Plenty to See Either Side of the Track

It’s 99% good news for happy 4x4 enthusiasts because you can travel all the way from Port Douglas through Cape Trib right up to the Bloomfield River, or all the way down from

Cooktown to Wujal Wujal/Bloomfield. There’s still a lot to see on either trip.

But you still can’t cross the ford crossing at the Bloomfield River itself yet. Just 40 metres of wiped out concrete, wire and stone at the crossing prevents that - two months after Cyclone Yasi. The soft, water-sogged bitumen caused by heavy rains, has forced Cook Shire to impose a 10 tonne limit on the Cooktown Road to Wujal Wujal/Bloomfield. This is preventing materials being transported to repair the crossing. Meanwhile, Cairns Council has been busy making purchasing arrangements to start the material dump and organise a crusher etc so they can start the fi x as soon as the weather allows.

I am told the three-phase operation planned by the councils and Department of Main Roads is still on target. Firstly, a temporary 4WD crossing followed by a permanent crossing with concrete skin and finally the permanent bridge, which may start as soon as July this year – fingers crossed.

Cairns Council workers have been very responsive to tree clearances and blow-out filling along the Bloomfield Track and it is drivable right through from Cape Trib to the damaged crossing, with reasonably low levels at Woobadda Creek. It’s a great 4WD drive right now. Let’s hope that the high winds this week don’t blow too many more trees down.

And on the subject of the great things to see on the Track, the wildlife has been sensational, if not a little confused at times, as was the case a few days ago when a beautiful little Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea) parked itself, for no apparent reason, on our upper fl oor decking.

They have an amazingly intense, azure blue colour and flight pattern when you see them dart across the waterways. Close-up, as in the accompanying photo, the colours are even more subtle and fascinating, especially the violet sheen near the orange legs. Note the almost non-existent tail and extraordinarily large beak.

Life is a balancing act --it looks like it could topple over in a strong wind. This one rested for about two hours with eyes closed, ignoring our offering of water, and then flew away just as mysteriously as it came, leaving a few energetic squirts of processed foods behind. Maybe it was something it ate, or perhaps it had been attacked by some feathered or reptilian predator, or maybe it was looking for the Bloomfield Track? This made me ponder, something I do too often, over which migrating birds had departed for their half-yearly migration to New Guinea.

There is no cut and dried answer to this as departure times vary within and between different species. Certainly Azure Kingfishers are not migratory, but several other Kingfishers seem to have all gone north. Most notable is the beautiful Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, whose young follow about three weeks after their parents, in yet another example of nature’s diversity. The metallic starlings left weeks ago, no doubt disgusted by the rains.

The other day I was travelling on the Daintree River ferry at exactly 6 pm. Right on schedule I saw many flocks of between 20 and 70 Pied Imperial Pigeons winging back to the Low Isles for their nightly slumber after gorging themselves in the rainforests of the Daintree. They too will migrate back to PNG very soon.

When you take a drive this weekend, you might also see cassowaries. There are plenty around now after Yasi, as well as feral pigs, lace monitor lizards, birds and lots of insects. Don’t forget to bring your camera and swimmers for a dip in one of the many lovely creeks.

Cheers

Mike D’Arcy

D’Arcy of Daintree 4WD Tours

Ph:+61 7 40989180