The top of Queensland (at least for us)!

We continued on our journey north from Cairns towards Cooktown. The big question we were asked when telling other travelers was; are you going the inland route, or the coastal route? The inland route has nice, new, smooth double lane roads all the way. The coastal route (while scenic), includes the notorious Bloomfield track connecting Cape Tribulation to Cooktown. This is 4 wheel drive only territory. Even though this section of the route was relatively short,  it didn't take long to work out which route we were taking!

The drive to Cooktown took us back over the great dividing range through Mareeba . We stopped at the markets to have some lunch and while ordering our sugar cane juice were approached by a well known independent politician dressed of course in jeans and an akubra (we assume this is his electoral area)? Despite him calling me rich (because i mentioned that we were from Sydney  and were traveling for 6 months) the conversation was pleasant enough. I was however, interested to see many locals approaching him , taking photos with him and wanting to engage in conversation. Maybe it's just me (and my lack of interest in politics), but i found that odd! A quick visit to coffee works and then back on the road.

The drive from there to Cooktown was a lot of nothing! It made us realise (probably for the first time this trip), how remote some of Australia is. Given Cooktown is not really that remote, we are in for a steep learning curve!

Cooktown itself today is a very small town , that is mainly on the map because of its rich history, fishing reputation and tourism. A few shops and restaurants ,several pubs (!!), two  hotels and caravan parks and a proud history museum  is all that is left of the once grand/prosperous mining town that it was in the 1800's.  A huge effort has been made to preserve the history of the area and we enjoyed a day wandering through town learning about the area as we went. 

We also learned first- hand about the trade winds. They supposedly arrived two days before we did and are there to stay until September. While they didn't impact our stay significantly, we met a couple whose dream of doing a world record jet ski ride was shattered by these winds. They had planned to circumnavigate oz and in doing so would have smashed the record for the longest continuous jet ski journey. Instead however, they told us that they would take the skis up to the Cape and launch again from up there (which is more protected from the south -easterly trade winds). This means that they will not get the record, but will instead make adventure documentaries.

Three days later we headed back down the same road, past Mt Molloy (again) and onto our next stop, The Daintree. We had decided on a little beach (Newell Beach) just north of Mossman and south of the Daintree for a few reasons. It seemed like it would be a good base for exploring those two areas (Mossman and the Daintree) , we had never heard of it  (hence probably not overly touristy) and the reviews for the caravan park were great. We were right about two of the three. It is a great little area, but the park itself is very run down and has basic facilities. Luckily, this was one stop where we had planned to be out more than in! We had decided on two must-do outings, Mossman Gorge and a Daintree river cruise.

Swimming at Beautiful Mossman Gorge

For the Daintree River we chose a company called Solar Whisper. As the name suggests, they run the boat on solar power and therefore very quiet and can get up close and personal with the wildlife...eek!! The cruise ended up being relatively uneventful. We saw a few little crocs and a "teenage" male called Yoyo, but no big ones. Probably a good thing, given we will be in big croc country for another month or so (wouldn't want the kids getting too scared or worse still getting complacent). Like all tours, the guides provide so much information re the area and ecosystem. I didn't realise that Queensland's croc population is actually quite small (relative to the NT). Maybe we should stay in the Sunshine state!

Next, the big drive west. Starting on the bitumen sections of the Savannah way to Karumba. We will take three nights to get there, but not entirely sure what those stops will be. We know we will do the Undara Experience on the middle night, but other than that we are open to ideas!

We will be using the Savannah way as a guide (pending roads conditions).

www.savannahway.com.au

Up until now we have been in what we would consider to be known territory (the east coast). I thought therefore, it would be good to document the top five "luxury" items that i couldn't go without up until this point.

(1) Coffee machine (unless you like instant, it really is essential)

(2) Chocolate

(3) Dyson vacuum

(4) Laptop and WIFI

(5) Running shoes and clothes

Interesting to see if my list changes throughout the journey! 

Next stop, outback Australia (somewhere)!

Stop #12 - Newell Beach

We move on from Cooktown back down to Newell Beach, with a view to exploring Cape Tribulation and the Daintree.

We check into the Newell Caravan Park, a small run down caravan park, which looks like a double block that had been converted into a caravan park.  There is an old toilet block that services the whole caravan park, which has a capacity of around 50 sites. 

Our site backs onto cane fields, under a tree popular with Rainbow Lorikeets, who sit atop the tree cracking nuts from the tree all day.  Great, tree foliage and bird poo to clean up post our stay.

We head into Mossman to do some shopping after we set up, and I cook mud crabs and a Trevally for dinner. 

The kids and Jackie don't like the crabs, possibly because I under cook it (boiling in salt water for 12 minutes and letting it continue to cook outside the pot), so I assure them I will cook it differently the following night.  I don't mind the crab, but agree my cooking did not do it justice.  The fish is cooked well in the Thermomix, marinated in garlic, ginger, soy, brown sugar and peanut sauce.

We head off to Mossman Gorge the next day, after completing some school work.  I'd taken over the maths component, whilst Jackie took on the English.  Wasn't a good idea on my behalf, as maths involved measurements and capacity, something that required us to scrounge the recycling bins for suitable containers to complete our tests and experiments.

Mossman Gorge was only 15 minutes from where we were staying, we opt to walk the ~2klm from the car park to the gorge, instead of taking the shuttle bus.  This would be our exercise for the day.

Reaching the start of the boardwalk, we see signs warning of Cassawarys, which puts the kids (especially with Grace and her bird phobia) on high alert.  I'd primed them previously about the dangers of Cassawarys and their sharp claws, which have the ability to tear open their target's stomach.  The kids make as much noise as they can, to ward off the Cassawary, not something Emma had a problem with and normally does naturally.

We reach the gorge itself after a few minutes of walking, and despite passers by claiming the water was freezing, we all jump into the water.  It was very fresh, however once you were in for a while, the dip was very refreshing.  I could have stayed in there for a while.

The water was clear, with a lot of submerged boulders, very dangerous for those that choose to dive into the water.  The waters are filled with Jungle Perch, and the kids also spot a number of catfish.  I wondered whether you could fish the gorge, but given it was a popular tourist attraction, the idea of reeling in fish from such a pristine environment was not appealing.

The walk back to the car was arduous with the kids complaining most of the way, I divert attention by racing the kids back to the car.  This works for half of the way, and I end up carrying Emma for the other half.

On our second day, we head out to the Daintree to go on a cruise, hoping to spot some of the Daintree's notoriously big crocodiles.  We book in at the Eco Tours charter, luckily we did, as the 2:15 session we wanted was booked out upon our arrival.  We wanted the afternoon session, as it coincided with low tide, the most likely time to spot a crocodile sunning itself on the banks, perhaps others knew of this.

The makeshift checkin hut has a big crocodile out the front, providing hope to prospective clients.  We checkin via the friendly receptionist, who offers us another free cruise at 3:15 if we do not spot any crocodiles - not a good sign, but a friendly gesture.  We enjoy biscuits and Daintree tee, whilst waiting for the rest of our tour to arrive.

The boat that Eco Tours uses is fully powered by batteries that are charged by solar panels atop the boat.  The capacity is ~30 people, at ~$20 per head, it's not a bad little venture.  There is an LCD screen at the back of the boat, which the operator/owner projects his video camera on, zooming into his target for those that are not able to personally spot themselves.

We slowly meander up the Daintree, whilst the guide imparts his knowledge of the Daintree river, area and wildlife.  We spot a baby crocodile on the side of a bank, and numerous kingfishers.  

A python wrapped around branches of a tree is pointed out, something only a trained eye would have been able to find let alone see it after Dave reflects light onto it via a mirror.  Some Tawny Owls are also spotted, with another baby crocodile sighted.  

Things were not looking great for while, hopes of spotting to the big crocodile fading along with the light.  We venture outside the normal perimeter of the tour boundaries, and eventually spot a medium sized crocodile called "yoyo", named for his constant going bobbing up and down the water. 

This satisfies most of the Chinese tourists onboard, and we head back to the pontoon.  Jackie and I had seen larger wild crocodiles before, when we fished the Daly river over 10 years ago, so I was not overly excited about the crocodiles spotted.  

I'd like to go on another cruise of hire a boat in the NT, so see if we can spot some larger models.  I'm not sure if we'll be able to convince Emma to go on another cruise, her fear of cruises and crocodiles may prevent any such forays.

Stop #11 - Cooktown by Daddy

Cooktown was one of the destinations we were not sure about, tossing up whether the long drive up and down would be worthwhile.

After deliberating, and given that we are not likely to come up this part of QLD for a long time, we decide to head up there for 3 nights.  

We book a site at the Big 4 caravan, based on recommendations by fellow travellers.  The kids were not particularly impressed with the caravan park, as they have become accustomed to all the comforts a Big 4 provides such as Water Parks, Putt Putt golf, Jumping Pillows etc.  This caravan park had a small pool, modest Camp Kitchen and Unisex toilet/showers.  From looking around at what's in Cooktown, we may have found the best from a bad bunch; or we were just expecting too much from a caravan park near the top of Australia.

Much of our time in Cooktown was spent sightseeing and finding out the history of the town.  The main street of Cooktown is strewn with statues, monuments and plaques educating tourists of the rich past of the town.  At it's peak, it was a thriving town funded by the goldrush from the nearby Palmer River.  

Like most boom towns, it went bust when the gold ran out and further acts of god crippled the struggling town.  Today, the town is built on tourism and a fishing/prawning industry.

  

We strolled through the historical path in the centre of town. 

Catching up with Uncle

The Chinese are recognised for their contribution to developing Cooktown

 After we learn about the history of Cooktown, we head up to the grassy hill where Cook surveyed the headlands and tried to map a path out to sea, after his crew had finished repairing the Endeavour.  

Cooktown is reknowned for being one of the windiest towns in Australia, especially once the trade winds kick in; we certainly bore the brunt of the winds and it was blowing a gale the whole time we were in the town. 

After the grassy hill, we head to the Botanic gardens and check out Finch Bay, Jackie wary of the crocodiles that may lurk in the creeks.

One morning we (great suggestion by dad) ride to the local bakery, moments after we leave the caravan park it buckets down and the kids are soaked.  They do well to ride through the deluge and we scurry into the bakery like drowned rats.  

The big breakfast warmed their bellies and they soon forgot about the rain.

We also visit the Cook Museum, reading more about Captain Cook's trials and tribulations, his observations and journal entries.  On display is the Endeavour's anchor and cannon which was retrieved from the sea in 1971. The museum also showcases the Chinese and Indigenous influences, as well as the Catholic church's role in early Cooktown.

A note of interest and comfort to me was Cook's journal entry stating that his men struggled to find ways to catch fish, even though they could see significant surface activity.  At the least, I can be comforted in knowing that the Cookmeister and his men struggled to catch fish, next time I have a hard day at the office.

  

After doing some research on Cooktown, I discover that a few klms south of Cooktown is Archer Point, where the Barrier Reef comes close to the shore and there can be good fish caught from the shore and rockwalls; unfortunately due to the crocodiles and stingers, you can't swim there and with the gale, fishing was not likely.  We decide to head to Archer point anyway, as the views and scenery are meant to be spectacular.

On the last afternoon at Cooktown, I bite the bullet and decide to go on a fishing charter.  With the wind howling, fishing on the reef was not an option, however there would be sections in the Endeavour river that would be fishable.

Upon arriving at the boat ramp, I am pleased to hear that I am the sole person on the charter, meaning I essentially have a personal fishing guide for the afternoon; not bad for $130.

 We struggle to get some bait.  After searching a few areas, we finally have enough bait to start fishing.

First stop is at the mouth of the river, where we try to catch some yellow mouthed Trevally.  After an hour or so, no luck and we move on.

Back up river, we anchor sideways to the current adjacent to fallen trees.  There are snags below us.  We throw out a rod each, with live Herring attached to the end of our lines.  It is a while until we start getting touches on our line.  The bites are not the strong thump and runs that I expect or am told we'd get from Fingermark or Mangrove Jack, rather little taps on the line.

I manage to hook a plethora of small fish, including cod, frog fish, and a couple of undersized Mangrove Jack.  I hook onto something that feels big, it finds it's way into the snags and I am stuck.  I can still feel the fish on the line, and it still manages to pull line, despite being stuck in the snags.  The guide (Tom) calls it for either an eel or a big cod.  I maintain pressure on the fish, hoping the snag will break or the fish will swim out.  No such luck.  After a few minutes, I hand the rod over to Tom who forces the fish free after breaking the snag.  As he brings the fish up, we see an eel attached to the end of the line; Tom was right.

We stay at the spot for a while longer, I finally catch a keeper Mangrove Jack, and Tom catches a Trevally.

On our way to the next spot, we check the crab pots that Tom put out earlier.  There are lots of crabs in the pots, but only two legal sized male keepers.  One of the pots has it's bait taken, Tom suspects a crocodile has been in the pot.  We re-bait the pot, throw them back in and move onto our next fishing spot.

At the next fishing spot Tom catches a Trevally, I land a Tarpon, undersized Fingermark and other smaller fish.  The big fish eludes us.

Time gets the better of us, and we head back to the boat ramp.  On the way back we check the crab pots one more time.  On the last one, we see that the crab pot has been moved out to the channel, from it's original position in the creek.  Tom notes the changes in position, and calls it for a croc getting into the pot.  We lift the crab pot up, and it has been torn apart, we manage to scoop up an escaping crab, which turns out to be a keeper male; Three crabs for dinner.  Tom does some repair work on the crab pot, we re-bait it with fresh fish carcass and drive back to the creek.  As we approach the creek, Tom points to the entrance and exclaims "There he is", I pivot and see two eyes looking directly at us, and then it slowly sinking into the murky water.  

We continue our path towards the crocodile, and Tom points to his side scan sounder, "here he is".  I look at 

the side scanner and can see a distinct crocodile shape on the sounder, it had lowered itself under the boat to avoid detection.  

Tom estimated the croc to be between 3-4 metres.  We place the crab pot in a different location, and head back to the boat ramp.

Although we did not catch an monster fish, I certainly took home a good feed of fish, and had a great time on the local river with a fantastic fishing guide.  I'll have to wait longer for the big fish.

  

Cooktown was a great little stop, one we're glad we made, and well worth the extra time to drive up and down the coast.