Moments after departing Cairns you're amid the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. Cross the Daintree River and you’re on your way to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. You’re not here to dive in – your journey takes you off-road along the 4WD Bloomfield Track. Legends (and myths) await at Black Mountain, sometimes dubbed the Bermuda Triangle of Australia.
Today you're in Quinkan Country, home to one of Australia best-preserved rock-art sites. Nearby, Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park is big in more ways than one, from its enormous waterlily-covered billabongs to its unfathomable number of birds.
The historic gold town of Coen may be small in size, but it’s got plenty of country swagger. Bauxite mining was the reason the tiny town of Weipa was formed. Today, visitors arrive for blazing sunsets over the Gulf of Carpentaria.
How do you want to spend your pre-lunch hours? Perhaps on an optional Weipa Wildlife & Eco Cruise, revealing First Nations culture and wildlife. Or dig deep on a bauxite mine tour. How these rocks are pulled from the ground is head-scratching. As is the size of Bramwell Station, Australia’s northernmost cattle station and your base for the night.
Your early start today is worth it when you arrive at Fruit Bat Falls for lunch. Dive in, splash about, cool off, unwind. There’s not much between you and Cape York; cross the Jardine River and you’re there. Seisia is the departure point for ferries to Thursday Island and fishing charters. It’s also the gateway to tomorrow’s adventures.
Not many people can say they’ve stood at the very top of mainland Australia at Somerset, the first European settlement on the Cape York Peninsula. Lunch is served on palm fringed Anchorage Beach overlooking the Albany Passage.
Rich in Aboriginal culture, history and natural beauty, Thursday Island is the capital of the Torres Strait Islands. Time might stand still here, but you won’t – you’re on a guided tour before heading to Horn Island to board your aircraft, flying over the Great Barrier Reef back to Cairns. Wait, how did this week pass so quickly?