Cairns to Cooktown

An incredibly long day,we were collected just after 7.00 and arrived home again about 10.30 pm, but it is a great trip. We traveled in a 4wheel drive bus up the coast to Cooktown and returned via the inland route, stopping at various sites along the way. The trip travels over the Daintree River via the vehicle ferry and into the magnificent Daintree rainforest. Here we stopped in a beautiful resort for morning tea before continuing on to Cape Tribulation and the Bloomfield track, a 4 wheel drive only track that continues towards Cooktown. Residents stopped plans tp develop the area in the 80's and wouldn't allow the road to be built through past Cape Tribulation, but the council did manage to push through the unmade section which is now the Bloomfield Track, it is maintained to a degree and some of the steeper and more dangerous  sections have been sealed, but it is still only open to 4WD vehicles, and when particularly wet or slippery, or the creeks very high, it is closed to all traffic.

 Lynn was thrilled to be fording rivers,( well small creeks at this time of year) and to be bounced over the rough dirt track with the driver using 4 wheel drive on a number of occasions on the particularly steep inclines. But to all those serious 4 wheel drivers out there, it's really just a piece of cake.

 There were some spectacular views of the coast line and it is a lovely part of the world. We were passed by many vehicles traveling back after the long journey up to the tip of Cape York - now that really is a 4 wheel drive trip!

 Lunch was at the iconic Lions Den Hotel, a typical Aussie outback pub where the walls are covered in traveler's signature and "memorabilia" covers the walls, shelves and ceilings. There is so much "junk" that you could spend days checking it all out.

 Then it was on to Cooktown, where James Cook was able to beach the Endeavour for repairs after they had hit the reef near Cape Tribulation. We went up to the lighthouse on Grassy Hill where you receive a magnificent view out over the reef and the Endeavour River and Cooktown itself.