Cooktown, via the Bloomfield Track (more of our trip)
Monday, 26/9, dawned, warm and sunny and we boarded our bus for our trip to Cooktown.
Now Cooktown can be reached by traversing sealed roads but we choose the 4WD experience. You are thinking, 'how is a bus going to tackle the Bloomfield Track?' Well have a look at the bus!
Just before the bitumen ended we stopped for morning tea at On the Turps. The scones, jam and cream were delicious. Our driver, Cathy pointed out the web of the Golden Orb Weaver spider. It was beautiful, as was the spider.
Crossing many creeks, some with plenty of water, some a trickle and crossing the Bloomfiled River, we had a very brief stop at Wujal Wujal aboriginal community, where we saw some of their art work.
This was on the verandah of the arts centre and it is a bird's nest. Still trying to find out which bird.
We then continued on towards Ayton, for lunch. By Queensland law our driver had to stop every two hours, hence lunch. This café was lovely and they had fresh salads, cold meat and fresh fruit waiting for us. Ayton was named after the English seaside town, where Captain James Cook, grew up.
Our journey continued on and we stopped at the historic Lions Den Hotel, near Helenvale. Built in 1875, this iconic pub is a sight to be seen. The walls have signatures all over them. There is a mosaic. made from beer bottle tops, of the hotel's name. Beer coasters, baseball caps, numberplates are just some of the other interesting stuff, to be found there.
I'm going to finish this post here and give Cooktown its own post. Hope you are enjoying our journey.
Bye,
Lilian.
Now Cooktown can be reached by traversing sealed roads but we choose the 4WD experience. You are thinking, 'how is a bus going to tackle the Bloomfield Track?' Well have a look at the bus!
The road was pretty good from Cairns to Cape Tribulation and from then on it was a dirt, rough, rock strewn, corrugated track.
The scenery was amazing and crossing the Daintree River, by car ferry gave us a close view of the river.
Bloomfield River.
We then continued on towards Ayton, for lunch. By Queensland law our driver had to stop every two hours, hence lunch. This café was lovely and they had fresh salads, cold meat and fresh fruit waiting for us. Ayton was named after the English seaside town, where Captain James Cook, grew up.
Our journey continued on and we stopped at the historic Lions Den Hotel, near Helenvale. Built in 1875, this iconic pub is a sight to be seen. The walls have signatures all over them. There is a mosaic. made from beer bottle tops, of the hotel's name. Beer coasters, baseball caps, numberplates are just some of the other interesting stuff, to be found there.
Journeying onwards we finally reached sealed roads and had another brief stop at Black Mountain. National Park, 25km from Cooktown. This mountain is covered in lichen-blackened boulders. There are many Aboriginal legends about how this mountain and its neighbour came to be formed. Large pythons call these rocks home, so climbing the mountain is not recommended.
I'm going to finish this post here and give Cooktown its own post. Hope you are enjoying our journey.
Bye,
Lilian.
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