31st August

It’s our last day at Daintree today. We will get out on the river again at least once.

There have been few passing drizzles during the morning. I guess that means the humidity went from 95% to 105% for a few minutes… Nice breeze is back so we (Maz) are washing the dirty clothes prior to leaving tomorrow. I am on tea and coffee duty.

Discovered there is a roving hairdresser in the park, so have lined up a trim with Elizabeth. Seven weeks growth, and the humidity curling it up, has got to me. And she has done a good job!

Elizabeth left (home at) Airlie Beach a bit over a year ago in her Ford Econovan, has been around Oz. When she got back to Airlie she decided it was too cool so has come up here until it warms up (that extra 4 degrees…) She has a part-time job somewhere as well as the odd haircut, so has afforded to stay 4 months already.

So with washing done and hair trimmed, guess we better line up a boat trip. The boat pass actually ends today – pretty good value, so we will wring out our last dollars worth.

We have jst been for our fifth river cruise with Jan who took us on the first one, and recognized us!! Good fun same crocodiles. “Barrat’ the big male looks fstter, well fed…

So now for a quiet evening and off south in the morning.

30th August

Another fine day ahead while southern QLD is being hailed on… Started my first James Patterson book, while Maz in into a book by Susun Arnout Smith… Have been planning where to build a book-shelf in the bus – for next time!

Mid morning, for the first time, we are the only people in the lower part of the park. It is very quiet! Not for long though.

Did some prep for a CASA phone call mid-afternoon. They forgot/didn’t call… Kept moving my chair and laptop around following the shade and staying in the delightful breeze. Another 30 degree day and not so humid.

Burger night tonight so we ordered and headed up to eat at the new Daintree Entertainment Centre (under the tarp) Yacked to new neighbors. By dark there was a healthy crowd on the lower park.

Tonight’s neighbors, two couples 4WD’ing around… Just back from Cape York via the scary CREB track (remember the helicopter rescue several weeks ago) even dry there was enough moisture in the gullies to make it ‘interesting’… Colin has a 4WD specialist diesel garage in Modbury SA and needs to get back in the near future as they are coming to end of this years 3 months off… Nice guy and somewhere between loquacious and gregarious…

29th August

It’s actually foggy this morning, well heavy mist anyway; a good morning to do some (paid) work. CASA colleague, Anna, has been off moving house, so there is a bit more than usual where I can be useful to CASA…

Most of the day Maz and I have been quietly reading – and chatting to fellow travellers. Cooked up the rest of the flathead fillets/tails for dinner with potato salad, Glorious evening….

28th August

Yesterday morning we had lots of kids yelling bright and early. Not here today so a sleep in until 7AM!! And it’s a misty morning after a warm night; a sheet only.

Just checked the programmed online Bill Payments. Have managed to have most bills emailed, or email alerted – except for Origin who are/which is one of Australia’s biggest energy retailers,  for whom it is too hard…

Just been for our first lap of Daintree Village hot and very sticky already. Need a little bit of a breeze – not as much as at Cooktown however. Almost wish it would rain to clear the air… Oh yeah – Wet tropics… doh!

Have just contacted Tony and Helen Sanders so will go via their place at Glen Allyn – 5km east of Malanda, Thursday. So back up the hill to Mt Molloy, Mareeba and Atherton.

A quiet and glorious afternoon  - with a cooling breeze (29) – with SAT TV Footy – Suns did alright… Beer o’clock with neighbors, from Wagga Wagga! Now it’s Chicken Taco time. A tough day, but we are getting practice at handling it!

27th August

Another beautiful day after the light mist burned of by 8AM. Got out for our first lap of Daintree, which must be about 1.5-2km. Will do it again later.

Maz has decided to salvage our last banana – which is past its eat-by date. So its banana pancakes for breakfast. Worked a treat. Washed down with nice coffee and Daintree Tea for Maz, excellent.

Meanwhile there is light medium level cloud so the temperature (in the sun anyway) is down, but the humidity is up…

Philip is around with flyers for Burger Night to night, but we have fish that needs cooking, and leftover pizza. Oh and there will be live music again… yes they are staying another night. We will stay ‘home’… and watch the footy.

How about a footy miracle Swans beating Geelong at Kardinia Park. And Saints after an ordinary first half pulled their fingers out for the second. And Australia beating New Zealand at real rugby. How good is that!!! Bledisloe Cup after 10 years.

26th August

While we were away the owners have been busy, covering the new camp kitchen, social area near the road – a 10 x 12 metre canvas roof. Just had posts a week ago. Tonight is the ‘wetting’ of the big tarp-top. And it’s pizza night, the special is garlic prawn pizza. No prize for guessing Maz’s choice. I’ll have a supreme for a change…

Oh and there will be live music. Guess what, the displaced neighbors will provide it. So they are saying – quid pro quo…

Great day, although a bit hot. Might have touched 30. Even turned the bus aircon on for a while late in the afternoon!!

Headed up for the pizzas. Listened politely to the country songs. Not bad in fact: but for us – only on small doses. The Skinny woman was apparently the roadie – but just sat drinking and smoking, as she had all day. Couldn’t even manage the vital task of keeping the beers up to the (two person) band. Shocking, and still looking generally unhappy.

Had an interesting chat with a local who praised the salvation/resurrection of the caravan park. The previous owner messed up so badly the word was stay away… caravans would arrived do a u-turn and leave, Now the village shops have a reason to stay open and have some stock… And boy the park is busy; until the wet season anyway.

We only made it through half our respective pizzas and adjourned.

25th August 2011 - back at Daintree Village

Good night under the trees next to the Daintree River. Coffee’d up and fronted up for the Croc Express at 8:20. The paying passengers arrived, an Asian family of 5. Where are you from – USA, LA! Wanting to see first crocodile. Well this morning the big fella was missing but found a couple of smaller (3+m) females, Rusty (grey and brown) and Lizzie (as in QEII!!). But a treat for me, found a nest of green tree snakes male and female in a log over the water. Very pretty. I like (non-venomous) snakes.

The river is a bit different near the ferry being much closer to the sea. Salt water under the fresh so there are likely bull sharks about, as there are as far south as, well Sydney, Harbor… watch your hands! And of course there are Baramundi to keep the baby croc numbers under control...

Finished breakfast and amble up the road to Daintree village about 1030. Our booked and paid for corner has two vans in it. Not to worry the day is young. We backed the bus around, lining up for when they leave, and settled down where we were… They didn’t go – decided to stay on.  So about 1330 Phillip the manager and brother of co-owner Sally had a quiet word. That we had booked and paid for this powered site. One of the three didn’t take it well, aside from occupying a powered site at non-powered rates.

When they had moved over we backed up, put the front wheels on our new ramps – almost level, and jacks to stabilize a bit. We are in! Apologised for the disruption… Skinny woman in displaced van came to collect a cover left behind – with a look on her face for Maz, clearly wishing us to eat sh!t and die… Whatever!

Bit of work , bit of reading – great. We do like it here. Notwithstanding one neighbor. Hopefully they will move on soon.!

Picked up the spare parts for the awning from the post office and fitted the new die-cast brackets so we can use the awning again, cautiously.

Set up the satellite – 3 minutes !!! Sun, shade, a great view, cold beers, and TV!!!

23rd August 2011 - Lions Den, Bloomfield Track !

Very windy overnight, blew the satellite dish right over! Admittedly the pegs weren’t far in the rock hard ground. Drove around Cooktown before topping with fuel and heading down the road mid morning.

Stopped to take pix of the Black Mountains – volcanic cones that have fractured into big granite blocks/rocks and are covered in lichens which make them seriously black.

Down the start of the Bloomfield track – the bus on a dirt road (took pictures!!!) 

Ride the corrugations well – big tyres. The Lions Den Hotel established 1874 – in the middle of nowhere… well it has occurred to me that it is about half way from Cooktown to the Palmer River and the Gold Rush of 1873+… 

Interesting place and atmosphere. The camp-ground filled up in the afternoon with 4WD GNs (Grey Nomads). The pair in a 5^th wheeler next door have been on the road for 4 years. Sold the house. The couple on the other side, with a Land Criuser and a fold out camper, have been living in it since last October – sold the house, stored the stuff… just back from Cape York.

Thought we better try the LDH food. Baked, spiced Barra. Fabulous. House white Hunter Valley Chardy, not so… but okay) Adjourned, tired – from the 30km drive… Heading south tomorrow, but no firm plan.

24th August 2011 - Daintree River Crossing

Awoke; always a good thing. Ablutions all round (including Honey). Satellite TV news, cool. Only took 3 minutes to set it up last night. Guess I must have it figured. We have decided on 3 or 4 alternate plans…

Next stop at the Palmer river Roadhouse – an icecream for morning tea – looxery. Continued on to Mt Molloy (200 km from LDH). Checked out the town – 5 minutes. Decided we might as well go down the hill to Mossman and get shopping - 30 km to Woolys! Another fortune on food and stuff, and drugs for me.

We have 2 alternate plans now: go straight to Daintree or try for a boat trip at the ferry Crossing. We still have a week to go on our Crocodile Express pass. Missed the last trip by 15 minutes – due to a coffee at the Crossroads Café. Have decided to park for the night and go first trip tomorrow.

The boat has come back and nailed the driver, Denis, who immediately invited us for a quick trip to see a big croc while he moors the boat for the night. ‘Stumpy’ (only 3.5 legs) is apparently about 80 – no teeth, but doesn’t really need then as he could crush a skull with his gums anyway!!!.

So we have parked – definitely not ‘camped’ in the corner of the carpark and plan to make the 8:30 trip in the morning.

22nd August

Windy night. Blew sh!t out of the place – including the satellite dish alignment. Five minutes with the satellite finder, back in business.

Went for an hour walk dragged by Honey most of the way. Watched a reef Fishing Tours boat unloading their catch – many, many kg of red emperor, coral trout, etc

Then did some CASA work, hanging onto the laptop lest it be blown from my hands. I love the irony of the Cooktown tourism motto… ‘It’ll blow you away!’ True!!!

My turn for a read: the new Baldacci book. Not the usual conspiracy drama, so I’ll see…

Anyway watching News then cooking the last of the Mulwala meat – a Chicken Kiev. Tomorrow we are off to the top of the Bloomfield Track at Helenvale - about 30km down the road - and are staying at the Lions Den Hotel – well in their camping area. So the bus will be taken 4km off the tarmac…

Don’t expect NextG there so sending the update tonight. Cheers.