Cape Tribulation to Undara

An easy drive back the way I came yesterday, then across the inlet with the ferry, on to Mosman, where I finally picked up signal on my Optus phone and called Serene. When I continue I turn right in Mosman from The Captain Cook Highway onto the road that will take me back up to the Tablelands. Steep winding, winding, winding, tight corners most of them and I get to look forward to get back up top.

Rainforest here, all the way up. Once there, I turn left onto the Mareeba Highway towards Atherton where I stop to re-fuel (only 24 litres but its better to start out with a full tank.) and go to the Bank. From Atherton I drive on the Kennedy Highway to Ravenshoe, Mt Garnet (First, the rolling hills I encountered a few days ago, then Grassland and scrub, interspersed with lots of Termite mounds, thousands of them in all shapes and sizes, their colour depending on the soil they are made of...) and finally I turn right onto the Savannah Highway.

Lots of Termite mounds, thousands of them in the Savannah

From Ravenshoe onwards I encounter quite a number of road trains, huge trucks with 3 or 4 trailers, the whole rig usually in excess of 50 m long - luckily I pass them, always where the road is plenty wide. There are many sections in between where the sealed road is only wide enough for one vehicle at the time, this means in on-coming traffic situation I have to move over to the left, with the left 2 tyres running in the dirt while the other vehicle is passing. The road is dry and the shoulders are firm, so apart from dust there is no problem. No road train passed me on those narrow sections of road. About 25 km on I turn left onto a small sealed road that will take me to the "Undara Lavatubes" that I want to see tomorrow morning. I have done rather a lot more driving today then I originally had planned, so maybe tomorrow I can take it easy instead, before I drive further westward.


The organisation that runs the tour tomorrow also run the campsite and have been allocated "C-22" as my parking spot by an extremely well organised team. This is an unpowered site, the charge is only $10 for the use of all facilities. Having stopped it feels like I am in the middle of the bush, its very quiet and peaceful - a real change after the hustle and bustle of Port Douglas, yesterday morning. Unfortunately, here too is no phone or internet reception and my blog update will have to wait till tomorrow where I will update the data from the side of the road when I pull over at Mount Surprise, about 45km from here - I am told there is a transmission tower so I will have plenty signal.

As I indulged with a very good meal last night, tonight its going to be only baguette, Vollkornbrot with Salami and cheese tonight, possibly with a glass of whats left of the 'white' in my fridge. Looks like I need to re-stock beer and wine at the next opportunity, somewhere...

I,ve done it! Uploaded at Mount Surprise with heaps of signal from Telstra. More tomorrow, signal permitting. Heading up into Giant Crocodile country, Normanton tomorrow.

Here is one for my mate Eckhard, seen on the back of a "Wicked" campervan...
" I have substituted sex with food. Now I can't even get into my own pants.."