Day 25: Cairns

We backtracked to Mossman for a look around and discovered we had a flat tyre. Although the Goodyear Tyre shop is not normally a tourist destination, there were quite a few tourists there today, and we were happy to get the puncture fixed and to be on our way. It’s funny that we have travelled over 5,000km over very rough and rugged roads, and we get a puncture in Port Douglas.

We travelled back to Cairns and set up camp. Alwyn (the local identity in the caravan park) told us they had 127 mm of rain yesterday, so we decided to just park the camper and head into town, then open it up later. We wandered around Cairns, had a nice lunch at the Banana Leaf – Helen had Prawn Laksa and Jim had Wonton Noodle Soup.  We were planning a trip to Green Island to swim and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, but there was a strong wind warning and rough seas, so we decided not to go - mainly because Jim gets seasick and being the shark magnet that he is - it seemed a hazardous combination.

The rain had really set in, so we headed back to the Caravan park, and set up the camper quickly and got a pizza for tea before spending the night in the camper – it was good to have an early night.

Day 24: The Bloomfield Track through the Daintree

Well it turns out that the Bloomfield track wasn’t dusty at all. They have had rain for a couple of days and it was muddy. Slippery, sticky mud. Brown and red mud. And big rocks and fast flowing creeks to cross. It was everything a 4WD adventurer could ask for. Actually, it was a lot of fun.

We left Lakeland and headed to Helenvale, where we stopped in at the Lion’s Den Hotel. It looked like a fun place and we wandered, but it was before 10.30 so a bit too early for a coldie, so we continued on our journey south. The first part of the Bloomfield track was slippery and muddy, but we enjoyed the drive through the rainforest.

We saw our first crocodile of the trip and it was in the Bloomfield River on the other side of the bank. We both agreed that this is the perfect place to see a crocodile! The Bloomfield causeway was washed away in the recent floods, but there is a temporary crossing in place and you are able to get across at low tide, so we timed our crossing well with only a short wait. The next part of the trip involved much rougher, rockier driving, finishing with a long, deep water crossing. Perfect!

We pulled into Cape Tribulation with mud dripping from every part of the car and trailer – it was a badge we wore proudly amongst the shiny rental cars. Just opening a door sprayed other cars with mud. The Daintree rainforest is spectacular and we enjoyed lunch in the forest, and several beach walks. We crossed the Daintree River (by ferry) and wandered through the Daintree Village – very beautiful.

We headed towards Port Douglas and at the very first car wash we decided it was time for the mud to go. I didn’t take long with a high pressure hose for the car to sparkle again, and we pulled into the caravan park at Port Douglas feeling shiny and new. Unfortunately, by washing the car it made it rain and we woke up in the middle of the night to the patter of raindrops on the roof, and had a scamper to bring everything inside the camper.

Day 23: Weipa to Lakeland

Last night we found the camp cane toad. I had been hearing the rustling in the bushes and panicked everytime and the boys went hunting and found the cane toad. Isn’t he cute?

Here is Owen and his dog Barker. Owen took Rick and Jim out fishing every day and became a great mate.

 I will miss the sunsets in Weipa – they were spectacular and different every night.

We departed Weipa and headed south, stopping for lunch at The Bends near Coen on the Coen River. It was a pretty spot and we could have camped here, but it was time to keep moving south. We stopped at Hann River roadhouse for an icream and met Darren who is a truckie who had a problem with his truck. He had hitched a ride into town and was looking for a ride 10kms back to his truck. He jumped in with Rick and both Jim and Rick were keen to explore the broken down road train.

We camped at Lakeland, which for Rick was the end of the dirt road. He pumped up his tyres and went for a car wash, but for Helen and Jim the Bloomfield track is a dusty road that stands between them and a hot shower. We had fish for tea again. I can’t tell you how many meals of fish we have had in a row – I have lost count, but I am ready for something else. Macaroni cheese anyone?

Day 22: Weipa - Monday 27 June

Another morning in the boat with Owen - Rick caught 5 fish, 4 black bream and one large grunter. The grunter is aptly named because of the noise it makes when it gets in the boat. Jim saw a big shark in the water today that headed straight for the boat – it t-boned the boat. It was alarming to see the dorsal fin in the water, coming straight for the boat (obviously attracted to Jim’s shark-magnetism). Jim caught a leopard-ray – it was massive at almost a metre across, and put up a great fight. But as soon as they worked out what it was, they cut the line because sting rays can be very dangerous when they flick up their tail and try and get you with their barbed stinger.

It was impressive to see two sting rays dive out of the water and fly through the air – very impressive creatures. Rick saw an enormous sea eagle fishing along the river.

We filled up with petrol and it seems very cheap – only $1.68 per litre. Better fill ‘er up!

We are off the Bowling Club for tea tonight. It’s a buffet dinner – Jim’s favourite food! I think I am looking forward to a change from fish for every meal. Tomorrow we head further south, and soon Dad will head off as he needs to make his way home, and Jim and I will continue on to the Daintree.

Day 21: Weipa - Sunday 26 June

The tides are flat for the next few days, so morning fishing is apparently the best. The boys headed out at around 9 am. Rick caught 3 blue salmon to put in a top rod performance, and Jim caught a big blue salmon, a hammerhead shark, a toadfish and a big stingray that went all the way around the boat. The wildlife was amazing and they saw a pod of dolphins, but surprisingly, no crocs have been sighted.

We have enjoyed our time in a place where bananas are only $5 a kilo. I bought two kilos of these little green bananas and they are delicious, but I wonder if there is a limit to how many bananas a girl should eat in one day. I guess I will know tomorrow!

Sunday night is fish fry night and we had fish and chips by the beach for tea, while we watched the sun set. The sunsets are glorious in Weipa and the colours are spectacular.

Day 20: Weipa - Saturday 25 June

We decided to try another fishing spot and were amazed that the prawns we are supposed to use as bait are bigger than the ones we eat at home. Hope the fish like them. Jim caught a little rock cod from the wharf, but Rick and Helen had no luck.

Back at camp and Helen made friends with a bloke at a nearby camp. He was walking his dog (Barker) and commented that his wife had hurt her leg and couldn’t go fishing, and she didn’t like him to go out in the boat alone. ‘I can help you with that’ says Helen and ‘let me introduce you to my Dad – he loves fishing’. And that kept the boys busy for the next 3 days.

Jim and Rick went out in the boat with Owen in the afternoon. Rick caught a baby bullnose shark– it sounds so cute! The hook was stuck in the little shark’s mouth, and the fishing line was wrapped around its neck. Jim caught a bullnose shark and a hammerhead shark and a sting ray. It turns out that Jim is a shark magnet and he attracts sharks to both his fishing line and circling the boat. For all family and friends, this should be a lesson to you all. Keep away from Jimmy in the ocean!

Fortunately, Owen caught a couple of blue salmon and we had fish for tea.

Day 19: Weipa Friday 24 June

Today we went on the tour at the Rio Tinto Alcan mine in Weipa. It was an early start, with the tour bus departing at 8.30am. We had to be there early to get a good seat and Jim and Rick managed to share the front seat. The tour went for a couple of hours and it was good to see the mining operations – including big trucks. I think the boys were more impressed than I was.

Rick and Jim drove out to Mapoon. Mapoon is an Aboriginal township about 86 km north of Weipa and Mark worked there when he was in the Army and built some of the housing out there, about 15 years ago. Jim and Rick enjoyed their drive and also checked out the possible fishing spots along the bridges. Helen stayed at camp and enjoyed a peaceful swim in the pool, until a family with 8 children turned up. Ah school holidays! I reckon I was out of the pool as fast as if a crocodile was in there.

As it is Friday night, we went to the Albatross Hotel for tea and found out it was schnitzel night. The boys got excited when we heard that the footy was starting at 7.30, but it turned out to be a rubgy game so we headed home and had an early night.

Day 18: Weipa

The weather is lovely – 30 degrees during the day and cool evenings. Last night we even needed to get out the doona! We drove around to try and find a place to catch a fish, and visited the wharf, the airport, and downtown shopping central for Weipa. The shops are good, there is a post office, souvenir shop, camping shop, butcher, bottle-shop, Pharmacy, coffee shop, bakery and a well-stocked Woolworths. So there is everything that we need.


We checked out a few fishing spots near two main river crossings, and will go back croc spotting one night! It’s alarming to think it is a fishing spot during the day and a croc spot at night!

There has been a lot of burning off in town over the past couple of days, and tonight there was a spectacular sunset, that we all went to the beach to see. The park is on the beach, but we got a spot towards the back – the crocs can eat the people at the front first, and they will be full by the time they get to us!

Day 17: Seisia to Weipa

Today will always be known as the day of the snake. When Helen went over to the shower block, one of the neighbours let her know that there was a snake in the shower block and suggested she wait a few minutes until they removed it. Great idea! Apparently the snake was only a python, so nothing to worry about. Urgh. I was just happy when I saw it come out and was released into the bush. And today is moving day so I don’t have to worry about it coming back.


We got fuel in Bamaga at $2.36 per litre (crikey!), then began our journey south. We crossed the Jardine River via Ferry, and we travelled along the Tele track to Fruit Bat falls and Eliot Falls. Beautiful spots and the water looked very inviting. Helen couldn’t entice the boys in for a swim, so we continued heading south.

The road was quite different here, and included rocks and deep water crossings, both of which the boys enjoyed. But it was slow going, and in some sections we could only travel at 15 -20 km per hour.

We stopped at Bramwell Junction for an icecream, and headed up the Tele Track to see what all the fuss was about with the first water crossing. Jim poked a stick in the water and it soon became clear – while you can see a 1 metre vertical climb, there is another metre to travel under the muddy water, and this is soft and mushy. You could see where people had churned up the track and it was very challenging now.

We continued past Moreton Telegraph Station, then headed west through Batavia Downs Station, arriving in Weipa around 5.30. We found the caravan park, and booked in for the next 5 nights.

Day 16: Thursday Island

Today we headed off early for our trip overseas. But where are the passports? We left camp at 7.30am for the 1 minute walk to the wharf. The boat trip took a bit over an hour, and Rick has managed to get a spot in the bridge on the way home. The scenery was great and we were surprised at how many islands there are in the Torres Strait. We saw Prince of Wales Island, which was a huge island and is the second biggest Queensland island (after Fraser Island) and we also saw Tuesday Island, Wednesday Island and Friday Island, before getting off at Thursday Island. Apparently there are no islands named after Saturday, Sunday or Monday because the Islanders like long weekends!

We jumped on a bus tour and explored the fort and cemetery and did a lap of the island before being dropped off in the main street. We wandered along and looked in the shops, before finding the Torres Hotel. It was nearly lunch time, so we thought we should stop and check it out. The Torres Hotel, is the northern-most Hotel in Australia. The beer was cold and the food was pretty good too. Helen had a crocodile burger, Jim had a prawn sandwich and Rick went for the Seafood Marinara – all excellent.

Rick enjoyed the boat trip home and managed to get himself into the driver’s seat, while Helen and Jim fell asleep in the air-conditioned lounge. We pack up from Seisia tomorrow and head south – not sure where we will stay, but we will explore a few spots along the way.

Day 15: Seisia

The plan for today was fishing, but the barge at the wharf has put an end to those plans. The boys went out to get beer and try and find a new fishing spot, and Helen had a day to catch up on the blog and some Uni work. This is the view from our camper – there is Dad’s tent and we are just far enough from the water that the crocs can’t be bothered walking this far.

Jim and Rick explored Injinoo Aboriginal Community, Loyalty Beach camping ground, the local bush mechanic workshop and downtown Bamaga.

They checked out the price of fuel - $2.20 per litre at Bamaga, $2.36 at Seisia so we will save up and get some on the way out on Wednesday. They went to the bottle shop and Rick bought a box of beer. They were also supposed to get Bundy cans for Helen, but the alcohol restrictions in this area means that you can only carry 30 cans of alcohol in each car, so they didn’t get the Bundy cans!

Last night we heard that the squid were running so Rick and Jim have set up squid rigs to try to catch me a squid for tea. We were fishing from the wharf and Helen and Rick saw a shovel-nosed shark about 2 metres long, and only 1 metre from the beach. This makes reason 147 why we don’t go anywhere near the water! And sadly, it was steak and chips for tea.

Day 14: Seisia

We decided to extend our stay here as it is such a pretty place and there is so much to do. Today was a washing, cleaning and shopping day and we got busy with all of these jobs. Well, there is really not too much to get busy about. Helen and Jim had some cleaning to do as they accidentally left one of the camper doors open as they were going along the road and filled in the inside of the camper with red bulldust. There was lots and lots of red bulldust - micro fine, caking bulldust that has covered every little crack of area that was open. It took several hours to clean up and will be lesson learned! The supermarket is Seisia was good and the boys bought some new fishing gear. Apparently the rods we brought from home are too light and there is a special bait jig used to catch the bait fish that are used to catch the bigger fish. The supermarket is well stocked and had everything we need. Except bananas and they are expected on the barge tomorrow - food supplies are brought in by barge from Cairns twice a week.

We decided to go and test out the new fishing line and headed down to the wharf. The wharf is the central place in Seisia and it is a busy place – the ferry to Thursday Island and Horn Island leaves from here and if you haven’t got a boat then this is the place to be. We haven’t managed to find anyone to give us a ride in their boat yet, so it looks like the wharf is the place for us. Helen tried to catch the bait fish with the bait jigger, but had problems getting them in. Helen is not a good fisherman and even though there were more than a billion little fish around the wharf, and she had 6 hooks on her line, she still could manage to catch one fish in two hours. Sad really. One the other hand, Rick was good at catching the little bait fish and he was handing them to Jim who was busy trying to catch the bigger fish. And he turned out to be very good at it – he hooked a shark (but it got away), then another shark that he reeled in and it was about 3 metres long. I’m not sure what he was planning on doing with it, but fortunately for us all, it broke the line and got away. Finally, Jim brought us home a Spanish mackerel for tea. It was big enough to feed us for a couple of nights, and the bloke in the next door camp showed us how to fillet it and cook it. It was delicious to eat.

We wandered down to the wharf after tea to see if we should drop in a line, and the barge from Cairns came in. So the fishing was off, but the boys were very excited about watching the barge slide in to the wharf. The bad news is that the wharf is closed tomorrow morning while they unload and reload the barge, but I am sure that the boys will be just as interested in that as the actual fishing.

Day 13: Voyage to the top of Australia

Today is the day for the voyage to the tip of Cape York. We have all picked out a special drink to take – Helen is taking a Bundy can, Jim’s choice is Carlton Draught, and for Rick it is Carlton Mid-strength. Helen is worried that after Bundy before lunch she might need a nana nap in the afternoon, but it was too exciting to sleep!

We drove out to the Croc Tent and met Davida – she is lovely and the boys picked out T-shirts for their next birthday presents. We had an adventurous drive through spectacular rainforest, then the deepest water crossing we had come to. Helen squealed as she drove across and the boys encouraged her to plant the foot! The tide was out at the Tip and we were able to walk around the headland to the northern-most point. It was a squishy walk through sand and a bit of mud, and the mangroves were dark and I wondered what lurked within.

And then we were there. We saw the sign and scrambled down the rocks, before posing for photos. The water races in from the Torres Straight at a frantic pace and we watched some kids throw in a fishing line and hang on as it sped away. We sat on the nearby rocks and reflected on how far we had come and how grateful we were to be here today. We have travelled over 4500 kilometres from home and this is a real high point of the trip.

The tide had turned and the water was rushing back in so we wandered back to the car across the headland, and then had some lunch under a shady native plum tree. We explored the area and found a nearby deserted resort – it looked like it was an amazing place, but now it has sadly been left to the termites. We found the debris from a couple of WWII plane crashes and it is sad to think about how close they were to the Jackey Jackey airfield before crashing in the rainforest.

Late afternoon and a small boatload of Islander blokes turned up in the park with an esky full of local crayfish that they had speared. They wanted to sell them and we were happy to buy them - yay…. Lobster for tea! We visited the Seisia sunset market – a bit like the Mindel Market in Darwin but on a much smaller scale and Helen bought some souvenirs. Back to camp and Helen added the lobster to a stir fry and we had stir fry lobster, vegetables and noodles for tea. Camping food is great!

Day 12: Archer River to Seisia

We woke up to find it had been a damp night and everything was wet. It was warm overnight, at about 17 degrees, but the dewpoint was 18 degrees, so everything was damp and that made packing up a messy job. We headed north again, not sure what the road would be like and how far we would get today. The one big hurdle is the Jardine River – there is a ferry across the river and it closes at 5pm, so if we are not there by 5 pm, we will have to camp.

We had a mixed morning – Jim hit a kangaroo and that was awful, and when we stopped for smoko and waited for Rick, we realised that he wasn’t right behind us. After a few desperate radio calls, and after checking with other travellers we realised that he hadn’t broken down and wasn’t on the road behind us. A bit of backtracking and we found that he had missed the turnoff. Luckily we all caught up and were able to head off together again.



We stopped for lunch at Moreton Telegraph Station, after crossing the Wenlock River. This must have been an imposing river crossing, but today there is a concrete causeway and it is a simple crossing. We headed onwards, and made it across the Jardine Ferry at around 4.30, and arrived at Seisia Camping Ground at around 5pm. The last section of road between the Jardine River and Bamaga was the worst of the whole trip, and from Bamaga it was bitumen to Seisia.

Our campground is beautiful – it is on the water’s edge and a sandy camp. We originally booked in for 3 nights, but I am sure we will stay longer because it is so beautiful. There are signs about warning of crocodile danger, and I notice that the local kids don’t swim in the water, so I think I will keep my distance too. But it looks so inviting! It’s hard to believe but we are only 30 km from the northern-most tip of mainland Australia and we will go there tomorrow.

Day 11 - Cooktown to Archer River Station

We enjoyed our time in Cooktown and I could have stayed longer, but it was time to move further north. How much further can there be to go? About another 700 kms! We stopped at Black Mountain National Park – it turns out that this mountain is actually made up of a lot of rocks that are all tumbling down, and it is quite spectacular.
We drove to Lakeland and this is where the gravel road starts, and we stopped to let the tyres down.

 It turned out that there were lots of patches of bitumen road along the way, but the lower tyre pressure certainly eases the bounce of the corrugations. There is a big Indigenous dance festival in Laura this weekend and they are expecting 4000 people, so we are keen to get moving out of the way of this traffic as soon as we can. We stopped to help some broken down travellers. They didn’t have a Toyota, but Jim’s advice (next time - buy a Toyota) was welcomed and we hoped to get some good road breakdown karma by stopping to help out.

The roads were pretty good. Many of the roads have been recently graded, but you need to keep an eye out for oncoming trucks and washouts in the creek crossings. 

We made it to Archer River station to camp for the night. It was a pretty spot and we opted to set up camp in the campground and sat around a small camp fire with some fellow travellers. The banks of the Archer River also looked like a great place to camp, but we were happy to be at the Station and it was great to share stories about the track and where everyone has been and is going. Petrol was $2 per litre, but we needed to fill up anyway, so just smiled and paid the money anyway.

Day 10: Cooktown

We had planned a rest day in Cooktown and started with a bit of a sleep in, leisurely bacon and eggs for breakfast and it was nice not to have to pack up and move on. Rick headed out early, and Helen and Jim headed for the Jackey Jackey coffee shop run by a small Chinese man. The coffee was excellent and I can't tell you how much I have missed good coffee since we left home. 

We visited the Cooktown Historical Society and wandered through their museum, which was very interesting, then walked along the esplanade to the Captain Cook monument. Cooktown is named because Captain James Cook was wandering up the coast and he got bogged on the nearby reef and had to come in to shore to fix his boat. He was here for 42 days and named heaps of stuff, then he floated off back home to England. Nothing much happened her for another hundred years, then somebody discovered gold nearby and the town boomed to around 40,000 people.  Today, there is around 2000 people live in Cooktown. We happily spent the day wandering the streets and exploring museums and shops before making our way back up the hill to the lighthouse to watch the sunset.

Helen cooked a chicken stir fry with rice and it was delicious, and apparently there is some kind of state of origin football on tonight and people in the park are very excited about it. Well, not everyone!

Day 9: Cooktown

Onwards! We are keen to get started with the next part of our trip and we have enjoyed a few rest days in Cairns and the chance to get out of the car. But today it was back in the car as we continued heading north. As we headed out of Cairns we saw the beautiful beaches in the northern suburbs of Cairns - it is so much nicer than the mudflats of central Cairns. 

We stopped for smoko in Port Douglas and it was gorgeous. We looked out at the lookout, and then settled in down by the beach for a cuppa.  We continued north to Mossman, then headed inland to Mt Molloy. We stopped for lunch at Bob's Lookout - it was a small cutting on the side of the road near the top of a very steep mountain range. Lunch was a salad roll made by the side of the road - the views of the savannah plains were amazing.

We arrived in Cooktown in mid-afternoon and settled in to the caravan park, then headed off for a drive to the lighthouse at the top of the hill, so we could work out where we are. The lighthouse is at a windy spot, overlooking the Coral Sea and the mouth of the Endeavour River.

We wandered along the wharf area to watch the sun set and it was spectacular. We have the whole day here to explore tomorrow, and maybe catch a fish.

Day 8:Cairns

Helen and Jim headed  off to Freshwater Railway Station to catch the Scenic Railway to Kuranda. We just missed one train and had to wait an hour for the next one, and Jim checked the GPS and there was a cache just 26 metres away! That will find in a bit of time!

It was an enjoyable trip on the train, winding through the hills and we stopped for a closer look at the Barron Falls and Barron Gorge. We wandered around the township of Kuranda and had some lunch before catching the Sky Rail gondola back to Cairns. The Sky Rail was a fantastic way to ride over the rainforest and the views were stunning. 

We then headed out to Mareebra to see the Australian Coffee Centre. I first heard of this place when I saw 'The Farmer wants a Wife' on TV. We missed the plantation tour, but had time for afternoon tea, and the coffee was excellent.  Jim was pleased to find Devonshire tea on the menu, and is always happy with a scone, jam and cream.

Rick had a great day in Cairns, he visited the airport, marina and I think he even tried to get a ride on one of the yachts. We met up again for tea and headed to the Red Beret Hotel in Red Lynch and we all had fish for tea. Hopefully the next fish we eat we will catch ourselves.

Tomorrow we head off to Cooktown and the Cape York adventure starts.

Day 7: Cairns

After several long days in the car, we have planned a few days in Cairns with time to relax and explore, do the washing and shopping before the next part of our trip. The weather is nice, warm and sunny and much more comfortable than the past few days.   We found a place to buy cryovac meat that will keep fresh in the fridge for a few weeks, and we found a supermarket and stocked up on all we need for the next 3 weeks. No more Woolworths where we are going! 

Dad drove us around Cairns and showed us where the rich and glitzy stay (nowhere near us). We saw the Cannonball tree - a very unusual tree with cannonball-like fruit and there are only two in Australia. James and Rick walked up to Crystal Cascades waterfall, and Helen went for a swim in the pool (only just warm enough). We bought a fillet of Barramundi and grilled it on the Barbie for tea, along with a taste of the local bugs (the crustacean variety).