We, you dear reader and I, have a lot of ground to cover.
Dan and I made it back from the outstanding heat of the far north surprisingly quickly. In one day, we got to the banks of the Wenlock River (by the Morton Telegraph Station) via an afternoon jaunt at the sea caves at Captain Billy’s Landing. The next, we rumbled on to Archer Point, just south of Cooktown. Those two days were a blur of air conditioning and great podcasts, and we cheered as we finished with red dust roads and corrugation.
We set off from Archer Point’s windy, grandiose sea views through the Daintree National Park, marvelling again at the impenetrable rainforest, finishing our day on the Daintree River just past the start of the Creb Track. There, we dutifully and lovingly bathed Zeusa, while keeping an eye out for the local salty that the locals told us lived around the bend. Our campsite was an absolute gem, with a riverfront view of a wall of rainforest, set amongst rolling green pastures.
We then made it back to Cairns, via our favourite coffee shop north of Brisbane (Origin at Port Douglas) and, after another long session dusting out the car and gently removing red dust from her crevices, checked into our Palm Cove accommodation for the night. That afternoon, my mum flew in for a few days of adventuring with us, which started with us enjoying all the luxuries of the apartment after more than two weeks on the road.
On Sunday, we set out for the Tablelands, starting with visits to Babinda Boulders and Josephine Falls, and camping at Henrietta Creek. On Monday, we ticked off a large list: the stunning waterfalls on the waterfall circuit, a visit to Yungaburra, an attempted visit to the dairy, and jaunts around the two crater lakes. After that whirlwind, we got Mum to the airport in time, and had a truly delightful evening at the Elias’, catching up on just how much can happen in two weeks.
Dan and I are now back in the rainforest – this time the Misty Mountains. It’s beautifully quiet – we’re the only ones at the campsite – and as it got dark, we’ve been treated to a stunning show of fireflies. There’s something so magical about them, perhaps because I keep thinking of them as Harry-Potter-style animated fairy lights.
As always, I’m filled with gratitude for these experiences. We’ve been dwelling in immense natural beauty for some time now, and it never fails to take my breath away – as does the cold water every time we go for a swim at a waterfall, lake or river.
VREPS
[Misty Mountains]
The Two Swords 