Gonna stick to my KLR650 to go cross country.....grrrrrrr.
So we drive up to Cooktown - where Captain Cook of world explorer fame careened his boat on the sand bar to fix the hole the Great Barrier Reef punched in it.
The town is now small = 2,000 people but has an interesting history especially during the gold rush days where the dangers not only included the weather, crocs, snakes and no water, but cannibals too. Aboriginals in the area favoured the chinamen tho over stringy whites...
Our motel - River of Gold - was named to recall the boom times and the book by the same name is a terrific and unreal read for anyone interested in this part of tropical Australia.
Cooktown is a bit further north into the tropics - 300 km - it's very dry for this time of year which is normally into the wet season. Got close and stopped for a decent sandwich at a roadhouse. Got out and no a/c. Likely a belt - not a big deal but annoying in the 31 degree weather.
Found our motel - very tropical look and feel, swam a bit and got a nice sunset.
Good sleep and figure we will trek around a bit. Hmmm lots closed...of course it's the wet season.
So we start out earlyish the next morning - decent coffee and light food. Jude got hilariously messy with a chocolate muffin in the heat. Threatens to make me walk back to Cairns if I so much as touch the camera.
Had to be satisfied with a cute colourful sun lizard scampering around under our feet.
So coffeed up I ( note not we ) decide that instead of going back and getting the ute we'd walk over the hill to the Botanical Garden via a trail.
Back to Captain Cook for a moment.
Not wanting to do a repeat of a holed ship he climbs a local hill named Grassy Hill right on the point of the river and is able to plot his way through the reef and the rest is history.
We are at sea level....Grassy Hill tops out at 500'
Local tourist map shows the track over to the Botanical gardens cutting off before the top and on to a "walking track" to Cherry Tree Bay and then a walk along the water to the Gardens Proper ( Jude being botanist and me a geek and bird watcher we love Botanical Gardens. )
First lesson .....don't believe tourist maps.
Map sez - 800m to the walking track from our spot along the waterfront.
Map does not say 100m vertical climb - think 35 story building on stairs. Damn those switch backs were steep - nice view tho.
we huffed and puffed ...fortunately Jude bought a small water at breakfast.
Lesson 2 - bring enough water
Lesson 3 - check the weather
Lesson 4 - look at topographical map.
Unfortunately we had not yet got past lesson 1. So we puff and pant the 100 meter vertical in 800 meter road and get to the track....nice water fountain at the start - should have told us something....and hey it's going downhill. :cheers:
Now the pictures on the hike with come later as I need the bandwidth and there were some cool plants typical weird Aussie stuff.
Mostly downhill but it's hot and it's a very tough track....of course we are losing the same vertical height in a KM or so. It is also rough going between rocks and tree roots - and no way this shows the steepness. But there are very cool plants along the way. It IS rough terrain tho.
It's 33 - Jude has sandals on - we're carrying too much camera gear etc and we're down to a few sips of water. I'm pretty beat at this point but hey we hit the beach - the wind is cool
oops.....remember Rule One.....there is indeed a track to Botanical Gardens from the beach...unfortunately it goes back up the hill 1.4 KM. Same 35 story climb but we don't know that yet...not on the map.
Rule 1 through 4 come crashing home.
Few sips of water left - too much gear - climbs in both directions....
So decision made - fitter Jude treks to the Botanical Gardens without the gear and gets water and meets me on the beach and we revive and carry the gear on. Good plan right.....
she gives me strict instructions -
"Don't wander off - stay here."
So I settle under a tree - cool off in the tidal pools ( there are crocs and killer jelly fish in the ocean so it's off limits )
Chill in the shade a bit with my feet up and get my second wind.
Rule 5 - stay put.
Welllllll I knew that but hey can't let my partner do all the work and it IS getting on in day and the mozzies are fierce anywhere around dusk. It's only 1.4 KM to the gardens - surely I can meet her half way.
Try the cell service....hmmm wrong side of the hill.
Remember that topography map??.....that we didn't have. So I slug up the first steep track out of the beach and realize I really don't want my partner to have to reclimb this so I at least should hit the crest. I'm huffing an puffing and taking breaks but have like about 5 small sips of water left and a tiny bottle of Baileys.
Have camera gear and partners purse with the books and other assorted goodies that get heavier and heavier.
No sign of the return trip either....and it's bloody hot at 33 and humid under the canopy - sea breeze has wandered off. A hundred meters vertical over .7 KM this time to the crest - and rough.
Getting worried about me, getting worried where partner is - getting on to mid afternoon and this IS the tropics....no twilight at all and of course it's the wet season and no one is out enjoying the natural environment.
I finally hit the crest and take a serious rest - sip a bit more water realize at this point partner is not likely coming back this way.....do recall Rule 5.
Couple sips of Bailey's left, about half the water ( think 1/4 of a small draft ) and another 700 meters of trail left. Hotter out too and going downhill with the gear is not a whole lot easier than the uphill stretch...no cell coverage.
Now I'm in it....Jude obviously figured something else out, I'm not where she left me and no way I wanted her to have to do this trek between Cherrytree Bay and the Gardens to meet me.
Suck it up and trudge along til I see some kids coming towards me
"How far to the end" .
...Not far....
Not far to a teen and not far to me are world's apart.
"How about you refill my water for $5"
"Okay sure..."
Figured I'd rest and get an idea of how far away civilization was.
Decent length of time passed to the point I was thinking no $5 and no water bottle but I did have a good rest.
Finally girl and friends show up with much needed water and they bounce down the trail toward the bay. Yeah the last bit to the Garden's was uphill again.
Suck the water down and stump my way up to the gate....hmmm...not looking like any civilization yet ( I still don't know where she filled the water ).
Stagger through the park and hit a house on the road back to town.
Hail the house, mobbed by the dog.
"Got a phone?"
"Nope"
"Can you drive me back to the motel..."
"I would but I'm too drunk."..... sigh....just my luck. Saturday is siesta and beer time.
Wander next door - luckily downhill......repeat the hail.
Finally, phone and water and a chair.
Call the motel, motel calls Jude.....meanwhile back at the waterfront.
She'd rounded up the calvary as be damned if she was going to trek back and didn't think I'd make it ( with good reason for both views ).
Rule 5...cops on the hunt .....and I'm not there :banghead:
Fortunately a relay from Cairns to the boat pulled them back ( it was just around the point ) and the pic shows them pulling it out of the water just as we arrived after Jude fetched me.
Got the usual good natured wagging finger from all about staying put and sympathies from the couple of cops that had done that trek and knew how rough and steep it was.
Hopefully no bill from the cops ( the next level was a $15,000 helicopter search ) and I'm sure lots of jokes about dumb Canucks in the bush....mostly well deserved.
Oh yeah.....Rule 6 ....red heads should pack sunburn lotion...have a rather fried sweetie next to me. And THAT was my day. Botanical pics tomorrow.
I DID pack liniment.
