Day 77 Thursday 23 September 2010 & Postscript

Road sign


Peppermint Stick Insect


Lace Monitor


Hi Folks from Cooktown.

We were awakened by the simultaneous alarms from 2 phones at 6 am after a latish after midnight night. Final preparations made we waited out the front and were promptly picked up by the OZ tours bus at 7:10. After 2 more stops the brigade of 17 people plus Ron and Anita our hosts hit the road to Cape Tribulation passing over the Daintree River.

At Cape Tribulation we had morning tea with a fairly large Lace Monitor wandering along the path. We then walked along the beach to the rain forest lookout over the sea along the way stopping to be enlightened about local plant, insect and animal life. We then ventured onto the Bloomfield Track the construction of which caused great controversy in 1981. The road cuts through the rainforest up and down the hills and through creek crossings.

We stopped for lunch at the deepest ford point at the Woobadda Creek. An interesting exercise watching the river crossing techniques of various drivers. Lunch completed we continued up the track.

The late night early morning caught up a bit and my head dropped to my chest a couple of times. After a stop to obseve a distant crocodile on the Bloomfield River, a delay for 30 minutes for bridgeworks and a visit to the Lion’s Den pub which was very unique we arrived in Cooktown.

We are accommodated in dome tents with mattresses. Tea was cooked in the camp oven and was followed by desert. The food was copious and of great flavour.

I think we will all be in bed early tonight since we have to be packed up ready to eat breakfast by 7am. No internet for a couple of days I think so that’s it for now. Oh apart from the fact we had sweeping the bus as our duty today. Tomorrow we are on the dishes!

Cheers Simon

……POSTSCRIPT

During the planning of this trip Simon had always said he wanted to visit Cape York “The Tip” as it known, now it is reality.

I have always experienced travel sickness, the only cure is to be the driver! Today had its fair share of oomy moments; curves and bends, sheer drops and general swaying about. There were a few hairy moments for other reasons….. passing a 4WD on the road into Cape Tribulation with only centimetres to spare, (I was gazing into the white eyes of the driver and children as we passed), and a father towing a camper with children on board driving so close behind us to raise comment from our driver Ron, who eventually passed us unsafely at an extreme speed for the road conditions. We joke at home about South Aussie drivers, but those with QLD on their plates are so much scarier.

Some really interesting plants particularly unusual was the “jade creeper” I am still researching it in Simons Plants of Cape York purchased at the Skyrail shop.

Meals so far have been superb chops, baked potatoes and “stir fry” camp oven vegies and apple pie for dinner YUM… The crew seem a good bunch with convivial chatter pre dinner and silence once served – always a positive sign of the meal.

Ohh and Dieter and Inge we did pass on your hellos to Ron and Anita _ ahhh such a small world….

Susan


Lace Monitor at Cape Tribulation


Dish Washers on the Bloomfield Track