Daintree and Cape Tribulation

Leaving Cairns we found the drive towards Port Douglas just spectacular driving on the beachfront at times. This is a lookout looking back towards the road we have just travelled. Port Douglas was the first stop, a resort town with is very commercialised. We stopped at the waterfront park for morning tea and the girls really enjoyed the ship playground. They were the pirates that took over the ship. Our next stop was Mossman. I really liked the town of Mossman, not so commercialised and had all the necessary facilities.



Morning tea at Port Douglas

We did also manage to pass a couple of Haden vehicles. Darrin just had to get a photo of the grey vehicle, as all company vehicles have to be white, but it is amazing what some Queenslanders can get away with.

Mossman Gorge was beautiful, Darrin and the girls went for a swim in the icy cold water and we did the rainforest walk which we all found interesting. After lunch and a play back in town we drove onto Daintree to camp for a few nights.  The campground was on the Daintree river and was a fantastic place to spend a few days. The camp kitchen had so much character, we hung out there to first night around the fire talking to other campers. We took the boat out on the river and managed to find only one crocodile swimming along the water. This was our first wild crocodile siteing for the girls. Emma was the only one that managed to catch a fish she was most excited to catch a fish on her new rod. It was an archer fish and she thru it back.  



Daintree River Camp



Emmas Archer Fish







When we left Daintree we caught the vehicle ferry across the river to Cape Tribulation. It is beautiful driving through the rainforests, we did a few of the walks and the girls took their camera taking photos of the wild fruits, the different fungi and any unusual looking plants. It was interesting to find the Cassowary's favourite food, which was a blue fruit in the shape of an egg but much larger which they swallow whole as they have no teeth. We did get to see a Cassowary and its baby which was awesome. The best of all was that Kate had been reading a book the night before and in the book they had been making a boat and tied it together with vines, she asked me what vines were and it was great to be able to show her many different colours, shapes and sizes of vines. The monkey she is she even found one to climb. 

As we left Cape Tribulation we travelled the Bloomfield Track, which is no longer a track but a well maintained road. It was a drive through the rainforest which was quite a steep in places with a few shallow creek crossings thrown in. As we drove into bloomfield there were horses on the road which we stopped and gave a pat, then we had a look at Bloomfield falls and got to see a crocodile sunning on the rocks. Bloomfield is basically an Aboriginal Community and there were heaps of horses around the town, I think they were the local council workers that were there to keep the lawns maintained. That night we camped by a creek and the girls took there nets and caught some freshwater prawns they were yummy.

Horses at Bloomfield

Crocodile at Bloomfield Falls



Cooktown was our next stop, it was Sunday when we were there so most things were closed. But we caught up with our friends Marty and Sue from Canberra before going to the park to spend a few hours. There were some Captain Cook monuments, the girls especially liked he musical boat which had all sorts of musical instruments to play. Cooktown is quite a small old town, but absolutely gorgeous location on the water.

Our next stop is Cape York, so we headed to the Penninsula Development Road and AHHHH red dust, red dust and more red dust. We have now offically entered Cape York and are covered in red dust. One thing I love about the Cape is that even though you are travelling and covered in Red dust there is always a freshwater creek to swim and camp along. The weather is a lot hotter now, so swimmers are the daily attire for the Cape. 

Dusty Penninsula Development Road