Cooktown now RV Friendly

[Shirley]

We 1st visited Cooktown in 1966, no bridges river crossings all the way, heaps deep dust & almost no bitumen, it was like the wild west.
We moved to Cairns in the late sixties & spent many happy times camping between Cairns & Cooktown, Cape Tribulation was one of our favorite beaches we use to have it to ourselves, except for the Dutch family that had set up a self sufficient lifestyle in the rain forest

[TheBushRat]

G'day Bernie,

Which way are you coming downhill from Mareeba?

I reckon you must owe me a coldie or a cigar or some bloody thing - I'm at Babinda for a day or three, then will probably head up to Archer Creek for another day or three before finally making it to Mareeba. Be good to catch up...

Cuppa, hope all's well with you.

[Cuppa]

Yeah not bad thanks Eddie, probably a bit damper & colder than you at the moment! Watch out for any mad circling Hiace drivers at Babinda aye!

You were very lucky Shirley, did you appreciate just how lucky at the time? My first visit to Cape Trib was in 1990 or 91 & whilst not as bad as today it was still 'backpackerville' even then.

Cuppa

[Shirley]

We just loved the fact that not many went to Cape Trib., there was also an American living onboard a small yacht that had been pulled up into the bush on the northern end of the beach, we have several b/w photos taken on the beach, I don't think we thought we were lucky back then but we certainly think now how lucky we were & what a great time we had living in Cairns. We bought our 1st landrover exarmy soft top back in 1968. Our eldest son was born in the old weatherboard Cairns base hospital in 1970. We visited Cairns last year & couldn't believe what a big city it is now our last visit was in about 1980. We are tied up with family matters at the moment but hope to go back to nth Qld again next winter.