Bloomfield
Road is easier than some people make it sound.
It is the
southern part of the coastal road between Cape Tribulation
and
Cooktown.
The coastal road is known
as the harder road to Cooktown
- compared to the inland road - which it
is, but only because the inland road is sealed all the way, and broad
as any other highway.
The coastal road is sealed between Cooktown and Wujal Wujal, but not
between Wujal Wujal and Cape Tribulation, and that's the stretch we are
talking about.
It is
unsealed, but it's not like a bumpy old four wheel drive track.
It is
more like a gravel road, but that said, it's not boring, it's quite
steep, and definitely worth your time.
It starts
just north of Cape Tribulation, where it first crosses a few
shallow creeks as it passes through Daintree
National Park.
The road
is surrounded by lush
tropical rainforest, which it does the
most of the time.
Then the road
starts to climb
up to the mountain range.
Up and
down a
few times and it's quite
steep in places.
You may
want
to use your four wheel
drive gears to maintain traction.
After the
range, the road flattens again before you come to Bloomfield River
crossing. It can look like this:
Or, it may look like this:
After the
crossing you are in the Aboriginal community of Wujal
Wujal. UPDATE -
Since August 2014 there is now a
bridge (and a second one being built at the next crossing
south. UPDATE -
even that
one, Woobooda
Bridge is now ready!).
Wujal
Wujal
Wujal
Wujal is an Aboriginal community south of Cooktown.
Formerly
the Bloomfield River
Mission, it is in the
northern end of Bloomfield Road, south of the small township
Ayton.
It is a community
of about 300+ Indigenous people and there is a cultural and arts
centre, a cafe,
a service station and a general store.
After
you have driven through the community of Wujal Wujal (if you came from Cooktown
in
the north), you come to the Bloomfield River crossing.
This is
where you
have to cross
the river
to continue to Bloomfield
Road.
(Continue
past the cafe first and visit the beautiful Bloomfield
Falls!).
This
crossing can be very different depending on the tide - at the high tide
the causeway is under the water.
UPDATE -
There is now a
bridge there, since August
2014, so the crossing is no longer tidal.
Bloomfield
Falls
Bloomfield
Falls are beautiful. They are
one of the great
Cape York waterfalls that are worth
visiting if you are in the area.
They are in the Aboriginal community of Wujal
Wujal, in the northern end of Bloomfield
Road, and in the southern end of the Rossville
to
Bloomfield Road.
If you
are coming from
the south, turn left after crossing the Bloomfield River. If you are
coming
from the north, keep driving past the Bloomfield River crossing without
turning left.
You come to a small car
park
and a picnic table.
Then you have a track
which is
short but quite rocky (if my mum could do it, you can :-)
In the end of that track
you
come to a
nice swimming hole.
And in the end of the swimming
hole
you can see the falls, and you can walk closer to them.
It is best to come here
in the morning,
or else you have the sun shining into your camera in case you want to
take photos.
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at least 30 guaranteed FREE
camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to
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swimming holes, all mapped; as well as practical things -
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how to deal with the national
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This site uses British
English, which is the English we use in
Australia.
Disclaimer:
Although
best efforts have been made to ensure that all the information on this
website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a
mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.