Day 6 - Bus / Drive to Daintree Village

Day 6 Thursday 22nd April, 2021

Got up and packed my pack as if to walk. CREB Track was out as there were too many ifs and if I walked three days and the river was still high I couldn't nil down any alternatives.

No word on Bloomfield track but I was not enamoured with that. So I booked a ticket from Ayton to Mossman and Trevor kindly offered to pick me up and drive me to the Daintree Village.

So I managed to get to the Daintree caravan park and initially was the only guest where set up the tent for night. I went across to the pub and had a pizza and beer. Not as rewarding as I had skipped three days walking but I couldnt face lentils for dinner so late in the afternoon.

Sill trying to talk to a land owner and have left 3 messages so far. Have no idea if its possible to climb the hill without the guidance of the property owner.

Raining again as I go to sleep.

Days 5 & 6 - More Rain

Bloomfield

The rain continues. Options are getting slim. The Daintree River is 2 metres deeper than I can cross and whilst it has reduced in height the constant top up of rain has meant it is staying high.

I was told today the Bloomfield Track had closed but cannot confirm it. But with the rain it would seem reasonable.

I rang the bus company that does a coastal run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they are not coming up through Cape Tribulation but are doing a modified run on Thursday where they drive the Mulligan Highway and come down to Wujal Wujal from the Cooktown side. I have to ring back before 4.30pm to see if it even running as there are rockslides and landslips on the Port Douglas road and the Jullaten Range. Did ring but they had gone home just after 4.

Day 4 - Bloomfield (Rain) 21st April, 2021

Day 4 - RAIN

As you may have expected the rain system that came in and has continued to hang around meant that I have propped and taken a cabin at the Bloomfield Beach Camp.

The rain comes down very heavy for long periods of time and I am constantly checking on websites for the level of rivers I may have to cross.

I did get a break with lighter rain to walk down to the local shops about a kilometre away. Stupidly I did this in my camp shoes which have rubbed a patch of skin off on both my feet.

Sometimes I think I need to remember all my lessons on walks and don't make those silly mistakes that can come back to haunt me. Like not putting on my wet pants at the right time, causing injury to my feet for no good reason or not tieing my hat on my pack correctly. The little things can bring you undone later. I walked back from the shop carrying my camp slip ons and that just causes more problems especially in North Qld in the wet with open wounds on feet.

So a couple of days now to contemplate the little things and then get back into the serious business of walking.

Trying to work through options now which include walking the Bloomfield track back down to Cape Tribulation but that is now closed to vehicle traffic. Walking the CREB and looking for a boat ride acrross the Daintree. Getting a lift back to the Lions Den and getting the bus back to Mount Molly.

Each one has it's problems with the rain moving south I can start walking again but the road closures cause me a problem. A bus just puts me back into the middle of the rain again for another couple of days and the road from Mount Molloy to Mossman is closed.

Another nights sleep and see what tomorrow brings it is still pissing down rain so some of the options are not getting any better.

Day 3 - Ayton / Bloomfield

Day 3 19th April, 2021

I passed the night at the campsite listening to the rain. Not at all concerned as it was light and intermittent. Camping by a creek does make you listen more but it didn't seem any water had been up to the tent site for a long time.

My aim today was to get to Ayton and beyond and camp at the beginning of the CREB (I think CREB stands for Cairns Regional Electricity Board) track. A lot of the walk diverts down these power pole access tracks. The distance planned was about 24 kilometres.

The days started ok with intermittent showers. I didn't don any rain gear as it is still fairly warm and you just sweat buckets inside. I should have put the pants on at least as it diverts the rain outside of the gators and boots. As the rain got heavier I was thinking about it and then the heavens opened and it was too late. I had to quickly bag those things like my phones and notes which is why there are not too many photos and I reckon after about 15 minutes Hughie had poured a bucket of about 20mm on me and it had wicked its way down my pants to my socks. Now whilst I have lived in North Queensland before you forget about the rain. I reckon I got Perths July Average over the next 2 hours.

Day 2 Blackmountain towards Ayton

 Day 2 Sunday 18th April, 2021

This was the day I started proper. Belinda and Isabelle were heading back to Townsville and I was on my own.

They dropped me off and we said our goodbyes. Isabelle had bought me a rock in Cooktown yesterday which was meant to give me courage. So now that is packed away. I suppose if anyone was going to mug me I could always throw the rock.

The walk down to the Lions Den hotel is a narrower yet cooler road. There is a lot more shade and as long as there is a breeze it was a pleasant walk.

We came down last night after Belinda picked me up as Trevor Simpson recommended their pizzas. They were good but it was the Ginger Beer on tap that I was sucking on like lollie water. They pour it over ice and add a slice of lime and Its about 4% alcohol but I loved it. Might have just been the hot and thirsty 27 kilometres I had just walked but I downed a couple.

This poor old camel has a right broken leg (needs a little TLC)

It looked like they were having some breakfasts(at the lions den) but at this stage I am not yet into the hiker hunger and a muesli bar sufficed.

As I was walking into Rossville a lady driving by stopped and said to me "You look like a man that could use some Rambutans".

She handed me a branch broken off a tree with about 7 fruit on it we decided to split it and I ended up with 4. Threw the branch away after I had removed the fruit and went into Rossville and sat on the side of the road and ate them. There was one dud but three of them were very juicy and sweet. I also spotted a discarded rambutan peel on the road so she had been into them before I saw her.

The afternoon was a bit of a chore in the heat as the wind died down and I was just a lather of sweat. Water control is a bit of an issue as I am not carrying a lot and rely on creeks as I walk. There were plenty of creeks today which helped as I was going through it faster than planned.

I arived at the planned campsite about 4pm. There's a nice creek flowing through but a lot of rubbish and toilet paper scattered . A little disaponting but I know following accesible places this was going to be the case.

Day 1: 17th April, 2021

 CookTown To Black Mountain

Yesterday evening I went for a walk in Cooktown from the motel to find the National Trail Start/Finish Cairn.

Today's walk ended up being mostly on the bitumen highway. The spots where the trail dives down fencelines or under pole routes are only just slashed or overgrown with 3-4 metre high spear grass.

Some of the route notes left me a little confused but when I decided to just follow the highway there was no need to worry any more.

I started about 6.30 in the morning and Nial, I haven't worked out the hat tie down and lost it within the first 3-4 kilometres! Lucky I have backups.

I managed to wander onto someones property and the dog had a massive head that looked like could chew my leg off quite comfortably. After talking to the owner who knows about the trail, but is not happy with people rolling up early morning setting the dogs off. So I backtracked and headed back to the highway.

Right: Cook watching me get lost

Below: Annan Bridge

It was a hot day with the temperature reaching 30 degrees and 84% humidity. I ended up down a creek at about 10.20am too cool off and promptly fell asleep. It's strange I have had 3 nights sleeping in beds yet today I fell asleep quite quickly on the rocks.

Belinda got a little worried when she had noticed I hadn't moved for an hour. But I felt really refreshed and cooled down for another couple of hours. My next rest was at Trevathan creek for another wash down and cool off.

Left: The Bridge not to take

My final push was up to the Black Mountain look out where Belinda picked me up and we went out to the Lions Den hotel for Pizza.

I spend one more night with Belinda and Isabelle then they head back down to Townsville. I will see them again in July McGowan willing.

The morning trail:

Trevathan Creek Crossing:

The Drive across from Perth to Qld

The drive across started a little late as I spent too long the night before chatting with Lee and Frances. The Port drinking may have also have had something to do with it.

I drove until I was tired and then just pulled up and slept in the car. A couple of hours at night but mostly day driving. Two kangaroo encounters along the way both during the day with one actually turning around and running into the back tyre on the drivers side. No damage to me but I bet he had a headache.

When I crossed the Darling river at Wilcannia it had a little water in it. Now this town was supposedly where the paddle steamers came up to, yet I have never seen the river more than knee deep. It was later in the day that I heard that the Darlings Flood waters were going through Mungindi and I couldn't get to Queensland via Moree, Mungindi or St George. So I turned north at Cobar to go through Bourke where the flood waters would arrive a little later in the week. It would be a fair few days before the waters would reach Wilcannia. There has been a lot of rain through this country and the plains have tall green grass for 1,000s of kilometres.

There was a lot of water damage on back roads from Tambo through to Clermont and thunderstorms every couple of hours. I got drenched in a downpour at Belyando Crossing but but as it was so warm I stood there in my shorts and singlet and just put up with it. It was the third bath I had coming across. Just no shampooing at the pumps allowed.

The following day was the first of my drives to a cattle station, Kirkland Downs, to drop of a food parcel. I drove the route I would walk and checked out the creeks. The two major ones on the Dotswood Road were flowing well and I hope that continues for the 5 weeks till I am back.

I then had to try and get through to the next Station, Kangaroo Hills, only to find that the road from Ewan north was currently impassable due to washouts. I left the parcel with Helen at Ewan which means I have to tack and extra day into the parcel further north.

I then had to back track around to Herveys Range road and through to the Lynd and up to Mount Garnet to go south down to the next Station, Yammanie, where I had a good chinwag with Vicki. She is looking forward to visitors this year.

From there its back up to Mount Garnet and onto Innot Hot Springs Caravan Park who will hold a parcel for me. I had planned a two night stop here in the luxury of a bed but my planned date puts me there on a weekend that is already booked out. I might have to either speed up or slow down to try and bring onto a week day.

As I went out of town I saw a sign to Irvinebank and since the trail passes through there I thought, Why Not? The initial road was rough and then it turned into a track and whilst I didn't need 4WD it was very slow going. When I eventuall crawled across a 40 metre wide creek into Irvinebank I thought, thank goodness I don't have that steep old road. Then I looked at the map and yep I do. It will be one hell of a day leaving Irvinebank. My car says we climb to 1000 metres but you do that by going up 100 down 50 then up 100 down 50 etc etc etc. That was coming in reverse.

If I knew it was the trail I might have taken more notice. Still there's plenty of water to start the climb and dry creek was running well.

I went through to Mutchilba and dropped my last box and drove to Mareeba then to Mount Molloy. The trail currently follows the main road from Mount Molloy to Mareeba and after driving I thought, "Not for Me". It will kill my hip constantly walking on the shoulder camber or the first bit out of Mount Molloy is just plain dangerous. Very Little or no road shoulder and a very busy road. I waved at a bloke riding a bike when I was crossing the Nullabor only to find out two days later he has been cleaned up by a truck. I am working on an alternative.

I dropped down to Mossman and have checked the current route out of the Daintree Village and whilst the first bit has no shoulder the road does not have heavy vehicles. The other bit is boring. However, I met up with an old workmate who is staying at Newell Beach (4k outside Mossman) who's son works on the council and is mates with the land owner that is causing the diversion. I will be following up later in the week and it currently looks good. Keeping this under the hat as I dont know the full story behind the reasons for no access at this time and I whilst I might get through I will ask for others coming behind me.

So now a bit of rest and playing tourist and getting some supplies for the next section before picking up Belinda on Friday and moving onto Cooktown.