We departed windy Cooktown at 7:45am. Although we really enjoyed our stay, in the end the constant wind roaring through the trees does get on your goat a little. We had a wee stop at Lakeland and mornos was had at a road side gravel pit pullover. We were all very ready for our mid-morning caffeine fix, but equally eager to get back on the road.
We had been through Mt Molloy on our way to Port Douglas six days ago, and decided that it would be a great place to stop and have a leg stretch. As we were walking south through Mt Molloy, we heard a horn beep, looked up and saw a truck towing a trailer with two people waving at us - Greg and Karen. We were hoping to catch up with them between their motorcycle trips to The Tip and thought we had missed them. They stopped and we had a great 20 minute catch up on the side of the road. Despite having this trip and another nine to do, they are so happy and full of life.
We moved on and arrived at what we thought was our destination and home for the next four nights - Tropical Travellers Park at Mareeba. We had booked this park when we were at Port Douglas, even recorded the name of the person who took the booking. Alas, there was no record of us having a booking and the lady who took the booking was on her day off. Not to worry, there are a number of places to stay in and around Mareeba and we chose Kerribee Park Campground a little out of town on the road out to Chillagoe and home to the Mareeba Rodeo. We arrived and were checked-in and escorted to our site by 1pm. As it turned out this is a great park and better than the one we had booked. And no trees, not that it would matter as the wind has become a gentle breeze.
After lunch and a rest, Greg went for a ride with Bob into town, whilst Wendy cleaned the van. Mareeba is nothing to write home about but a nice enough place to spend a few days nevertheless. We are sure we'll find enough to keep us occupied.
Pre-dinner drinks were had at the Barb's van whilst the Chiko Rolls and Potato Gems cooked in their air-fryer. We have to say that footy nights are the best - pies on the first night, and now Chiko Rolls and pot-gems, jolly good tucker.
We retired to our van at half-time, not really up to seeing the full-time score.
A heavily loaded cyclist heading south, into the wind
Drive scenery
We found the Lion from Lions Den
More drive scenery
Garage sale at Mt Molloy
Anyone for a sports car
The vans at Mt Molloy
Mt Molloy Pub
Memorial to James Venture Mulligan, prospector & explorer 1837-1907, at Mt Molloy
Mt Molloy Memorial Hall
JM Johnston Sawmill Steam Plant
Mt Molloy
Greg, Greg, Karen, and Wendy
Mural at the Rodeo grounds, aka Kerribee Park Campground
Mareeba Rodeo grounds
One of the release pens
Campgrounds with us behind the blue building
Uniting Church Mareeba
What the completed stage 2 of the trip should have looked like
What the completed stage 2 of the trip does look like
