Day 7 - Daintree

Day 7 - Friday 23rd April, 2021

Belinda sent the property owner a text message last night and as I was packing the pack he rang with the directions I needed.

So with those in mind I wandered out of Daintree Village just as the were opening up. Whilst it rained last night it was now dry but overcast.

I have wanted to go this way as there are only a few spots in the first couple of hundred kilometres that are more interesting than a plod down a highway. The trip over the CREB track was one that I had already missed and i will come back and do it as a stand alone walk.

Stewart creek road wanders through some rain forest and open cattle farms. There was plenty of water after the rains and my first path of rainforest saw me pick up a cloud of mosquitos.

I came across a herd of cows on the road after Harlows Bridge. Lovely cows....piss smell now. But it looked like I was going to chase them over the range as they all just kept moving in front of me along the road. That was until a car came through so they had to chose a big open paddock to the side instead of the little red suzuki and the scary man. The sun also came out at this time and I was just dribbling sweat out of every pore.

There was a little paddock of goats and one looked at me and let out a little bleat and I noticed his head was stuck in the fence. I jumped over and manouvered his head and horns back through. Forgot to take a photo for Frances.

Finally came to the concrete causeway. Hmmm, water was flowing a little fast but the depth was only about 150mm. This is where that "conditioning" I was carrying and the two walking poles helped. Each foot placement was made slowly as when I put the foot into the water the current pushed it back. But one foot and two poles would always be grounded when taking a step and I got across ok.

Then it was a march acoss the grassy paddock to the little grassy rise I could see in the distance. Sun and humidity was taking its toll and my first scramble up the slope took a lot out of me. I dropped the pack as I could hear a creek and I had to scramble down to load up with water as I didn't know what was up top.

Here I picked up some leaches that I had to pick off over the next couple of hours. So I added 3 kilograms to the pack and headed up this track. I was glad it was clear but boy it was steep. I asked the property owner if he minded me passing on the information to walkers following, although they are towing monowalkers. His response was OK "But I hope thay are built like draughthorses if they want to tow anything up that slope"

One spot had gravity winning the fight on the slippery clay. I was sliding down hill trying to stab my poles in an effort to stop. In the end it was only 2 metres but I was thinking if I keep going its about a 30 metre section and it was steep and I really didn't want to do it twice.

With my head down I failed to notice the Wait-a-While vines hanging down and next thing I'm caught up with 2 or 3 vines wrapped over the backpack and my arms. Lost a little blood but the 3 litre bladder of water now had a small hole in it.

I eventually made the top but I was buggered! The path now follows the ERGON maintenance track and its about 9 kilometres through to the other side of the range. This track also goes up and down but whilst steep in parts is not as hard to handle. I did about 7 kilometres of it and decided to camp in a clear area beside a pole. The mentioned camp is down by the road at the end of the track but I like the solitude up here. Little bit of sun meant I lay everything out for some drying and air.

As I'm writing this the sun is going down and the rain has started. So the tent goes in wet again tomorrow.

The misty mountain look

The pole route to the top of the hill

The grassy paddock to cross

The trail up

The pole track up top

Elevation