Cairns - Cooktown (& a CROC experience!)

Rex's Lookout on Captain Cook Highway

We got up early on Thursday 21st so we could hit the highway again. I was still feeling dreadful after the snorkelling experience, and did not enjoy the roundabout experiences leaving Cairns. The Captain Cook Highway north of Cairns is just amazing. The views cheered me up immensely and we took several photo opportunities.

Took the detour into Port Douglas and had morning tea on the waterfront, where the boys climbed right up into some huge trees. We tried to  drive away, but they saw us so we still have them!

Waterfront view at Port Douglas

We visited Mossman Gorge, part of the Daintree and walked in as the road was not suitable for caravans. Lucky we did, as we saw our 3rd cassowary!

The kids were enjoying the sugar cane harvesting as we drove on. We saw several crops being harvested. The bus driver yesterday told us it costs $7000 per day to harvest the cane. Contractors cut up to 60 tonnes a day, and the mill processes 60 000 tonnes per week. Ella asked "What do the sugar cane farmers do when they've planted the cane? Do they just put their feet up?"

Lunch stop at Newell Beach

The kids were very excited to reach the Daintree River Ferry. They spent the short trip glued to the windows trying to spot a croc!

We were all excited to finally reach our camping spot at Cape Tribulation in the Daintree National Park - another keenly anticipated highlight of the trip! We set up right on the waterfront and were almost able to see where the Endeavour struck the reef in 1770. The kids were thrilled to have a game of soccer with some other kids in the dark, using glowsticks as goals!

Peppermint Stick Insect

Next morning, we walked the Dubuji (place of spirits) through amazing fan palms. We told the kids we would buy them an icecream if they could spot some interesting wildlife, so it was a slow and thoroughly inspected walk! We found a large, green stick insect in a pandanus which we discovered was a fairly rare Peppermint Stick Insect when we visited the Daintree Insect Museum an hour later! The museum is the work of Stephen Lomond, who has discovered three new species in the area. Marcus was particularly interested in the Cairns and Richmond Birdwing displays, as he has studied them at school. As we were leaving, the lady pointed out a Big Greasy Butterfly, and was mystified when we all started laughing. Angus, you've obviously had something to do with that nomenclature!

We finally got to the icecream factory for the promised icecreams which were made from local cream and tropical fruit. The icecreams were divine and the location even better!

Back in camp, the kids found a huge rope swing on the beach so spent the rest of the afternoon playing there. Lachlan wanted to fish, so he went to the beach to wet his line. No luck with the fish, but he found 3 new friends in Tony, Charlie and Geoff who looked after him and said he reminded them of their grandsons!

Lachlan and his fishing friends

Lachlan was keen on more fishing the next morning, so he went out with guys at low tide and walked out past the reef. Dave went out too after a while, which he regretted as he fell into the coral on the way back and grazed his leg badly on both sides. Soon everyone in camp were checking in to see the guy who was mauled by the croc!

Not long after that the call went round camp that there were 4 whales just off the beach, so we went out to see them. You couldn't see much - a few waterspouts and fins, but it was cool!

Meantime, Lachlan had gone fishing again. I couldn't see him on the beach and I realised that he had probably gone down to the river. I was a bit worried about crocs, and although he was with Tony I went to ask at the office how safe it was. Apparently there are 3 crocs who live on the riverbank in the mangroves. Dave was laid up unable to move, so I bolted down to the mangroves to try to find Lachlan. As I slid down a mudbank towards the river, I realised that I was probably sliding down a croc slide. My heart was thumping when I finally found him, just in time to see him catch a Blackspot Snapper. I mentioned the crocodile situation with admirable restraint, since one of the guys was knee deep in the water. Lachie's eyes were like saucers as I explained how a croc could appear out of the water to grab something (or someone!) at the water's edge. Lachie said "Geez, I might not even have time to reel in!" We just turned to leave when the croc swam by ... about 3 metres from where we were standing!! He was about 4 metres long and cruised by, before swimming over to the other side.

After all that excitement, we were glad to light a fire on the beach and sat with another family chatting and playing some music. I am sure my adrenalin levels were still insanely high, despite the incredibly relaxed evening!

Slow down or else!

We packed up next morning for the long trip - not distance wise, but spirits wise - to Cooktown. The long trek through the harsh savannah was a bit demoralising after the lush rainforest and pristine beaches. Also depressing was the frozen bread we bought for lunch in Mt Molloy. Frozen peanut butter sandwiches in the hot sun by the side of the road was not a food highlight! Thank goodness for Old Crow Medicine Show on the iPod - their upbeat music got us to Cooktown. We checked in to the van park and the lady in charge reminded me of what "Gone Troppo" really means! A few roos in the top paddock, let me tell you. After giving us a site, she then decided to shift us on to another, all the while berating us for not being here last night (we only booked today!), telling us all about the other Church who had checked in and describing every piece of her many layers of night attire.

Lachie had a nasty tumble out of the caravan and hit his head just as we were about to head into town for a look around. It was hard to tell if he had a head injury, or was just critically exhausted, so we had a worrying few hours!

There were squadrons of mossies - more than we've ever seen before. None on the waterfront though, where we had some hot chips while we watched the sunset and talked to some fishermen for some more tips. Got back to camp and had an early night!

Lighthouse on Grassy Hill

We continued our James Cook trail today visiting the James Cook Museum, which contains one of the jettisoned cannons and the anchor from the Endeavour. Ella discovered a children's novel about Pandora's cat which she just had to have! We spent ages there poring over the artefacts and stories surrounding the holing of the Endeavour on the reef at Cape Tribulation and their subsequent journey here up into the Endeavour River to patch the ship. We drove up to Grassy Hill for lunch, where the wind was strong enough to  blow a dog off the chain, and did blow the top pieces of our sandwiches away! The view up there was absolutely gorgeous. The lighthouse there was built in England and shipped over to Cooktown, a fact which bemused the kids. We took a quick detour to Finch Bay on the way back down to the jetty for the promised fishing excursion.

Yesterday was 4 weeks since we left home. We were all tired and scratchy, and for twenty cents I would have packed up and gone home last night. Fortunately today is another day and I am writing by the waterfront about 20 metres from where Captain Cook beached the holed Endeavour, the sun low on the horizon, the boys are fishing (with Tony, Charlie and Geoff, who are also here), Ella is here next to me reading "Pandora's Cat" and we have a bag of fresh prawns for dinner. Life is good!

Fishing on the jetty at Cooktown



A pause in our wandering along the waterfront


Although Cooktown is fantastic and we could all happily stay longer, tomorrow we plan to head Westward Ho!

Stay tuned ...