Cape Tribulation

Mon 28 September… The dust haze still hasn’t gone away which is really disappointing. We have been looking forward to our trip up to Cape Tribulation and have put it off a couple of times waiting for a clear day, but today we decided to go for it. We have to use the Daintree Ferry to get to the Cape as the only alternative is to sail. It’s a 5 minute trip and goes continuously backwards and forwards on a steel cable for 18 hours a day, carrying about 20 vehicles at a time. The road up to Cape Tribulation is sealed but very narrow, steep and winding, not much chance to look around. The road follows the coastline and there are a few lookout points but unfortunately the views aren’t up to much because of the haze. It’s a bit like looking into a fog. We stopped for a coffee at Thornton Beach, a café on the beach which is beautiful white sand. Halfway up the Cape there is a rainforest treetop walk but we are nuffed with treetop walks so gave it a miss. There was a board walk through the mangroves that we had a mooch around and had to contend with the sandflies along the way. At Cape Tribulation the sealed road finishes then it’s 4WD for 100K’s, next stop Cooktown. We will be going to Cooktown in a day or two but by the inland sealed road route. Cape Tribulation is just a general store and coffee shop but the bay is absolutely fantastic------ pure white sand in a big arc with palms and rainforests behind. We had lunch on the beach followed by a swim then a snooze and were amazed by the number of small groups that arrived by minibuses, then walked onto the beach, took a couple of photos and then back on the bus and back down the road 40K’s to the ferry. Mostly Japanese tourists we noticed. We are really pleased to have seen Cape Tribulation despite the haze because we reckon we came here before------- oh for a better memory!!