We have been travelling with our good friends the Gray family for the past two weeks and were tossing up whether to travel further West with them or track back down some of the North QLD Coast that we have not seen yet, leaving the Top End for April next year.

In the end, the thought of really hot, humid weather was not really that attractive so we made the decision to part company and head to Wonga to see Mossman Gorge, Daintree and do the Crebb 4WD Track.  From there we will head towards Tully, Cardwell, Ingham and track back down the coast taking in the Whitsunday Islands before we decide on future plans.  Kurumba and Lawn Hill NP will need to wait until next year.

With the decision made and temperatures quickly climbing the next morning we hooked up the Kedron van and headed towards Mareeba.  At Mareeba we had a quick stop at the Coffee Factory (free entry on a return visit) for the kids to get their chocolate fix.  Heading North out of Mareeba we passed through Mt Molloy where we turned right and headed over the range to Mossman.  Past Mossman and still heading North we decided to use the Pinnacle Holiday Resort as our base to explore the Daintree.

The day was finished off with a relaxing swim in the pool.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

We left Cairns at lunchtime on 29/7 and headed for the Daintree.  The idea was to stop near the Daintree Village and make an early attempt on the Creb Track the next morning.  We ended up camping just outside Mossman after a black top drive lasting a few hours.  Time for a feed and early night…time to see if we could put up the camper trailer in under an hour too!!!

Well, the camper trailer proved to be easy and within ten minutes we were sat having a cold ale and enjoying the surrounding rainforest before an early night.

Waking up this morning (30/7) we were packed quickly and headed to the Daintree Village and towards the start of the Crebb Track.  Unfortunately, the track was closed after recent rain and more rain forecast for today.  It is not the place you want to be when it rains with very slippery and steep clay hills…in fact someone rolled their car there two weeks ago.

So it was with a little sadness that we turned around and headed for the Bloomfied Track via Cape Tribulation and onto Cooktown…we will tackle the Crebb Track on our return trip…one way or another.

The Bloomfield Track proved to be relatively easy.  It starts with a ferry crossing over the Daintree River (and a fee of $16), a number of klms of winding bitumen and then some very steep and winding (in places) dirt roads – nothing too slippery and where it may have been slippery it was concreted.  The scenery was however spectacular with coastal glimpes of palm beaches and gorgueos rainforest with much to see and do…for another trip.  There were a few small creek crossings which were shallow and really quite simple.  It was an enjoyable drive but unfortunately not the challenge we were expecting.

Leaving the Bloomfield Track we hit the highway into Cooktown for a final shower, top of the fuel and food supplies and get ready for the real adventure to begin.

Tommorrow we hit Lakefield National Park and then onto Lockhard River and the Telegraph Track.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Tommorrow the adventure starts for real.  I have dreamed of this trip for many years, read hundreds of articles on the trip to the Cape and counted the days until I could finally hit the dirt of the epic trip.

We picked up our camper trailer today for 14 days and head off tommorrow once everything is packed and the van is stored safely away.  We knew that the van wouldn’t fit threw the Old Telegraph Track and the thought of not being able to complete this section of the trip was unthinkable…so a camper trailer was the solution.

We leave Cairns and head for the Crebb Track tommorrow camping somewhere along the Creb Track.  From there it will be on to Cooktown and into the Lakefield National Park.  We plan to head through Cooktown and Lakefield NP fairly quickly as we will bring the van back to both these areas later.  We do however plan to get out to Bathurst Bay and Cape Melville on our way back from the Cape…time permitting.

Locals advise us that the Telegraph Track is the worst it has been for some years after a massive wet season.  Apparently the first creek crossing on the Telegraph Track has been completely washed away and is just one big drop off with cars dropping onto their bullbars and then requiring winching out…we will see…the challenge is definately to complete the Telegraph Track one way or another.  Going to the Cape after dreaming about the Telegraph Track for so long and missing out would be too hard to bare…we will succeed.  As my friend Mr Gadget would say “you have a winch, well use it!” …and that we will.

Stay tuned, this trip is going to be an adventure to remember.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia