Sunday 1st August 2021
Well after 4 nights it is time to move on but before we go a little walk to the Botanical Gardens, Finch Bay via Quarry Rd and Cherry Tree Bay along a 5km bush track. It was a bit harder than I was expecting, I thought it was just a little walk to the beach. Then on our way south at about 10.30am.
Out first stop was the Lions Den Hotel but unfortunately the number of people stopped there sent us on our way. We are still trying to be Covid cautious and avoiding crowded places. Then on to the Bloomfield track, this was a 32km beautiful drive along a dirt road through beautiful rainforest. Some sections have been concreted for safety as the gradient on some of these roads where between 17% and 30%. So very steep. We crossed a few creeks and looked for some more crocodiles, had a walk at Cape Tribulation with a lot of young backpackers. David had a grump moment as they had left lots of beer bottle and rubbish around. I think it is more that we had started travelling south. A week in Port Douglas with the remainder of the Olympics might cheer him up tomorrow.
We then kept travelling a little south, walked the Madji Rainforest loop before arriving at tonights home for the night “Daintree Rainforest Retreat”, a lovely little room in the rainforest to watch some more Olympics tonight.
Tomorrow we are hoping to hike to Mt Sorrow. A difficult 7km return hike up a 900m elevation. Eeeekkk!
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- A lovely stroll through the botanical gardens at Cooktown – a Weeping Paperbark Tree
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- Lipstick Palm
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- Beautiful colours
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- Amazing colours in the tree bark
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- As we walk down to Finch Bay, yet another crocodile watch, No luck again
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- Heading back onto the track from Finch Bay, the rocks were amazing
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- An incredible spiral palm
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- A tricky ascent up these rocks to the Finch Bay lookout
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- Looking down to Finch Bay for the first rocky..
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- And then again from the upper rock.
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- A little rest at Cherry Tree Bay – unfortunately the sun went behind the clouds
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- Back in the Botanical Gardens – The Vanilla Orchid vine grows in a zig zag pattern up the tree trunk
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- Cat’s Whiskers
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- A python carved out of Ironside timber
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- The beautiful Cooktown Orchid
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- Black Mountain as we head out of Cooktown
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- The Lion’s Den Hotel – a famous Mining Pub
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- The start of the Bloomfield Track
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- The Bloomfield River
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- Roadworks on another very steep section of the Bloomfield Track
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- Looking down to a beach along the way
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- Some interesting leaves covering a little circular fruit pod
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- Emmagen Creek crossing – a little water to cross
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- A quick look for crocs in Emmagen Creek
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- Looking out to Cape Tribulation
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- The incredibly smooth creek along the Madji Rainforest walk – you can’t really see where the foliage stops and the reflection begins
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- Incredible fan palms on the Madji Rainforest loop
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- It was only a 134km driven today but it was a very long drive time wise. The road was very, very winding and quite steep up and down.