Friday March 9
Dad’s 89th birthday is today. A bunch of kids and grandkids will be going up for a visit and a celebration.
Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown
Our “vehicle” arrived at 8:00. It is a four wheel drive bus sort of thing that looks more like a small tank than anything. There are six others with us. We traveled the coast road all the way from Port Douglas to Cooktown – a total of EIGHT hours – OMIGOD !!! We traveled the dirt, mud, downed-tree strewn Broomfield track for about 69 km through the rainforest. We fjorded small streams, crossed a road that was covered with water from a sluice way, and climbed hills that were about 45 degrees and seemed even steeper ! Someday, I am going on a vacation where I just lie on a beach and have a cabana boy bring me drinks ; ) It was very beautiful but after awhile –truth ? boring.
Oue driver and guide, Sidney, was great. He was a wealth of information on the history of the area and the people, wildlife, and flora of the area. He narrated a great deal but gave us a rest from the patter sometimes too.
We stopped a few times for photo ops and food. Actually saw a kangaroo in the wild and got a photo !!! yea !!! Also stood on Cape Tribulation where the rainforest actually comes to the shore and meets the Great Barrier Reef – the only place on earth where two world heritage sites meet.
Cooktown was a HUGE yawn – absolutely nothing to see or do. Capt James Cook sailed up the East Coast of Australia and ran upon the Great Barrier Reef and blew a hole in his boat. That was at Cape Tribulation – where all the trouble began. He patched up the hole with pig and cow urine and mud and hay and wrapped his sail around it. Then he made his men row to the nearest harbor – which turned out to be a place that he called – what else? - Cooktown, where he stayed for 37 days while he made repairs. That is the Cliff notes version but you get the idea. This intrepid sailor and unbelievable navigator was incredibly unimaginative when it came to naming places. Tribulation for where he had trouble. – The low isles when he saw – you got it a low island…. Anyhow a four hour ride back by the highway in the dark ended our trip – thank God for ipod !!
Dad’s 89th birthday is today. A bunch of kids and grandkids will be going up for a visit and a celebration.
Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown
Our “vehicle” arrived at 8:00. It is a four wheel drive bus sort of thing that looks more like a small tank than anything. There are six others with us. We traveled the coast road all the way from Port Douglas to Cooktown – a total of EIGHT hours – OMIGOD !!! We traveled the dirt, mud, downed-tree strewn Broomfield track for about 69 km through the rainforest. We fjorded small streams, crossed a road that was covered with water from a sluice way, and climbed hills that were about 45 degrees and seemed even steeper ! Someday, I am going on a vacation where I just lie on a beach and have a cabana boy bring me drinks ; ) It was very beautiful but after awhile –truth ? boring.
Oue driver and guide, Sidney, was great. He was a wealth of information on the history of the area and the people, wildlife, and flora of the area. He narrated a great deal but gave us a rest from the patter sometimes too.
We stopped a few times for photo ops and food. Actually saw a kangaroo in the wild and got a photo !!! yea !!! Also stood on Cape Tribulation where the rainforest actually comes to the shore and meets the Great Barrier Reef – the only place on earth where two world heritage sites meet.
Cooktown was a HUGE yawn – absolutely nothing to see or do. Capt James Cook sailed up the East Coast of Australia and ran upon the Great Barrier Reef and blew a hole in his boat. That was at Cape Tribulation – where all the trouble began. He patched up the hole with pig and cow urine and mud and hay and wrapped his sail around it. Then he made his men row to the nearest harbor – which turned out to be a place that he called – what else? - Cooktown, where he stayed for 37 days while he made repairs. That is the Cliff notes version but you get the idea. This intrepid sailor and unbelievable navigator was incredibly unimaginative when it came to naming places. Tribulation for where he had trouble. – The low isles when he saw – you got it a low island…. Anyhow a four hour ride back by the highway in the dark ended our trip – thank God for ipod !!
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