From/ To Today =
Cape Bedford to
Coen
Km travelled today = 466 km
Fuel cost at =
Cooktown $1.729
High points = Turning North.
A glimpse at the sun.
Low points = Rain and more rain.
General
Leaving
Cape Bedford this morning I stopped and chatted with the owner and this is an interesting place. Last night I noticed a small
water tank just below the high water mark on
the beach. As it did not seem to have any purpose I dismissed it.
Well, it turns out the sweet water for showers and drinking comes from there. Along
the beach in front of the
camp there are numerous fresh water springs and Ed the owner has inserted a sand spike into one of
the springs and draws off the water. When cyclone Ida came through here it stripped all the foliage from the trees, now green leaves and shoots abound. How mother nature looks her own. The battle
camp road being closed has us back tracking to
Lakeland for a start to the run up the cape. From here on to
Laura is on A class bitumen. This continues a little further on before turning into a top quality gravel road. Road works are progressing south of Musgrave Station and then the road takes a turn for the worse. This section is reminiscing of the Plenty Hwy but only lasts 20km or so. Musgrave Station is a welcome stop with manicured lawns, food, fuel accommodation and alcohol available. Enquiring about the cost of accommodation $110 for a room with shared facilities, $125 for a room with a bathroom or $10 for an unpowered
camp site. Back on the road again, now back to good quality gravel, I push on to
Coen. I am surprised by a number of vehicles rushing past me regardless of the dust I am billowing up.
Coen looms up as a welcome sight as it will be my stop for the night. I book in at the Empire Pub in a non-powered
camp site at $5 per person. Again $100 for a room with shared facilities. I select a space then my fellow camper comes over and suggests I share the covered area with them. When set up we sit and chat about our travels before I am kindly offered dinner of spag bol. Very enjoyable. It is raining again and looks like setting in for a few days yet. Still keeps the dust down. Today the scenery was very tropical with tall grasses and fine trees all along the road. Cattle roaming freely along the road all looking very content. Tomorrow pushing on toward the cape with a mind on the wet roads.