Day 14 & 15 - 488kms Cooktown via Bloomfield and back

The trip from Cairns to Cooktown took us longer than expected. We made plenty of stops along the way and was absolutely wowed by the beaches - particularly on the Bloomfield track and in Cooktown. We consumed loads of history in Cooktown. However, Em brought her own interesting history having lived here. One theme that kept popping up was how different the town is... kinda like it has been renovated... and kinda sanitised.

Here's me letting some pressure out of the tyres in prep for a bumpy track. The Bloomfield track hadn't received the same amount of rain we'd seen in Cairns. We did get to attempt our first creek crossing. Unfortunately I think we've been through deeper puddles in Ballarat 😛

We did climb some steep hills and thoroughly enjoy it, having the odd close encounter with bush turkeys and cows.

About halfway along the track we stopped for a quick peak down this track not knowing what was at the end

 

 Cant believe this beach - we spent about an hour here just gawking - if only we could get the van into this spot.

Beyond the Bloomfield, we stopped at the Lyons Den pub for a drink and what has become the  mandatory game of pool. We are running with a reward system on this trip for good behaviour. The kids receive points for doing good deeds such as sharing, chores or telling Dad how awesome his music is. I'm proud to say Tom usually opts to put his rewards into the guide dog donation box.


We stayed the night at The Hillcrest B&B in Cooktown - a very clean and tastefully decorated place with a perfect sized pool for our kids. A night outside the caravan with room to move was exactly what we needed. If i'm being honest, we still haven't mastered the art of living right on top of each other. There are times when we're exhausted, low on tolerance and just need some space.

The trip to Cooktown was nostalgic for Em who lived here for about 4-5 months, just before she married me and multiplied. This beach with its wide open spaces and huge boulders was a fav spot when she lived here. It was a special feeling to revisit with her family in tow.


On the way home Josh stopped to connect with his class mates via Skype and entertain them with embellished stories of landing aircraft himself with minimal assistance (in Tocumwul).

We also invaded the private camping grounds at Ellis beach, before being asked to leave... I guess we looked threatening! We may come back and actually seek permission to camp as the sites are right on the beach.

After the drive home to Cairns, the kids bugged us to visit the night market for the 3rd time. Although we were cooked, the allure of cheap massages got us over the line, and the kids went fossicking for different treasure.