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Rex's lookout
On the way back from Cape Tribulation. You can see Endeavour reef from here named by Captain cook. Wed 6th: Cairns to Daintree National Park (Noah's beach) Checked out of Dorms. They were not a place for couples at all. And got our free transfer to the Maui/Hertz office and picked our cool campervan. Yes Campervans are cool, really. We managed to clock up 1129 Kilometres (705 miles) in 11 days in one. And possibly filled it up with the wrong type of fuel before returning it.
Spec: Toyota Hi-Ace EFI 2.4 2wd (0.5 Mp/G, 50 BHP, 0-60 10 minutes.)
Mods: Fully fitted kitchen, Double and Single Bed, Fridge, Cooker and sink.
So we went to the QWPS and booked a campsite for the night. Deciding to head north first we went up to Noah’s beach, in Daintree national park up in Cape Tribulation. Just because we wanted to see where the rainforest meets the beach, which is actually a really beautiful thing to see and pretty amazing when the sun breaks through the clouds. In the distance out to sea you can see the inner reef, whilst stood on a nice sandy beach with a Rainforest right behind you.
So we left Cairns and Leanne did a few things -
1. Drove over 100 Kmp/H -
Our Campervan
Has a table and everything! after never going above 60 Mph back home.
2. Drove on a Highway
3. Drove something bigger than a car
4. Drove in a Foreign country
5. Drove a 2wd vehicle on unsealed roads
6. Drove on winding country roads (through a rainforest)
7. Drove a non-Ford (She often indicated with the wipers)
8. Claimed her first Roadkill (a suicidal bird)
On the way to the park we stopped at
Rex Lookout point where you can see endeavor reef. The one that grounded Captain Cook’s Ship ‘Endeavor’, aswell as ‘Double island’, then we stopped at
Alexandra lookout, and then went to walk on
Jindalba and
MarrdjaBoardwalks. We got to the park in one piece, and again - nice beach but the Crocodiles and Stingers mean no swimming. Matt went on a croc hunt on a creek that ran onto the beach, going past the signs that say Warning: Crocodiles may inhabit this area
for a picture of a croc. None to be seen.
So, we got an early night when it got dark and slept pretty well.
Thu 7th: Daintree National park
Went up to Cape Tribulation town after a lie-in (the first since forever) to Our Camperbed
It was actually really comfy and there was plenty of room. get supplies (water, milk, teabags, beans, bread - the essentials) and to phone around, sorting camera out and booking another night here. Then we went and did
Dubudi and
Mangrove Boardwalks before spending most the day one the beach.
It’s an odd experience being on a beach which is absolutely covered in crab balls and holes. And a few scuttling crabs. The sea lapping anway with it’s waves. The sounds of a rainforest, Cockatoo’s and other birds making noise. You can see mountains covered in rainforest all around and in the far far distance. You can see the inner barrier reef away to sea. The beach itself is deserted, the campsite had about 2 other people in it, so the beach is empty for about 3 miles one way, and a long long way the other way, broken only by the crocodile inhabited creek. The best bit being you’re only 100 metres at most away from a kettle with tea and a toilet.
Fri 8th: Daintree National Park Again, morning time - drive up for supplies, then back south to ‘The last petrol station’ - called so because that’s exactly what it is. Apparently a load of people
Our Campervan Fridge
We'd just stocked up a the supermarket. drive past it and wonder what to do when the gauge says empty.
Again spent the day on the beach. With fleece jumpers on. At night we bumped into a couple from Melbourne (there are by now 6 people in the 2 acre camping area) they’re doing all of Australia just Camping in National Parks for 8 months. We chatted to them for a bit while they were cooking and a Bandicoot came and tried to steal their dinner. We both thought a Bandicoot was a fictional thing as in - Crash Bandicoot. But no, they are real - we saw one. They’re like a cross between a Rat and a Wallaby. On Matt’s ‘Stupid animals that should be extinct list.’. They gave us some of their coconut and after a while we left.
On the way back to our van a German couple pulled up and asked us loads of questions about the campsite. They had apparently been driving in a 2 WD campervan - past the signs that say ‘4WD ONLY FROM HERE ON’, they asked us if we found the bed too small and we looked confused. Turned out they had both been sleeping in
The Chef
Matt cooking. the child’s single bed. The car comes with a book - With illustrations. They were stupid.
They also asked us how to cook with the van, as theirs was the same type and from the same company. They had had the van 3 days! They have earned an honourary place on Matt’s ‘Should be extinct list’.
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