Rainforest, Rain and a Family of Five
What started as a trip north for a family wedding in Cairns turned into something much bigger than we had originally planned - a journey all the way to the tip of Cape York and back again. We had talked about exploring further north while we were in Cairns, but with three kids, a caravan and plenty of unknowns ahead, we weren’t sure how far we’d actually get. In the end, we decided that if we were already this far north, we may as well make the most of it. And so began our Cape York adventure.
Heading North From Hervey Bay
We left Hervey Bay in July, initially with Cairns as our destination for a family wedding. As we travelled north, we took our time, stopping at roadside rest areas, CMCA Parks and even staying in friends’ yards. One of the things we love about travelling is being able to catch up with friends along the way. Even if it’s only for one night, there is always time for a shared meal, a drink, a fire and, of course, marshmallows for the kids. We also tend to plan our travels around parkrun where we can. On the journey north, we managed to fit in at Ingham parkrun and Cairns parkrun, which gave us another opportunity to meet people and experience different communities.
We spent a week in Cairns at the CMCA Greenpatch Campground Gordonvale in southern Cairns. There was plenty of shopping to do, schoolwork for the kids and, for me, a two-day hospital treatment. Three weeks between treatments sounds like a long time when you’re at home, but when you’re travelling it seems to come around incredibly quickly.
Rainy Days on the Atherton Tablelands
From Cairns we headed up onto the Atherton Tablelands and Lake Tinaroo for a midweek family wedding. The weather wasn’t exactly on our side. There was plenty of rain, but we’ve learnt that rainy days don’t necessarily mean wasted days. They can be perfect for getting schoolwork done, exploring places from the warmth of the car or finding inexpensive indoor activities. We travel on a fairly tight budget, so libraries and low-cost museums are always a winner. Thankfully, our kids are avid readers, so libraries are usually very easy to sell to them!
By the time the wedding day arrived, the weather had turned around beautifully. After all the rain, it was wonderful to have sunshine at Lake Tinaroo. We took our time getting ready and, because we don’t often get the whole family dressed up, we made the most of it and took plenty of family photos. The kids had a great time and we were able to catch up with family and friends.
When Gastro Hits the Caravan
A few days later, however, things took a turn. A gastro bug made its way through the caravan, taking out four of the five of us in one evening! It wasn’t exactly the holiday experience we’d planned! Thankfully, being on a powered site with facilities nearby made things a little easier. The washing machines being available 24 hours a day was particularly useful. The next morning everyone was still feeling pretty miserable. I headed off to Atherton parkrun and then went shopping for supplies while everyone else slept.
Our Family Caravan Essentials
One of our travelling essentials is a collection of two-litre yoghurt containers. They have been used for everything from showering to carrying things around and generally proving that you should never underestimate the usefulness of an empty yoghurt container. At one point I did question why we had apparently needed six buckets. When you’re travelling with three kids and as a family of five, though, you learn not to ask too many questions. We also have a system for the beds. We keep a spare queen sheet set for all four beds because the last thing you want to be doing after a gastro bug is washing every blanket and mattress protector in the caravan. The kids each have double beds, which makes things a little easier - until you have to wash everything!
Crocodiles and Ferries in the Daintree
Once everyone was starting to recover, we moved on to Mareeba and spent a night with family before continuing towards the Daintree. We had actually pushed our Daintree booking out by a day because we knew we needed the extra recovery time. My husband was still feeling pretty weak, so I ended up doing more of the caravan towing than usual. We generally share the driving fairly evenly anyway. Long days on the road are much easier when you can swap drivers and keep fatigue under control.
The Daintree was absolutely worth the effort. We did crocodile tours on both the upper and lower Daintree River and, of course, the kids had to try a crocodile burger. Apparently it tastes like chicken. We made two trips across the Daintree ferry into the Cape Tribulation area. The first day was spent exploring the more touristy areas, lookouts and walks.
Tackling the Bloomfield Track
The second day was a little more adventurous. We tackled the Bloomfield Track. The signs make it very clear that caravans and trailers aren’t recommended, and that it’s a 4WD-only track. After travelling there, we understood exactly why. There were steep climbs and descents, rocky and very bumpy sections and muddy water crossings. We stopped for lunch at Bloomfield Falls before turning around and travelling the track back again. It was a fantastic day, but definitely one where we were glad we hadn’t attempted it with the caravan. The roads beyond the ferry and through the Daintree are narrow in places too, and we saw plenty of tourist 4WD buses navigating their way through.
Back to Cairns and the Kuranda Scenic Railway
After the Daintree we headed back through Mareeba, where we stopped for a parkrun and caught up with family again before returning to Cairns. Another hospital treatment was waiting for me, along with schoolwork, restocking supplies and all the ordinary jobs that somehow still need doing while you’re travelling. We stayed at a caravan park because the weather was starting to warm up, and we also wanted to take advantage of the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
We caught the train up to Kuranda, spent some time walking around, had an ice cream and visited the library before catching the train back down. The Skyrail was closed for maintenance while we were there, so that will have to wait for another trip.
