Lakeland to Port Douglas

This morning, after a not very good sleep, I woke early. I was still tired after the drive yesterday. That sometimes happens and there is not a lot one can do about it.

Anyway, I checked my emails and read the news on the internet. Then it was about time to have breakfast and prepare for departure from Lakeland Caravan Park. It is quite a nice little park and many people leave their vans there to go on up to Cape York.

So I managed to get everything packed up quite quickly as I had not had much out for an overnight stop. I wandered to the Roadhouse, only about 100 metres away, to check where fuel was located along with an air hose to pump my tyres back up to road pressure again. While ther I discovered a espresso machine. So I had a very nice take away muggacino to kick start the day!

Soon after the coffee, I departed the campground for the roadhouse and refuelled at 20 cents per litre cheaper than Weipa. That fill worked out the worst full consumption for the trip but then there was over 500 kms of gravel road to contend with. Then I pumped up the tyres to their required pressure.

I then left heading for Mount Molloy which is the turn point to go to Port Douglas. It was a beautiful sealed road all the way. It became quite hilly and in some places windy. After the first climb there was lookout that looked back to the north from where I had come.

It gave quite a spectacular view of the Great Dividing Range and the overall landscape. It really has been a wonderful tour up through this area.

There is a lot of hilly country that appears to only carry a small number of cattle per hectare. It would be a hard existence in these parts and it would require large areas not measured in hectares but in square kilometres.

Getting closer to Mt. Molloy, the scenery was changing rapidly. Once I reached the junction to turn to Mossman, the land slowly became very lush and more tropical looking. The road was very windy in places but very scenic nonetheless. There were several lookouts on descent and I took several photos there.

The road drops down the mountainside into sugar cane land. It is a different feeling you get as you leave the harsh environment of the Cape and south to the Mt. Molloy turn off. It softens dramatically with the lush green of the grasses and the sugar cane fields.

In about 2 hours after leaving Lakeland, I was entering Port Douglas. I returned to the Pandanus Caravan Park that I was in 16 days ago. I have driven over 1586 kilometres since leaving Port Douglas.

Once in the Park, I set up with floor and awning. Hooked up the power and water. Then it was time for a trip to the Java Blue Cafe that I had frequented before for a muggacino and raisin toast. How nice it was to have it again.

Then it was back to the Park to relax and get a few more things sorted, like the bike and drain hose.  Soon there was lunch then a read and snooze under the awning in a chair. Later I went in again to get some items from the supermarket and then that was it.