Mareeba and Cairns

Drive past Mt Molloy free camping . Looks busy and good.
Great info centre and museum in Mareeba but campsites are not flash. Long term places with post boxes for residents and signs saying do not watch porn in the TV room.
Rodeo ground has camping for the weekend but looks hot, crowded and basic.
On to the top torist park in Cairns which is excellent.
Lots of camper and campervans but only a few tents in a grassy shaded area. Good camp kitchen with heaps of backpackers to chat to. Vans range from enormous to an I20 with a tent on top.
Drive off to DHL and I finally get my new UK passport which I have chased around Australia.

 Into the shopping centre where Dave is amused by an estate agents poster and is very keen to buy camel burgers.

 Friday night so we can go to Dan Murphys wine tasting. The taste manager puts a picture of us on Dans webisite

Next day walk into Cairns along the sea front. Youngmi looking for crocodiles again. Check out the famous Gilligans backpackers enormous. Town seems much quieter than when we last arrived. Local theatre in evening for Talking in Tongues, aussie play basis of Lantana film. Couples misunderstanding each other. Good enough but not Crucible.
Up early Sunday to drive to Mareeba. Quick stop for breakfast at Hungry Jacks then to the Rodeo. Hot and sunny and heaps of people at 10am. People with big vans and beds and couches. Horse riding and bucking bulls are brilliant.

A stall selling pig hunting gear and others selling the dagwood dog - a hot dog sausage in batter. Even Dave can't eat that but it is popular. Fish and chips and a pie from the cricket club must be healthier. Speak to labour candidate who says Clive Palmer is very popular in Queensland.
Steer wrestling, bareback bucking broncos and more bulls-brilliant. Youngmi buys a cowboy hat.

Drive back stopping at Kurandra.Arrived about 3.30pm and it is quiet. Great walk in rainforest to Barron Falls. Wrights lookout and river walk are very quiet. Back to the crowded camp kitchen where Youngmi finds we have an octopus in the marinara mix.

The world cup final is in extra time when we get up so join the crowd in the TV room. As most overseas visitors here are from Germany it is tense until Germany score then euphoria.
Walk to town. Shopping centre. Coffee muffin and newspaper. Back along the sea front. Black clouds and windy. Arvo another shopping centre then DFO and we find the Merrell shoes that were $200 in the morning. $230 for two pairs Jackpot. His and hers shoes. Shop manager is from South Wales. Four years in Cairns and loves it. Quiet place.
We have noticed houses are heaps cheaper than Melbourne and Cairns seems to have seen better days but its good.

Laura and Mt Carbine

We finally drag ourselves away from the Cooktown Caravan Park after a wonderful five days of friendship, sun and a special place. Drive Marlons dad to the garage to see if his flooded and surprisingly small 4 wheel drive can be fixed. Computer problem and auto electrician needed. 1600cc diahatsu which was pulling a caravan to Cape York amazing.
Drive to Laura where it is red hot.

The pub is staffed by two backpackers from hong kong. Very small place and we decide not to stay. Visit the Split Rock rock art about 20kms down the road. Impresive.

 Red hot climb through the scrub up a sandstone escarpment. Three lots of art to see.
Drive on to Mt Carbine and a good cheap campsite. Run by a couple from Melbourne in their early 70s. Looks a big job. Full moon and no wind. Peaceful.

Cooktown-my pub blew away

Back to Mossman to take on supplies. Good Woolworths and we loaded up with lots of goodies. Road then goes up hill for about 10kms but our heavily loaded polo has no problems. Mt Carbine, Palmer Road house deserve a stop. Road is really good for 240kms up and down over big hills and past termite mounds. Big white brahmin cattle are wandering around so we take it easy.

 4kms down a side road is Lions Den pub. Only 100kms from Cape Trib by the Bloomfield Track but as this was too rough for us we had driven over 300kms. Yorkshire back packers behind the bar of this 1870s hotel. Nice camp area but shocking showers. Good for one night.

 

Nice sunny morning as we drive on. The Black Mountain is a mass of black granite boulders. People are said to have gone into this area and not come out. Check the four caravan parks in Cooktown and settle on the first run by John and Mary. Walk along the sea front. Blue sea, palm trees a few grand old buildings. Capt Cook was here in 1770 repairing his ship Endevour and meeting the locals.August 1873 there were no non indigineous people here. By July 1874 20,000 chinese and 15,000 europeans had arrived and there were 65 pubs and assorted other services for gold mining.
The Top Pub had a band so we enjoyed a beer in the garden and the company of many characters. Happy hour at the campground and a campfire.

Sunday cricket next to the botanical gardens and Youngmi almost caught a six as she emerged from the mango trees.Walked along the beach and forest track to the lighthouse. Great apart from two alsatians attacking Dave.Another happy hour at the camp ground. At 5pm a few people gather to have a drink and a chat. Pat our neighbour explains he has two shopping trolley bags with him. One for clean clothes and one for the laundry. Bert at the head of the table has driven from Perth. He has been here a few times before when it was a real challenge to get here. John and Mary and assorted others make for a pleasant couple of hours.Another campfire and pasta dinner.

Another sunny day and we get our washing done and get organised. Dave walks up Mt Cook a fun climb through the trees to a lookout over the sea and great barrier reef. Meet Bob the kiwi on the way down. He is visiting his son who lives in Cooktown and likes pig hunting. Make our daily visit to the bottle shop. The pleasant guy there was saying he comes from Melbourne and has run pubs between Darwin and Normanton for the last 20 years. He came to run the middle pub a few months ago but he and 5 others had to take shelter in the cool room when the cyclone came. When they emerged after 7 hours the pub was gone-blown all over the hillside. He has been running the bottle shop since. Get another bottle of Hidden Gem red.and join the happy hour. Egg and bean dinner by the campfire. Loads of stars. Youngmi is convinced a wild pig is outside in the night but it turns out to be a campers dog. Next morning a brush turkey joins us for breakfast and we watch the 4 wheel drive bus tour packing up. Very impressive.

Another day in Paradise. Fish and chips at the Top Pub for lunch then walk it off to Grassy Hill. James Cook museum is splendid in a big old catholic school which was repaired for Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1970. Displays on everything including catholics, indigineous life, chines and of course the Capt. Anchor and a cannon from the Endevour are there. They were thrown overboard as Cook tried to sail back over the barrier reef.




Another good happy hour at the campground chatting to lots of interesting people. At the campfire chat to a youngish aussie couple who work in a Queensland coal mine. They are going to Cape York and hope to go pig hunting. They use dogs to chase the wild pigs and as the dogs try to hang on the hunter dives in with a knife and stabs the pig. The pigs have big tusks and the dogs wear armour on their neck. Scary
Next morning say goodbye to Pat who is moving on. He says it has been good to have intelligent conversation.

A guided walk in the botanical gardens takes 2.5 hours but is very interesting. I can find a vanilla tree and a red beach. The latter has flower, fruit and bud all at the same time.
Lighthouse again with a great view of the reef and a last visit to the bottle shop of the blown away pub.

Cairns and Cape Tribulation

Drive back to Innisfail which has lots of Art Deco buildings and an office for Bob Katter MP. Great drive 100kms to Cairns past big mountains including Bartle Frere the highest in Queensland. About 1600m. Can't climb this time because Youngmi's feet have two big blisters from the bites. We are told if you start very early it can be done in a day from Josephine Falls.

Cairns is big, hot, and difficult to park. Have lunch in the botanical gardens then drive to DHL to pick up my passport. I collect the envelope from the UK passport office but it contains my old passport!. DHL check and there is another package still in Melbourne which will be sent on. I have been chasing this package for weeks since I applied to renew it.

Cairns too hectic on this day so continue .Beautiful drive along the coast to Port Douglas Another place which has grown since I was last there in 1990. I remember one Mirage resort and a pie shop. Now loads of resorts,restaurants etc. Not for us. Mossman has also grown but the caravan park is a shocker. $30 and a rusty barbecue. Eventually find a beaut place at Pinnacles campground. Lovely place with great facilities. Sit by a fire on the beach chatting to Tyson. 17yo from Woodend who has been living here 6 months.
Sign on camp kitchen door "keep door closed to keep snakes out". In morning daylight see a crocodile warning at the beach.

Daintree village nice with a $20 campground next to the Croc River.Just missed a croc trip so get 5 minute car ferry to Daintree park.

Drive to Cape Trib is nice winding through the jungle and up and down. Stop for $10 fish and chips at a beach cafe. Irish lady working there has lived in the jungle for 24 years but seems far removed from the wild man of Borneo.

PKs jungle camp is a great place to stay. Backpackers with camping sites. Walk along beach in the sun and on to Cape Trib beach. Red hot until suddenly it was pouring down. That was it as the rain continued till the next day.

 $10 jugs of beer in the bar.Chatted to Mick from Williamstown who has driven around half of Oz with two guitars and a tent.Rainforest vegetation is wonderful but we didn't see a python

Cardwell and Mission Beach

Driving north from Townsville with good scenery of mountains. Tried Paluma national park campsite. Pretty place near a river but busy and you could only camp if you had an epermit booking. Crazy system where you have to book in advance for bush campsites. Carried on a came across a driver reviver site as it was a long weekend. Enjoying a free coffee near Ingham the couple suggested we go to Cardwell on the coast. Great views of Hinchinbrook Island and its big mountains. Lovely campground in Cardwell on the sea front. Top Tourist.
Sunday was hot and sunny so we did our laundry before walking along the sea front. Chatted to a family living in a double deck bus as they drive around Australia.

Met a young korean couple going fishing on the pier. They have backpacker visas and have had to tell employers they will call Fair Work Australia in order to get paid.
A fantastic hardware shop sells us a bigger tent for $83. The Port Marina has lots of new houses but looks empty. Drive up to lookout for sunset then cook dinner in the excellent camp kitchen. Meet Helen and Alan again. They have done the 5 day walk on Hinchinbrook Island and were very impressed. They got the a boat through the visitor centre to the Island.
A really comfy camp ground but we decide to move on. Hot as we drive to Tully. Big sugar factory and lots of indiginous people. Drive 50kms through banana plantations to the the Tully Gorge campground. Nice but not much to do. Have lunch and are joined by rafters. Drive a bit further into the wettest area in Australia in glorious sunshine. Not very exciting. Back to Tully then Mission Beach.Top Tourist campground Ok but $35 after discount. Freezing evening. Walked along beach looking across to Dunk Island. Fish and chips to take back to camp kitchen. Chat to people from Armidale and world travellers from Poland.

Tuesday morning operate on Youngmi's giant blisters by pricking them to release fluid.

 Lunch at Lucas picnic ground before rainforest and Cassowery walk. Didn't see the cassowery but did see droppings full of fruit seeds. 35kms to Peronella Park. Spanish castle folly next to a waterfall. Admission charge $42 includes campsite but this is full.

Go on to Innisfail and then Flying fish point campground. Still chilly. Marinara pasta for dinner in comfy dining room. Chat to Irish couple from Brisbane.