You might say that week 2 was the official start of our trek to the Cape, even though we’d already covered some 280km already. All parties had a arrived in Cairns and the excitement had built nicely for what lie ahead.
We chose to be on the road by 9am on Sunday morning but a few had to get last minutes supplies etc so we assembled a few kilometres north of cairns for a team photo before hitting the bitumen in a northerly direction. Our first stop was the tourist town of Port Douglas. Having read and heard so much about this place it was nice t finally see it for ourselves. The resorts line the road into town before finding a bustling commercial district and the Sunday market, which was in full swing. We spent the next hour or so checking out the local culture before heading north again. We passed through the town of Mossman where every farmer was hard at work harvesting the sugar cane. For us though we kept going to the Daintree River where a short ferry ride transported cars and people to the otherside. Continuing north we quickly found ourselves in the lust Daintree Rainforest as the road snaked its way up down and around the mountains. By late afternoon we’d arrived at Cape Tribulation which was as far northward as we’d be going on this particular road. After setting up camp, we took in the splendour of the tropical coastline before enjoying a relaxing swim in the pool and a night filled with fun and laughter.
Monday started very early for some us as a shower of rain caught many of us with gear left out overnight. By 9am we were back on the road again as we retraced our journey back to the Daintree River and the short ferry ride. Our goal for the day was to tackle the infamous Creb track which until recently had been closed due to the wet season making parts of the track impassable. Our first challenge was getting across the river, which we all managed to do safely. From that point onwards the track undulated up and down the sides of mountains, across creeks, through farmland and rainforest. At one point we passed an uncontrolled fire that was burning beside the track before we scaled the side of a mountain literally going straight up to a spectacular lookout and our lunch spot for the day. Continuing onwards we soon arrived at Roar meg Falls, which was to be our overnight camp spot but it didn’t look ‘that’ so after enjoying a swim in the nearby cascades we pushed on. Surprisingly, by late afternoon we’d completed the 70km Creb Track wondering why so much hype surrounded the track, it was certainly one of those times when expectation was far greater than reality. With the Creb completed we drove to the small town of Bloomfield where we were welcomed at a lovely bush camp property for the night.
Tuesday morning and we checked a few local sights around Bloomfield before heading out of town, Sam chose to drive as we headed to the next attraction. Lions Den is remote pub which offers some worldly character in the middle of nowhere. Everywhere you look memorabilia lines the walls of those who’ve stopped for a drink, including us. Pressing on it was only a short drive to Cooktown where we stopped for lunch and some local sightseeing. With Cooktown not offering too many attractions a few of our group decided to head north to the remote campsite of Elim Beach. We opted to stay in Cooktown looking at the sights in a little more detail. The Captain Cook museum offered a good insight to the years when Cook first landed in the area. With the kids wanting a swim and temp in the high twenties we checked into a local caravan park for the night.
Wednesday dawned very early due to the birdlife but we had a lazy start to the morning before heading towards Elim beach, we stopped at Endeavour Falls and had a look through the Aboriginal community of Hope Vale before arriving at the beach camp of Elim Beach where we re-united with the rest of our group. Elim beach is known for its coloured sands and postcard scenery. We spent the remainder of the morning lazing around the beach, trying our hand at fishing and mud crabbing while keeping an eye out for crocodiles that frequent the area. By mid-afternoon we headed out for some beach driving to Cape Bedford where we found a shipwreck and turtles swimming nearby. From one beach we ventured across to another beach where the coloured sands offered some amazing colours. We returned to camp in time to enjoy the spoils of another happy-hour and a relaxing evening in a beach setting.
Thursday morning and it was a little sad to the leave the picturesque Elim Beach but there was a lot more to see. After a short period of time were experiencing our first major dirt roads for the trip and it was pleasing to see them in good condition, and we were able to make good time along them. A few of us cooled off at Isabella Falls before another stop at Lake Emma and the old Laura Homestead, which was a stark reminder of yesteryear. As we’d made good time along the dirt roads we kept pushing on Kalpowar, which was to be our intended camping spot, but we’d arrived for a late lunch. Kalpowar was a picturesque camping spot with a deep-water river crossing on the Normanby River. We decided we’d camp somewhere along the river and after some misguided directions we finally found a remote campsite to spend the night. For the first time, as a group we enjoyed the spoils of a campfire and some liquid beverages.
Friday saw us doing a lot more dirt driving, some slow through single lane often unused tracks while at other times we were belting along on wide open dirt highways. We drove to the roadhouse at Musgrave where fuel and ice-creams were on the menu. Heading back out into the bush we came across a few tricky creek crossings before making it to Port Stewart where we enjoyed lunch by the water’s edge. Back on the dirt road we headed inland to the small weathered township of Coen on the development road. Comically as we turned onto the highway the local Police stopped us all for a random RBT, the funny part being we left the RBT and went straight to the local S-exchange Hotel for a beverage. With the temp nudging 32deg we opted for the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicles and the 65km we had to our night’s destination. By late afternoon we’d arrived at the Archer Roadhouse where we setup camp for the camp. Having had 2 days in the dusty outback the roadhouse showers felt so good. Our night culminated with us all enjoying the renowned Archer Burgers before retiring for an early night.
Saturday dawned early as the sniff of rain and a few drops had us packing up in record time. We left Archer Roadhouse at staggered times as it wasn’t long before we were back on the corrugated development road and we weren’t far down the road when the rain showers blew across, all be it briefly and not enough to settle the dust. The road to Weipa was a mixture of bitumen and corrugated dirt which for most of the time was achievable at 90+km/hr. By late morning we’d arrived in the mining town of Weipa, which is known for its mining and exporting of bauxite. We quickly checked into the one caravan park in town where we were given a spectacular vista from our campsite. As Weipa is one of the last chances to stock up on groceries we did a big shop at the local woollies before catching up on some washing and a relaxing by the pool. Our day ended with an happy-hour a spectacular sunset over the water. Its not very often you get to see a Queensland sunset over the water.
Week 2 and we’ve done almost 4000km and to date the cape hasn’t disappointed us. Next week we take on the demanding Old telegraph track.
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