After
the run to Cooktown over the Battlecamp
track, we agree to try our luck on the road through the vast Lakefield
National Park which lies around 200km up from Cooktown along the Bloomfield
Track, and on a further 75km to Musgrave where we can re-join the development
road south.
Now this track is definitely not for the initiated, its really very bumpy -
so bumpy that on several occasions our full 20 litre water canister hits the
roof, and a hammer which was hidden under the boarding in the back almost finds
its way out of the rear window.
The
route takes us through several river crossings and several hours we find
ourselves at Old Laura Homestead. We'd expected a town... at least a tree
with something nailed to it and a few sheds, but what we find is a ramshackle
group of buildings Sure its beaten up - but look at the location...
Several
hours on, as its approaching sunset, we hit our camp for the night at the Hann
River crossing. The river is allegedly croc filled but no, we don't see
any despite taking a midnight stroll up the bank. What we do see is flocks
of Gelahs, flying foxes which screech until dark, and, as darkness falls over
the camp, thousands of bats fly overhead towards some unknown feeding ground to
the North. Big bats, and low flying.
Parked
close to the river, the view from our accommodation is sensational. Its
almost a full moon and the landscape is lit by an eerie blue-grey light that
night - the moon has a cloud induced halo. All too soon, the sun rises
over the river and the warmth of the day once again replaces the chill of the
night. Time to pack up and move on...
Soon after Hann crossing we find ourselves on a portion of the road which is
being 'upgraded'. This part is fun - freshly dug earth, wide sandy tracks and
deep tyre grooves replace the corrugations, for a while that is...
Scenery
wise, the Park does not disappoint, we make several detours to beautiful lakes
and pass fields of termite mounds. Sightings include snakes, a bemused
iguana, hundreds of pink cockatoos (thankfully not kamikaze) and several elegant
egrets in flight.
