Easter at Cape Tribulation

Thursday, 24th March to Monday, 28th March inclusive -- Cape Tribulation Camping Ground

Sunrise at Cape Trib Campground

Our planned two nights here became five nights. Being Easter and school holidays the campground was fully booked from Friday through to Sunday with most campers departing on Monday morning. We prefer to 'free' camp when we travel but there are no 'free' camp spots in the Daintree so for this period we had to bite the bullet and stay amongst the crowd. But not a bad decision as it was very pleasant camped where one can go to sleep to the sound of the ocean!

Our time at Cape Trib was filled with adventurous activities interspersed with relax time. On our first day we enjoyed a walk to a freshwater swimming hole followed by lunch at Mason's cafe which is famous for its burgers - wild boar, camel, buffalo, kangaroo, emu and crocodile. Yes, the OWO did try one!

Croc, Roo, Camel or Emu?  Mmm...

Mason's swimming hole

Croc hunting -  snapping handbag!

After eating croc we then went seeking crocs with a local boat tour through the mangroves along Cooper Creek. This was an interesting expedition through some very pristine waters spotting three or four saltwater crocodiles.

Croc sighting signs everywhere

Mangroves in croc country

Day two was a 'taste and walk' day. First up was a stop at the local tropical fruit farm to sample their homemade ice cream. The orchards are open for the public to walk through and there are some very 'interesting' and exotic fruits grown here --- sapote, mangosteen, lychee, dragonfruit, Durien, jaboticaba, rambutan, soursop and too many others to remember. The ice cream was delicious.

After such a sweet delight we had to walk off those extra calories and spent the next two hours hiking through the rainforest and mangroves on the Marrdja Boardwalk. This is only 1.2kms in length but there was a lot to stop and see, including the beautiful water dragon that we photographed and some fascinating little crabs with bright red claws.

Red claw crab

Beautiful water dragon

Back at camp we finished our 'taste and walk' day with a superb wood-fired seafood pizza, a cold beer, and some interesting conversations with fellow campers.

Ocean Safari vessel for Mackay Reef

Day three was a tick on my bucket list --- a snorkelling trip on the Mackay reef. What a fabulous day. We were fitted out with stinger suits before boarding the rigid inflatable boat for a 25 minute fast ride to Mackay reef. I was very excited when I spotted a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. Snorkelling on the reef was awesome. We didn't spot any turtles but the coral colours were amazing and we saw rays, sea cucumbers, and giant clams. We also saw a little 'Nemo'. What an awesome day. The return trip was a fast, exhilarating ride and back on the beach we were able to stroll back to the campground.

Day four was a relax day after so much activity yesterday. Being Easter Day the camp owners had organised a day of family activities for the children including a hat parade, egg hunt, and movies. Many families met on the beach and enjoyed a game of beach cricket. With no children in tow we just relaxed and watched the activities around us. We did send special birthday wishes to our lovely grand daughter FREYA who was TEN today -- happy birthday beautiful girl!

Day five was an extra unplanned stopover. Most of the campers left today heading south back to the ferry. We chose to stay another night to avoid the main traffic departure. We had also not yet made a decision about continuing northwards. It was unlikely that we would, as all NPs are closed in the north until the end of May. However we still wanted to drive the Bloomfield track and today was the day.

Emmagen Creek crossing Bloomfield Track

Bloomfield Track

Without towing 'Ada' the Bloomfield track these days is quite a doddle although there are two extremely steep sections that tested our vehicle just a little, and a few rough creek crossings. It is a dirt road as far as Wujal Wujal then bitumen all the way to Cooktown.

We drove as far as the iconic Lions Den pub.

History of the Lions Den Hotel

Lion's Den Pub - end of Bloomfield Track

Art work inside pub - note all the writings on the wall

Bloomfield Falls

Bloomfield Falls in full flow

Where the ocean meets the rainforest

Just outside WW there is a track leading to the Bloomfield falls.

After parking the vehicle there is quite a scramble over rocks to get to the falls but it was so worth it. After all the rain the falls were in full flow and absolutely superb. No swimming here though, as there is a resident saltie in the area.

On our return trip we stopped in at Cape Tribulation beach in search of a sea eagle nest that the OWO had been told about. We did actually spot the eagle flying above us but no nest.

However, it was a lovely walk on the beach and along the boardwalk. A great way to finish our time at Cape Trib.

Beautiful Cape Tribulation beach

Beach walking at Cape Tribulation