We here we go with the Cape York trip and it looks like this will be part 1 of 3 given the size for the blog page to fit it all on and to avoid a brain fade on your part with information overload.
Before you continue reading Linda & I enjoyed the trip to Cape York immensely and we had a great time; the accommodated tour (which we thought we had booked) would have been a better option (in our opinion).
I thought the best way to explain this is to open with what we as a couple were required to do on this trip; from here on in I will be referring to this as a “trip” or an “experience”. Why you may ask not call it a “holiday” and the following few photos and subsequent explanation should give you the answer; if it doesn’t then may I suggest you start reading from the beginning again when the alcohol and cerapax wear off.
A holiday to me brings visions of getting up late, having a slow continental or cooked breakfast, relaxing at your leisure throughout the day, buffet style lunches fit for kings, dinners to match the best a la carte restaurants and the best mattress and duck down pillows to sleep away the nighttime hours ready for another day of luxury living and entertainment.
That is why this will be referred to as a “trip”, “experience”, “must do”, “have to see” etc. etc but it never will be discussed (by me) as a “holiday”.
The bus we travelled on was brand new and Oz Tours had not long took delivery of this purpose built machine; it has a seating capacity of 17 plus 2 crew (driver & cook). Our group was 11 so we had plenty of spare seats and could move around; leg room was not great but the seat did recline a little so not to bad to travel on, sort of like a council bus on steroids.
The tent you see above was handed to Linda and I in a bag marked “Number 5” and we were told “this is your home for the whole of the trip”; we said “very nice but who puts it up for us”. This was the time I realised the accommodation was not what we thought it would be.
All of us were given instructions (a bit like the scouts) the correct way to put the tent up and how Oz Tours expected it to be packed away each morning. One thing that seems familiar on all tents is the bag you pack it back into; it seems to shrink overnight and the bag always ends up smaller than the tent when when you are trying to re pack it.
We were also told how each morning would unfold; this revolved around the 6, 7, & 8 rule, 6am everyone up and pack the tent, 7am breakfast and clean up, 8am all on the bus for more thrills.
Each day in driving along to our next destination the bus would suddenly come to a halt at the side of the road, our next task was to collect firewood; I realised that BBQ’s and camp oven cooking did need a fuel source but I did not have a clue that we were the labour force expected to collect it (silly me).
Being able to have a cooked dinner at night seemed to be a good incentive to get everyone off the bus for a timber run.
Every meal time held a special treat (washing up); yes we had to wash, dry and put away our own plates, eating utensils etc. All part of that Cape York experience.
On one of the rivers we crossed on the Bloomfield Track this strange boat was pointed out to us, looks a bit like a train. It is a crocodile viewing boat; tourist board one of the carriages and it travels along the bank looking for crocs for photographs.
One of the morning tea come loo stops we made; most of the facilities were waterless or had manual water pumping handles.
Because of the flex in the bus between cab and the bus seating there was an open divider through to the driver and front cab section; on some of the roads we went on you could see quite a twist and deflection between the coach and cab sections.
The Lions Den was a pub stop along the Bloomfield track; we only stopped 15 minutes but just enough time for me to drink 2 stubbies (mine) and another half a one (Linda’s).
Sign outside The Lions Den hotel.
We arrived in Cooktown mid to late afternoon and the above is called “The Musical Ship”; in a blog I did some time ago of Winton they had a “Musical Fence”, the ship worked in a similar way, there were tubes and other objects with notes on them, just bash the bits and it’s music to you ears (more like a lot of noise).
The above is the Captain Cook statue on Cooktown harbour; he’s the one with bird shit down the front of his shirt. I will put up another couple of Cooktown pictures on the next post.
I am hoping to complete part 2 of this trip over the next week or so; this should take us up to Bamaga. Part 3 will most likely have The Tip, Thursday Island & Horn Island.
Until then we hope you are all well; if you are travelling keep safe on the roads.
Love & warm regards to all our family and friends.
David & Linda – The DavLin Rig
