Cape York 2020

Up very early and on the road.  We have planned for a huge day of driving to try and get us to Rockhampton tonight. It’s a funny thing, travelling.. but I find once I am on the way home , I just want to be there. I think we both feel the same this time. We have left the crew in various parts of North Queensland, so it’s just us now. It was a good day and we did make it to Rockhampton albeit about 6pm,  we’d had a few breaks and coffees and star jumps beside the car. Stayed at the historic Criterion Hotel, which was lovely and a nice steak for dinner. Up early again on Wednesday, this time with anticipation as we will be home tonight. Another good day of driving, stopping in Gympie for lunch. Home about 5pm, so good to see James and our Tess. It’s been another fabulous trip.  Great to get to the top/ tip again after so many years, the scenery and the memories made are priceless. Sadly but to be expected there were moments of acopia from all of us but I think we did great w...

Woke after restful sleep, enjoying a proper bed in a cool room. Last night on our return from Jackey Jackey Herb and spice Thai restaurant, I noticed a very funky looking cafe that will open at 6am Monday morning. Be still my beating heart..... So obviously this is our first port of call this morning for breakfast and real coffee. Served to us by a lovely Estonian lady who owns the business and has been doing it very tough during Covid, in fact only re opening recently. Working on her own at present because she can’t find anyone to work, this has been a pretty constant theme wherever we have been. Our plan is to start heading south today but not before being tourists in Cooktown. Sadly the James Cook museum is closed Mondays ( of course)  So after breakfast we toddled across the road to the James cook statue, the cannon, Queen Elizabeth steps. Then drove along the esplanade to the jetty and water park. Money has been spent here as it looks great and very welcoming.  We drive u...

Woke early, as it was cool this morning. Luckily no rain overnight to wash us out!  We got mostly packed away while it was cool then relaxed with a brew.  On the road, firstly  to musgrave on the PDR, pretty good with few corrugations and many bitumen sections.  We turn left to go through lakefield national park.  We cannot describe the diversity of landscapes, or the rapidity with which they change.  There are rain puddles by side of road with the start of a green carpet on the edges.  It is an amazing though harsh and remote place. The roads are remarkably good and we can average 80kph. Before long Isabella falls appears, though being at the end of the dry season it is less impressive than our memories of, but it is the end of the dry season. How beautiful it will be once the rain comes It is here we say goodbye to our travel companions and head into Cooktown. It has changed little in the 30 years since we were here last. The camping ground is still ...

The tired Frenchman’s track travellers have requested a lazy start today, which we did  but funnily enough we are still on the road by 9am. We choose to be a little touristy this morning and firstly head to the historical village of Portland road, about 15 k from chilli beach but essentially around the coastal corner. It is absolutely picturesque and has a little cafe, which is closed. Back on track and head into the aboriginal community of Lockhart, I was expecting something similar to Bamaga and it is the same, perhaps a bit smaller. The houses look pretty new or at least modern but just badly maintained. Stuff everywhere, not garbage necessarily but broken bikes, cars, toys just left where they fell. There is a modern school and a water park which also seems closed. There is a aboriginal art gallery that we looking forward to seeing but it’s closed. There is voting at the small council chambers but voted in Weipa, so no excuse to peep. The historical WW2 Gordon airstrip doesn’t ...