook information was very moving. Apart from the township I suspect the landscape and water line haven’t changed all that much since Captain Cook ran aground here in 1770 – knowing it hasn’t changed much gives you a better sense of the incident and what they must have been faced with. We also visited Reconciliation Rocks, where it is believed the first act of reconciliation occurred between indigenous Australians and Europeans - Capitan Cook and the locals put down their weapons in an act of truce. From here we visited the Botanic Gardens, reported to be amoungst the oldest in Australia and Finch Bay.
From here we made our way back to Lions Den, via a quick stop to look at the amazing Black Mountains.
This first leg of the trip has been amazing – an adventurous drive through the rainforest and a history lesson in Cooktown. The next part of the journey looms large – the trip up the peninsula to the tip – the very reason we’re here. Exciting that it’s finally here!
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