Nele & Andrew Around Oz: September 2011

Cairns Holiday Park, Carins, QLD

Day 215 – 19^th September 2011

Cairns Holiday Park, Carins, QLD

This morning Andrew started calling around to book a 4WD as we have decided we cannot have come so far without going to the actual tip of Australia on the Cape York Peninsula. As we are right in the school holidays it wasn’t an easy job coz all the big rental companies are booked out, but we finally got lucky via the Daintree Wild Zoo who also rent out 4WD vehicles. After lunch we headed into town to buy some new hiking shoes as our sneakers aren’t really fit for all those walks we do and Andrew’s are falling apart. Late afternoon we came back to the caravan park to continue updating the blog.

Nele Blogging & Andrew reading a book

Cairns Holiday Park, Carins, QLD

Day 214 – 18^th September 2011

Cairns Holiday Park, Carins, QLD

This morning we left Cape Tribulation and took the ferry back to the Daintree. At Mossman we had lunch with Andrew's parents before saying goodbye as they were going to have a look around the Atherton Tablelands and we were returning to Cairns. Before driving into Cairns we stopped to have a look at Crystal Cascades. Back in Cairns it was time to start blogging again :-).

Daintree Ferry

Waiting for the Daintree Ferry

All aboard

Scenery - near Daintree River

Mossman

Coastal Highway back to Cairns

Stop along the coastal highway

Crystal Cascades

Fish - Crystal Cascades

Cape Tribulation Camping, QLD

Day 213 – 17^th September 2011

Cape Tribulation Camping, QLD

Before leaving Cooktown we visited the Grassy Hill Lookout. Captain Cook climbed this hill on several occasions to view the surrounding reefs enabling him to navigate a safe passage out after repairing his ship. We returned to Cape Trib via the Bloomfields Track as the road was in very good condition and we believed 80km with some steep hills and creek crossings would still be faster than 295km via the inland sealed highway. It only took us 3h (including 30min lunch) so we had some time left to have a look at Thornton Beach. On the way to the beach we saw a cassowary family (mum, dad and 3 chicks) crossing the road – so drive slowly as they are around. Unfortunately the Café On the Sea was closed so Gary could not enjoy the coffee Nele promised him as a bribe to take this little detour before going back to the caravan park.

Cooktown main street

Heritage buildings

James Cook Monument commemorating
Cook's landing on 17.06.1770

James Cook Statue

The Powder Magazine - oldest stone building on Cape York

Grassy Hill Lighthouse

Cooktown as seen from Grassy Hill

Endeavour River

General store at Ayton on the Bloomfields Track

Bloomfield River

Aboriginal community - Wujal Wujal

Crossing the Bloomfield River

Bloomfield Road

Free running horses

Passing cars creating lots of dust

2 cassowaries by the road

... with 3 chicks

Reduce speed

Thornton Beach

Sue looking for more sea shells

Before and after

We survived!

This girl being rescued by helicopter form
Mt Sorrow with a broken leg was less lucky

Peninsula Caravan Park, Cooktown, QLD

Day 212 – 16^th September 2011

Peninsula Caravan Park, Cooktown, QLD

This morning we climbed Mt Cook (6km return – 2h40) offering nice views of the surrounding area at the top. Next we visited the James Cook Museum and had Fish and Chips at the Captain Cook’s Landing Café at the wharf. After lunch we went for a drive to Hope Vale, a nearby Aboriginal town and onto Elim Beach known for its huge white sand dunes – from a distance you would think it is snow in the mountains. A drive along the beach took us to Coloured Sands, where the sand of the dunes ranges from white to yellow to orange and red. You can only drive on the beach at low tide and as we weren’t sure of the tide times and Andrew almost got us bogged we decided not to venture out too far and return before we had to face any crocodiles. On the drive back to Cooktown we visited the Isabella and Endeavour Falls. After a quick shower we went out for tea again at The Italian and treated ourselves to a very yummy pizza. We crashed on the cabin floor again and had a good, uninterrupted sleep – our camping matts are pretty comfortable wherever we put them down.