b' 4x4 Destination Part 1Off Peak 4x4 ClubCAPE YORK EXPLORERWater crossing on Frenchmans TrackThree cars and six members of the Off Beach. The highlight of the Cape the Grassy Hill and Lookout over thePeak four wheel drive club met on 29th Tribulation beach is where the rainforest town, river and ocean, The NationalJuly, 2019 at the Pinnacle Village meets the sea.We watched the orange Trust James Cook Museum, and birdCaravan Park at Wonga Beach as the footed scrub fowls scratching vigorously watching at Keating Lagoon. Calling instarting point for a trip to the northern at their huge nests in the scrub adjacent at the Cooktown information centre wasmost tip of the Australian mainland.to the beach.Taking the Bloomfield a worthwhile exercise, with the staff aOur first day on the trip we left camp track (CREB track was still closed) we wealth on local and current knowledgeearly and drove through sugar cane were soon in low range tackling the on the state of tracks on the Cape.country to the Daintree River ferry.On long, steep inclines and declines some Our itinerary took us along the Starckeour way to Cape Tribulation we stopped over 10%.We had our first taste of River Track.It promised to be a longat Mt Alexandra lookout for a view of the creek crossings too.Lunch was challenging day so an early departureDaintree River Valley and Thornton enjoyed in a pebbly creek bed where was called.We headed out to Hopeone of our group enjoyed a swim in the Vale community and into Elim Beach tonearby flowing water.Continuing on, see the coloured sands.Ancientwe crossed the Bloomfield River then Eddie, the aboriginal custodian of thewalked in to view the Wujal Wujal Falls. area, gave us directions to the colourfulWe took a short break at the iconic high sand dunes.Due to the high tide,Lions Den Hotel to enjoy a cool drink we had to gingerly wade through ankleand a wander through the museum of deep crocodile frequented water to seeold memorabilia.The nearby Black the dunes.Back on the track, weMountain, so named because of the stopped at Isabella Falls where we metblack lichen covering the rocks, was an a fellow traveller who had recentinteresting stop.We drove through information about the state of theCooktown 16 km to reach Endeavour Starcke River track.Surprisingly, weRiver Escape, our first campsite. This drove through some intensive farmland,working farm was a gem of a bush with cropping, palm tree farms on richcamp - great facilities, spacious red soil as we approached Starckesecluded sites that allowed campfires. River.The track deteriorated signifi-A free day was declared to explore cantly once over the Starcke RiverCooktown so that people could pursue becoming very narrow and littered withtheir own interests.At the end of the many deep washouts and steep dryday it was apparent that many common creek crossings.sights had been enjoyedthe Captain Mid- afternoon we arrived at theCook statue and monument, the shallow, sandy bottomed Jeannie River,Starke River Track Botanical Gardens, nearby Finch Bay, our first real obstacle!TRACKWATCH MARCH 202023'