Trip Report: Queensland July 08, Part 1
Aug 2nd, 2008, 08:06 AM
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Trip Report: Queensland July 08, Part 1
Recently returned from a wonderful 3 week trip to Queensland. The highlight of the trip was the 8 day adventure we took exploring north of Cairns to Cooktown. The rest of our time was spent visiting family and friends on the Gold Coast.
Part 1. Coming and going.
We flew on United back and forth to Sydney from Providence RI. It was a major disaster in both directions. Outbound from LA, one of our engines, with which the crew admitted having had trouble on the SYD-LA leg the previous day, caught on fire almost 3 hrs over the Pacific Ocean! The engine was shut down, fuel was dumped and we landed back in LA at 3 AM, fire engines waiting. We were in the lucky group of passengers for whom United provided accommodation that night. Due to some screw up, about 80 passengers ended up spending the night on the floor of the airport Hilton!
We arrived in Sydney 15 hours behind schedule. My mother in law's car was delivered to the airport by a Sydney relative, and feeling chipper (for us it was about 9 AM, 11 PM in Sydney), we got in the car and drove straight up to the Gold Coast taking advantage of the lack of traffic at night. This took about 11 hours, sharing the driving (about 600 miles, 1000 km). This was the first time in quite a while I have driven the Pacific highway north of Sydney. Dramatic improvements over the years making the trip quicker and safer: dual highway in many sections, town bypasses etc. The sun came up while we were eating "brekkie" at McDonalds In Coffs Harbour. From there we enjoyed beautiful Australian countryside in the early sun with mists in the valleys. There is a fabulous section of road just south of Byron Bay with glorious views of the coast - someday they should build a lookout there so people can stop to enjoy it.
Like the outbound trip, our return trip started out well. We got to LA uneventfully, but our connecting flight to Chicago was cancelled due to mechanical problems. We were then rerouted to Providence via Washington. But this flight was delayed (the pilot said due to mechanical problems) and we ended up missing our late flight from Washington to Providence. Now I would have expected United to have put us up in a hotel that night. But no, despite what our pilot had said, and despite the fact we had already been traveling for a day, Customer Service said the flight problem was weather-related and we would have to overnight in the airport. I really hate that airline.
Coming up: Our trip in Far North Queensland....it was GREAT!
Part 1. Coming and going.
We flew on United back and forth to Sydney from Providence RI. It was a major disaster in both directions. Outbound from LA, one of our engines, with which the crew admitted having had trouble on the SYD-LA leg the previous day, caught on fire almost 3 hrs over the Pacific Ocean! The engine was shut down, fuel was dumped and we landed back in LA at 3 AM, fire engines waiting. We were in the lucky group of passengers for whom United provided accommodation that night. Due to some screw up, about 80 passengers ended up spending the night on the floor of the airport Hilton!
We arrived in Sydney 15 hours behind schedule. My mother in law's car was delivered to the airport by a Sydney relative, and feeling chipper (for us it was about 9 AM, 11 PM in Sydney), we got in the car and drove straight up to the Gold Coast taking advantage of the lack of traffic at night. This took about 11 hours, sharing the driving (about 600 miles, 1000 km). This was the first time in quite a while I have driven the Pacific highway north of Sydney. Dramatic improvements over the years making the trip quicker and safer: dual highway in many sections, town bypasses etc. The sun came up while we were eating "brekkie" at McDonalds In Coffs Harbour. From there we enjoyed beautiful Australian countryside in the early sun with mists in the valleys. There is a fabulous section of road just south of Byron Bay with glorious views of the coast - someday they should build a lookout there so people can stop to enjoy it.
Like the outbound trip, our return trip started out well. We got to LA uneventfully, but our connecting flight to Chicago was cancelled due to mechanical problems. We were then rerouted to Providence via Washington. But this flight was delayed (the pilot said due to mechanical problems) and we ended up missing our late flight from Washington to Providence. Now I would have expected United to have put us up in a hotel that night. But no, despite what our pilot had said, and despite the fact we had already been traveling for a day, Customer Service said the flight problem was weather-related and we would have to overnight in the airport. I really hate that airline.
Coming up: Our trip in Far North Queensland....it was GREAT!
Aug 9th, 2008, 08:30 AM
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Part 2:
After a few rainy days on the Gold Coast, we flew north to Cairns on July 9 to Cairns on Virgin Blue. This was our 4th visit. On previous trips, we had spent most of our time south and west of city (Mission Beach, Ingham, Atherton Tablelands, Undarra, etc). This time we spent all our time north of Cairns getting as far north as Cooktown, where we had never been before. Cooktown was always off limits to people with rental cars, being accessible only by unsealed road. Now, with the completion of the inland paved road, Cooktown is a leisurely 4 hr drive from Cairns.
In Cairns we rented a 4WD in the city, avoiding the extra expense of airport pickup/drop off, and headed north along the beautifully scenic Cook Hwy to Port Douglas for lunch. While PD is still a lovely spot, it isn't the sleepy fishing port we loved in 1984 before the tourist boom. Boutiques, flashy restaurants, time share condos..it could be a million other tourist places anywhere, unfortunately.
After lunch we continued north to the sugar mill town of Mossman and our B&B a few kms out of town. This was the Fantail B&B on Ponzo Rd...a lovely spot set among fields of sugarcane. We spent 2 nights here, and loved every minute of it - the hospitality, the superb breakfast, and a lovely morning walk through sugarcane up the side of a hill for a wonderful view of Mossman Gorge and the mountains. We enjoyed nice dinners at Mojo's Restaurant in Mossman (1st night) and at the Beach Shack in PD (2nd night).
For our full day in the area (July 10), we set off to Mossman Gorge for a walk through the rainforest. Too bad we timed our visit with Australian school holidays...the Gorge and the swimming hole were complete zoos. Cars were parked on both sides of the narrow access road for 500 meters since the tiny car park was full.
While Mossman Gorge was a little disappointing in being overrun with people that AM, our afternoon experience was really fantastic. We continued north to the village of Daintree for lunch where we contemplated several options for the afternoon. I'm glad my wife got talking to the lady (Sally) who runs the ARGO 8x8 (off road) Rainforest Tour. First we crossed her cattle property just outside of town, then headed up a very steep track through rainforest to the open summit of a tall hill on her property. She explained that, in the Wet Season, they need to move their cattle to high ground for safety, hence the reason why the hilltop is cleared for grazing. Anyway, the view from the top was absolutely spectacular (l!!!), looking down over the Daintree River, inland to the Great Dividing range and north along the coast. Very green, very lush, magnificent!
Next installment: 2 days/3 nights at Cape Tribulation.
After a few rainy days on the Gold Coast, we flew north to Cairns on July 9 to Cairns on Virgin Blue. This was our 4th visit. On previous trips, we had spent most of our time south and west of city (Mission Beach, Ingham, Atherton Tablelands, Undarra, etc). This time we spent all our time north of Cairns getting as far north as Cooktown, where we had never been before. Cooktown was always off limits to people with rental cars, being accessible only by unsealed road. Now, with the completion of the inland paved road, Cooktown is a leisurely 4 hr drive from Cairns.
In Cairns we rented a 4WD in the city, avoiding the extra expense of airport pickup/drop off, and headed north along the beautifully scenic Cook Hwy to Port Douglas for lunch. While PD is still a lovely spot, it isn't the sleepy fishing port we loved in 1984 before the tourist boom. Boutiques, flashy restaurants, time share condos..it could be a million other tourist places anywhere, unfortunately.
After lunch we continued north to the sugar mill town of Mossman and our B&B a few kms out of town. This was the Fantail B&B on Ponzo Rd...a lovely spot set among fields of sugarcane. We spent 2 nights here, and loved every minute of it - the hospitality, the superb breakfast, and a lovely morning walk through sugarcane up the side of a hill for a wonderful view of Mossman Gorge and the mountains. We enjoyed nice dinners at Mojo's Restaurant in Mossman (1st night) and at the Beach Shack in PD (2nd night).
For our full day in the area (July 10), we set off to Mossman Gorge for a walk through the rainforest. Too bad we timed our visit with Australian school holidays...the Gorge and the swimming hole were complete zoos. Cars were parked on both sides of the narrow access road for 500 meters since the tiny car park was full.
While Mossman Gorge was a little disappointing in being overrun with people that AM, our afternoon experience was really fantastic. We continued north to the village of Daintree for lunch where we contemplated several options for the afternoon. I'm glad my wife got talking to the lady (Sally) who runs the ARGO 8x8 (off road) Rainforest Tour. First we crossed her cattle property just outside of town, then headed up a very steep track through rainforest to the open summit of a tall hill on her property. She explained that, in the Wet Season, they need to move their cattle to high ground for safety, hence the reason why the hilltop is cleared for grazing. Anyway, the view from the top was absolutely spectacular (l!!!), looking down over the Daintree River, inland to the Great Dividing range and north along the coast. Very green, very lush, magnificent!
Next installment: 2 days/3 nights at Cape Tribulation.
Aug 9th, 2008, 10:06 AM
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Part 3:
After staying in Mossman for 2 nights we packed up and headed north to Cape Tribulation, crossing the Daintree River en route by ferry. North of the river, fields of sugarcane give way to dense rainforest for most of the drive. On the way, we stopped at the Alexander Lookout for a great view of the coast (including the mouth of the Daintree River), did the Jindalba rainforest boardwalk (one of three boardwalks we did - more later), and stopped at the very interesting Daintree Entomological (Insect) Museum.
In Cape Trib, we stayed 3 nights at the Ferntree Rainforest Lodge in one of the Garden Room units. Overall, a nice place to stay...we liked our unit a lot, though the food was quite middling. We ate dinner there once (average), at PK's Jungle Village (poor) and at the Hertitage Lodge Restaurant, Cooper Creek (very good).
On our first whole day in Cape Trib, the family split up. My wife and oldest son took an excellent tour of the rainforest guided by a local Aboriginal (wish I had the details, sorry) and visited the Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm for a tour and fruit tasting.
Being an avid hiker, I took my other 2 sons on the 2 mile track that ascends Mt Sorrow, a 2100 ft mountain right on the coast with a spectacular view over Cape Trib to the Great Barrier Reef about 15 miles off shore. The last 1/2 mile of this walk is very steep, not your typical leisurely stroll through rainforest. [Interestingly Mt Sorrow was, like Cape Tribulation, named by Capt. Cook to commemorate his troubles after running aground on the reef in 1770. It also joins the list of other Cook-named peaks I have climbed on the east coast: Pigeon House, Mt Warning and the Glasshouse Mts.]
After dinner the first day, we did a couple of the Cape Trib boardwalks (Marrdja and Dubuji) in the dark, spotting for wildlife. Very spooky - particularly seeing crocodile eyes piercing the darkness and slowly moving across the water. We returned and did these walks in daylight on our last morning in Cape Trib. Both are very good, but Marrdja was my favorite. The walk goes over and though mangrove swamp with millions of aerial roots poking up, buttressed trees, and gigantic tree ferns. There is also a great spot overlooking Noah (?) Creek, breeding ground for crocodiles and the deadly box jellyfish, which occurs during the summer months.
On our second day, we took the Rum Runner boat out to the Barrier Reef. This was a suburb experience, much better than Quicksilver and other big cat trips we have taken to the reef in the past. For one, it is not a big boat - I think there were only 40 of us on board, giving everyone plenty of free space when snorkeling. Secondly, the snorkeling was absolutely incredible, some of the best I have ever done. The coral was in great shape and the fish were incredibly numerous and varied. We spotted a harmless reef shark, who quickly bolted and a few people spotted sea turtles. I was also happy that the crew gave everyone a pretty long leash to explore. On other boats in the past, I noticed they try to keep everyone herded in a small area, swimming on top of each other over the same patches of coral.
On the morning before departing Cape Trib, we did the boardwalks mentioned above, took a stroll along gorgeous Thornton Beach, and let the boys swim in the crocodile-free waterhole in Myall Creek near Masons Store.
Coming next: Driving the Bloomfield Track to Cooktown, exploring Cooktown, and returning to Cairns via the inland road.
After staying in Mossman for 2 nights we packed up and headed north to Cape Tribulation, crossing the Daintree River en route by ferry. North of the river, fields of sugarcane give way to dense rainforest for most of the drive. On the way, we stopped at the Alexander Lookout for a great view of the coast (including the mouth of the Daintree River), did the Jindalba rainforest boardwalk (one of three boardwalks we did - more later), and stopped at the very interesting Daintree Entomological (Insect) Museum.
In Cape Trib, we stayed 3 nights at the Ferntree Rainforest Lodge in one of the Garden Room units. Overall, a nice place to stay...we liked our unit a lot, though the food was quite middling. We ate dinner there once (average), at PK's Jungle Village (poor) and at the Hertitage Lodge Restaurant, Cooper Creek (very good).
On our first whole day in Cape Trib, the family split up. My wife and oldest son took an excellent tour of the rainforest guided by a local Aboriginal (wish I had the details, sorry) and visited the Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm for a tour and fruit tasting.
Being an avid hiker, I took my other 2 sons on the 2 mile track that ascends Mt Sorrow, a 2100 ft mountain right on the coast with a spectacular view over Cape Trib to the Great Barrier Reef about 15 miles off shore. The last 1/2 mile of this walk is very steep, not your typical leisurely stroll through rainforest. [Interestingly Mt Sorrow was, like Cape Tribulation, named by Capt. Cook to commemorate his troubles after running aground on the reef in 1770. It also joins the list of other Cook-named peaks I have climbed on the east coast: Pigeon House, Mt Warning and the Glasshouse Mts.]
After dinner the first day, we did a couple of the Cape Trib boardwalks (Marrdja and Dubuji) in the dark, spotting for wildlife. Very spooky - particularly seeing crocodile eyes piercing the darkness and slowly moving across the water. We returned and did these walks in daylight on our last morning in Cape Trib. Both are very good, but Marrdja was my favorite. The walk goes over and though mangrove swamp with millions of aerial roots poking up, buttressed trees, and gigantic tree ferns. There is also a great spot overlooking Noah (?) Creek, breeding ground for crocodiles and the deadly box jellyfish, which occurs during the summer months.
On our second day, we took the Rum Runner boat out to the Barrier Reef. This was a suburb experience, much better than Quicksilver and other big cat trips we have taken to the reef in the past. For one, it is not a big boat - I think there were only 40 of us on board, giving everyone plenty of free space when snorkeling. Secondly, the snorkeling was absolutely incredible, some of the best I have ever done. The coral was in great shape and the fish were incredibly numerous and varied. We spotted a harmless reef shark, who quickly bolted and a few people spotted sea turtles. I was also happy that the crew gave everyone a pretty long leash to explore. On other boats in the past, I noticed they try to keep everyone herded in a small area, swimming on top of each other over the same patches of coral.
On the morning before departing Cape Trib, we did the boardwalks mentioned above, took a stroll along gorgeous Thornton Beach, and let the boys swim in the crocodile-free waterhole in Myall Creek near Masons Store.
Coming next: Driving the Bloomfield Track to Cooktown, exploring Cooktown, and returning to Cairns via the inland road.
Aug 10th, 2008, 03:05 AM
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Good report. I do get a little upset people love Port Douglas so much because it is not unique and not typical of the area. It is like we don't really want to see the area ..just say we have been there.
The area always famous for adventure tourism yet attracts too many that do not want adventure.
I admire your reasons for travelling to Far North Queensland. If more had the right reasons to visit we would be getting polluted by same ld resort type places you can visit worldwide.
Aug 10th, 2008, 06:36 AM
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Part 4.
From Cape Tribulation we continued our trek north on the famous Bloomfield Track, a very rough unsealed road carved though pristine rainforest during the 1980's amid huge environmental protests. This section was the reason we had rented a 4WD. We definitely needed it - steep rocky hills, stream crossings, etc. I now see why rental firms are so reluctant to allow any vehicle, even 4WD, on this road. Fortunately, they will relent with 4WD during the dry season when streams are low.
Our first stop was South Cowie Beach. I should be keeping this a secret, but it is truly is a magical spot! And we had it all to ourselves. At low tide it was a quite a long walk out to the water's edge. I loved the isolated mangrove trees standing here and there, as well as its backdrop of rainforested mountain ranges.
Further on, we passed through the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal and side tracked a couple of km to the impressive Wujal Wujal Falls. What appeared to be a great swimming hole there was, unfortunately, off limits because of crocodiles. (Across the north of Australia this is often the case!)
Closer to Cooktown, but still well in "the bush" we stopped for a beer (or two) at the rustic tin roofed Lion's Den Hotel (i.e., pub). Something to be seen! Every square inch of wall is covered with grafitti and stickers. All kinds of things hang from the ceiling...boots, bras, bullwhips.. you name it. All kinds of memorabilia...old signs license plates, old beer bottles.
Next we stopped at the lookout over mysterious Black Mountain, a large hill that is literally a pile of black rocks standing out in distinct contrast with the surrounding terrain. Unfortunately, it is trecherous to climb and is off limits.
Coming up...Cooktown and the return to Cairns....
From Cape Tribulation we continued our trek north on the famous Bloomfield Track, a very rough unsealed road carved though pristine rainforest during the 1980's amid huge environmental protests. This section was the reason we had rented a 4WD. We definitely needed it - steep rocky hills, stream crossings, etc. I now see why rental firms are so reluctant to allow any vehicle, even 4WD, on this road. Fortunately, they will relent with 4WD during the dry season when streams are low.
Our first stop was South Cowie Beach. I should be keeping this a secret, but it is truly is a magical spot! And we had it all to ourselves. At low tide it was a quite a long walk out to the water's edge. I loved the isolated mangrove trees standing here and there, as well as its backdrop of rainforested mountain ranges.
Further on, we passed through the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal and side tracked a couple of km to the impressive Wujal Wujal Falls. What appeared to be a great swimming hole there was, unfortunately, off limits because of crocodiles. (Across the north of Australia this is often the case!)
Closer to Cooktown, but still well in "the bush" we stopped for a beer (or two) at the rustic tin roofed Lion's Den Hotel (i.e., pub). Something to be seen! Every square inch of wall is covered with grafitti and stickers. All kinds of things hang from the ceiling...boots, bras, bullwhips.. you name it. All kinds of memorabilia...old signs license plates, old beer bottles.
Next we stopped at the lookout over mysterious Black Mountain, a large hill that is literally a pile of black rocks standing out in distinct contrast with the surrounding terrain. Unfortunately, it is trecherous to climb and is off limits.
Coming up...Cooktown and the return to Cairns....
Aug 10th, 2008, 08:42 AM
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Ralph,
We're very much enjoying your trip report. Our trip to Australia will be in less than a month now. I had been trying to gather information on the relative merits of the various boardwalks between the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Your report has been very helpful. Thanks so much!
We're very much enjoying your trip report. Our trip to Australia will be in less than a month now. I had been trying to gather information on the relative merits of the various boardwalks between the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Your report has been very helpful. Thanks so much!
Aug 10th, 2008, 02:21 PM
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<I really hate that airline>
I hear ya, Ralph. I'm flying United on three separate flights over the next two days (moving to Perth) and I'm dreading it.
Enjoying your report - I hope to see some of these areas over the next few years. Thanks for taking the time to post...
I hear ya, Ralph. I'm flying United on three separate flights over the next two days (moving to Perth) and I'm dreading it.
Enjoying your report - I hope to see some of these areas over the next few years. Thanks for taking the time to post...
Aug 11th, 2008, 09:30 PM
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I'm enjoying your trip report as well, Ralph, and can't wait to read what you did in Cooktown! We didn't find a car rental to do the Bloomfield track--which one did you use? Thanks for posting.
Sally in Seattle
Sally in Seattle
Aug 16th, 2008, 09:22 AM
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Thanks all for your kind comments!
Part 5:
In Cooktown we stayed at the Seaview Motel on Charlotte Street. Nothing flash, but a great location near the water overlooking the Endeavor River. Here we enjoyed a very nice sunset just after checking in (July 14). We also found it very convenient to the Cook's Landing Kiosk restaurant where we had dinner that evening - relatively inexpensive, good quality, friendly, right on the water, open air dining. That evening, like he does every night apparently, the owner feeds fish from the dock just outside the dining area. That evening a couple of gigantic (!) fish came in for a feed - quite entertaining. The Kisok was so convenient and nice, we returned again for dinner the next night as well as for breakfast both mornings.
For our only full day in Cooktown, we took it relatively easy after our very full and adventurous time the day before on the Bloomfield Track. We all loved the town, which, due to its relative isolation (especially before the upgrade of the road connecting it to Cairns), has fortunately retained a lot of character. It is also a very historic place, not only as the spot where Cook came ashore in 1770 to repair his boat, but also as a gold rush town in the late 1800's (hence, some beautiful historic buildings such as the bank, old hospital, and several old pubs), as well as a base for Australian and American troops during WWII preparing for an anticipated Japanese invasion of Australia.
We started our day with a stroll through the Cooktown cemetery, learning some local history through characters such as Normanby Woman (a mysterious white woman found living with aboriginals in the 1800's) and Mary Watson (who settled on Lizard Island but was evicted by aboriginals who considered the island sacred ground, and died a short time later of thirst on another island). The Chinese shrine there speaks to the multicultural history of Cooktown and the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of Chinese people lived and worked in and around Cooktown during the gold rush.
For more history, we then visited the excellent James Cook Historical Museum. Among the collection is the anchor and a cannon from Cook's ship which he jettisoned in 1770 to free himself from the reef, and quite recently recovered at sea. It was very interesting reading the extracts from Cook's log describing his first contacts with the aboriginals as well as aboriginal accounts of the events. The beautiful building was built as a convent in the late 1800's and was occupied by US troops in WWII, who used it as a radio communication center. So there was not only Cook and aboriginal memorabilia, but also stuff from WWII as well as from the convent. Hard to imagine the Irish nuns coming to tropical Australia and having to wear those traditional black habits in the summer heat.
Admittedly, we burned the boys out somewhat with historical stuff so after lunch we let them relax at the motel pool while my wife and I did some more exploring. We drove to the top of Grassy Hill for a superb view over Cooktown, the Endeavour River and the ocean. This is also historic, being the place where Cook viewed the Barrier Reef from shore and spotted a passage out to continue his journey. Then we did short walks at the Botanical Gardens and at the lovely beach at Finch Bay (the boys would have liked that!).
Toward evening, we all returned to the top of Grassy Hill to enjoy a magnificent sunset and got some great family photos. Then we enjoyed another dinner at the Kiosk (think I had delicious Barramundi) near our motel. It was a nice relaxing day.
Next: the inland road to Cairns with a side trip to Laura
Part 5:
In Cooktown we stayed at the Seaview Motel on Charlotte Street. Nothing flash, but a great location near the water overlooking the Endeavor River. Here we enjoyed a very nice sunset just after checking in (July 14). We also found it very convenient to the Cook's Landing Kiosk restaurant where we had dinner that evening - relatively inexpensive, good quality, friendly, right on the water, open air dining. That evening, like he does every night apparently, the owner feeds fish from the dock just outside the dining area. That evening a couple of gigantic (!) fish came in for a feed - quite entertaining. The Kisok was so convenient and nice, we returned again for dinner the next night as well as for breakfast both mornings.
For our only full day in Cooktown, we took it relatively easy after our very full and adventurous time the day before on the Bloomfield Track. We all loved the town, which, due to its relative isolation (especially before the upgrade of the road connecting it to Cairns), has fortunately retained a lot of character. It is also a very historic place, not only as the spot where Cook came ashore in 1770 to repair his boat, but also as a gold rush town in the late 1800's (hence, some beautiful historic buildings such as the bank, old hospital, and several old pubs), as well as a base for Australian and American troops during WWII preparing for an anticipated Japanese invasion of Australia.
We started our day with a stroll through the Cooktown cemetery, learning some local history through characters such as Normanby Woman (a mysterious white woman found living with aboriginals in the 1800's) and Mary Watson (who settled on Lizard Island but was evicted by aboriginals who considered the island sacred ground, and died a short time later of thirst on another island). The Chinese shrine there speaks to the multicultural history of Cooktown and the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of Chinese people lived and worked in and around Cooktown during the gold rush.
For more history, we then visited the excellent James Cook Historical Museum. Among the collection is the anchor and a cannon from Cook's ship which he jettisoned in 1770 to free himself from the reef, and quite recently recovered at sea. It was very interesting reading the extracts from Cook's log describing his first contacts with the aboriginals as well as aboriginal accounts of the events. The beautiful building was built as a convent in the late 1800's and was occupied by US troops in WWII, who used it as a radio communication center. So there was not only Cook and aboriginal memorabilia, but also stuff from WWII as well as from the convent. Hard to imagine the Irish nuns coming to tropical Australia and having to wear those traditional black habits in the summer heat.
Admittedly, we burned the boys out somewhat with historical stuff so after lunch we let them relax at the motel pool while my wife and I did some more exploring. We drove to the top of Grassy Hill for a superb view over Cooktown, the Endeavour River and the ocean. This is also historic, being the place where Cook viewed the Barrier Reef from shore and spotted a passage out to continue his journey. Then we did short walks at the Botanical Gardens and at the lovely beach at Finch Bay (the boys would have liked that!).
Toward evening, we all returned to the top of Grassy Hill to enjoy a magnificent sunset and got some great family photos. Then we enjoyed another dinner at the Kiosk (think I had delicious Barramundi) near our motel. It was a nice relaxing day.
Next: the inland road to Cairns with a side trip to Laura
Aug 16th, 2008, 10:13 AM
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Sally - sorry, to answer your question, we rented from Budget, a Nissan Pilot. The excess was $5500 and we were completely liable for any damage to the top or underneath the vehicle as well as water damage. So, as you can imagine, I was driving very carefully!
Aug 17th, 2008, 03:47 AM
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Enjoying your report Ralph especially as am familiar with everything you've mentioned so far.
When in Cooktown, did you check out any reef trips? It does seem odd that there's a paucity there when its the closest (reasonably accessible) mainland town in FNQ to Great Barrier Reef and not far from Lizard Island. I did read in our local paper that two operators have been granted reef permits, but so far have heard nothing else.
When in Cooktown, did you check out any reef trips? It does seem odd that there's a paucity there when its the closest (reasonably accessible) mainland town in FNQ to Great Barrier Reef and not far from Lizard Island. I did read in our local paper that two operators have been granted reef permits, but so far have heard nothing else.
Aug 17th, 2008, 07:48 AM
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Hi Pat...Thanks - we looked into reef trips from Cooktown in advance of our trip but didnt find anything. As we had already gone out to the reef on Rum Runner at Cape Trib, we didnt enquire any further once we were actually in Cooktown. If there were any, it was not well advertised.
Aug 17th, 2008, 09:11 AM
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Part 6:
We left Cooktown on the morning of July 16 and it was raining fairly steadily (I thought this was the Dry Season?). The rain let off as we headed inland along the recently upgraded Mulligan Hwy back toward Cairns. We stopped again at the Black Mountain Lookout for a good look at this intriguing landmark in better light. Going this direction, as opposed to following the coast the way we had come, the look of the country quickly becomes typical northern Outback - termite mounds, grassland with well spaced trees (savannah), free ranging catte, kangaroos (dead on the road and alive).
At Lakeland (a center for peanut farming), we turned off the Mulligan Hwy, and headed north along the mostly unsealed Peninsular Development Rd. (Somewhat to my kid's consternation, I was determined to get the most out the 4WD!) En route, we took deep breaths encountering 50 meter (165 ft) road trains (and their huge clouds of dust) coming in the opposite direction. Entering a remote valley between escarpments, we stopped at the Split Rock aboriginal art site. We took the short (~500 meter) walk up the escarpment to the art gallery sited in an overhang of an enormous (split) rock. The paintings are excellent, a style ("Quinkan Art"
very distinct from the more widely known X-ray art seen at Kakadu and elsewhere.
After Split Rock, we continued along the Developmental Hwy to the small settlement of Laura. Here, we enjoyed Aussie burgers, games of pool, and "stubbies" of Fourex (XXXX) beer in the Laura pub before heading back down the Dev. Hwy toward Lakeland and Cairns.
The Mulligan Hwy back to Cairns was very scenic, hillier than I expected, with a few great lookouts over savannah counntry. It was too bad that some of the views were spoiled by rainy weather. At Marreeba on the Atherton Tablelands, the first town of significant size we had seen in a week, we headed east toward the coast, over the range to Cairns - a very steep and winding road after Kuranda.
We stayed at a Best Western motel in Cairns, enjoyed a great BYOB Thai dinner in town that night, then flew back to Brisbane the next morning.
All in all out trip to Far North Queensland was a huge success! We all had a fantastic time what is an incredibly beautiful, wild and varied part of the world. The only thing I regret is that we didnt stay longer! An extra day in Cooktown would have been especially nice.
We left Cooktown on the morning of July 16 and it was raining fairly steadily (I thought this was the Dry Season?). The rain let off as we headed inland along the recently upgraded Mulligan Hwy back toward Cairns. We stopped again at the Black Mountain Lookout for a good look at this intriguing landmark in better light. Going this direction, as opposed to following the coast the way we had come, the look of the country quickly becomes typical northern Outback - termite mounds, grassland with well spaced trees (savannah), free ranging catte, kangaroos (dead on the road and alive).
At Lakeland (a center for peanut farming), we turned off the Mulligan Hwy, and headed north along the mostly unsealed Peninsular Development Rd. (Somewhat to my kid's consternation, I was determined to get the most out the 4WD!) En route, we took deep breaths encountering 50 meter (165 ft) road trains (and their huge clouds of dust) coming in the opposite direction. Entering a remote valley between escarpments, we stopped at the Split Rock aboriginal art site. We took the short (~500 meter) walk up the escarpment to the art gallery sited in an overhang of an enormous (split) rock. The paintings are excellent, a style ("Quinkan Art"
very distinct from the more widely known X-ray art seen at Kakadu and elsewhere.After Split Rock, we continued along the Developmental Hwy to the small settlement of Laura. Here, we enjoyed Aussie burgers, games of pool, and "stubbies" of Fourex (XXXX) beer in the Laura pub before heading back down the Dev. Hwy toward Lakeland and Cairns.
The Mulligan Hwy back to Cairns was very scenic, hillier than I expected, with a few great lookouts over savannah counntry. It was too bad that some of the views were spoiled by rainy weather. At Marreeba on the Atherton Tablelands, the first town of significant size we had seen in a week, we headed east toward the coast, over the range to Cairns - a very steep and winding road after Kuranda.
We stayed at a Best Western motel in Cairns, enjoyed a great BYOB Thai dinner in town that night, then flew back to Brisbane the next morning.
All in all out trip to Far North Queensland was a huge success! We all had a fantastic time what is an incredibly beautiful, wild and varied part of the world. The only thing I regret is that we didnt stay longer! An extra day in Cooktown would have been especially nice.
Aug 19th, 2008, 09:43 PM
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We rented from Budget, also, but they said we could only take the inland road. Oh, well, we enjoyed ourselves. Nice to hear about your sidetrip to Laura, but disappointed you didn't get to see the museum/cultural center there. We stayed overnight at that pub, but didn't eat there (or drink any XXXX for that matter, guess we have to go back!) Very well done. The next time you're in Cooktown, take the Aborigine led tour to the art sites. Ditto for Laura. Very interesting, IMHO. Your trip report was very fun to read because of the different choices, plus the reminding of places we loved. I especially loved your descriptions of the terrain--it brought it all back. We loved the Grassy Hill lookout as well, and went there twice, once for the sunset. Magnificant! Planning your next trip yet???
Sally in Seattle
Sally in Seattle
Aug 24th, 2008, 05:43 AM
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Sally, Saltuarius...thanks for the kind words! I'm glad to hear people enjoyed the report. It takes quite a bit of time to do. But if it entertains/helps others and if it helps me document what was a great holiday, it's well worth it.
Sally...yes, it would have been nice to have had more time in Cooktown and Laura to do the tours you mention. We saw the cultural center in Laura and contemplated a visit. But the boys were getting a bit antsy to get back to Cairns at that stage [They weren't too keen on the Laura side trip in the first place, though they enjoyed the art site and pub once we got there.] But, as you say, there's always next time!
Sally...yes, it would have been nice to have had more time in Cooktown and Laura to do the tours you mention. We saw the cultural center in Laura and contemplated a visit. But the boys were getting a bit antsy to get back to Cairns at that stage [They weren't too keen on the Laura side trip in the first place, though they enjoyed the art site and pub once we got there.] But, as you say, there's always next time!
Aug 27th, 2008, 04:07 AM
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Thorougly enjoyed remainder of your trip report Ralph and am afraid I have to say I totally agree with your take on Port Douglas. You first saw it in the early 80's, it was about 1977 when I did and I thought it was one of the most perfect and unspoilt places in the country, then along came Christopher Skase (won't go into details of this criminal here, suffice to say that the Australian government spent years trying to extradite him from Spain where he fled to escape his creditors) with his Sheraton Mirage and the rest is history. A common tale in tourism, kill a pristine spot with over-development.
But happily, and as you have discovered, you don't have to travel far out of Port Douglas, or for that matter Cairns city, to experience a still natural environment with some of the best scenery in the country. Am not familiar with Fantail B&B, but know location and have stayed at Marae 3 or 4 times, on the same road, just behind Mossman. A different world, where there is still a concern for a natural environment.
But happily, and as you have discovered, you don't have to travel far out of Port Douglas, or for that matter Cairns city, to experience a still natural environment with some of the best scenery in the country. Am not familiar with Fantail B&B, but know location and have stayed at Marae 3 or 4 times, on the same road, just behind Mossman. A different world, where there is still a concern for a natural environment.
