The boys at the lure shop in Cooktown assured us that Battle camp road was open and that we would have no problems.  He had driven it last night.

They also suggested that we drive up through Lakefield national park. The road was open and it was better than the boring PDR – Peninsular Development Road.

This photo is of the Isabella falls just down stream of the first creek crossing on our way to the Laura river.

Horseshoe lagoon on the way to our camp at Old Laura homestead.

Our camp site is on the banks of the Laura river adjacent to this crossing. The crossing is not a causeway but there is a lot of red gravel placed on top of the soft sand so it is not a problem.

The same crossing at night – it was just about a full moon

At one stage Laura station was running 8000 head of cattle. I suspect some of them are still here in the national park. We could here cattle calling on dusk.

Still the homestead was never anything flash constructed primarily of local felled logs and corrugated iron.

There is a photo in the display under the homestead that shows the delivery of a truck. This could well be that same truck.

The meat house.

Tracks in the sand bed of the Laura river. Goanna?

We made it this far. How did we get here?

A screen dump from our Hema Explorer App. with the track showing.

Yep it’s called Cooktown for a reason. Here is  the statue of Cook, near the site where he beached the Endeavour to make repairs.

Apparently Cook and Banks climbed this very hill looking for a way back out to sea. Cooks journal states that though he had a good view he was not impressed with what he saw; sand banks and reefs and no clear navigable path.

This light house is no longer functioning but the local residents are hoping to keep it “restored” – for we visitors.

While out taking this stunning sunset photo 🙂 I noticed a group of people gathered around the cafe we had lunch at.

Closer investigation showed that, no there was not a Crocodile in the water, but rather this man was hand feeding about 6 huge Groper. You can’t really see them in the photo but they are huge.

The end of the gravel section of the Bloomfield track.

The road is single lane in places but is still probably more a road than a track.  The first creek crossing got a little deeper than I expected at the exit but not too deep – probably up to the door sills. No I didn’t walk it first there are crocodile signs and it was crystal clear and I could see the bottom.

The steep sections are steep and I don’t regret obeying the signs and selecting low range when suggested. The steepest bits are also concreted. All in all we had no problems.

After crossing the Bloomfield river, on the high level bridge, you can turn left to go to the Bloomfield falls.

The Trevethan falls are much closer to Cooktown and down a gravel road that does deteriorate to a track before getting to a parking area and a goat track to the falls. Still I think they were worth it.

It is not just here but all along this section the rainforest is right down to the beach. But at this national park campground we were camped in the rainforest and walked down to the beach.

There’s a rain squall coming – I guess it is the wet tropics.

There are crocodile warning signs everywhere. Enough to make any-one paranoid 🙂 This crystal clear fresh water creek is only a few hundred meters from the mouth which is very much salt and mangroves – ideal estuarine crocodile habitat – so I guess it doesn’t hurt to be a little paranoid

About 1 km south of the campsite is the Marrja botanical walk. Here you take an elevated board work through the rainforest and then loop through the mangroves at the mouth of Oliver Creek.

While not the Majja boardwalk this Dragon lizard was visible from another boardwalk unfortunately he was not close enough for me and the lense I have with me.

There were sand flies at the campsite. I thought I would escape them on the beach, No they were really thick getting in my eyes and mouth. Almost took the joy out of capturing this sunrise shot.

In this view is the mouth of the Daintree river. Yes we are on the North side having crossed the Daintree on the ferry.

We were so intent on making sure we knew where the ferry was that we missed Daintree village all together.