Sunrise Today...

Morning Walk

I walked down past the bridge looking for the sunrise but too many trees. I came back and walked Endeavor River as far as I could and back. Its a beautiful walk…Last week the water was above the 2m mark today you can walk along the river bed.

Endeavor River in the evening

Now that there has been no rain for 4 days, the river has settled into three parts….2 fast flowing areas, the left safer than the right which houses a crocodile in the deep section upriver. The third is the rocky shore with a puddle of warm water. There are lots of rocks in this area. I found some deep red jasper and some other rocks I have yet to identify.

The bridge was a rickety wooden slatted bridge, but it has now been rebuilt. The roads…Poison Creek road on one side of the river and Jensens Crossing Road on the other side, has been rebuilt with bitumen and now has a steady stream of traffic. The river is fast flowing and you could take a boat from here to Cooktown.

Sunrise 11 March

There is a magic in a sunrise and a sunset. The sky changes in color and creates an experience that absorbs the watcher, Behind this field of green the sun sets almost apologetically for staining the sky.

When insect wings are glistening in the beam
Of the low sun, and mountain-tops are bright,
Oh, let me, by the crystal valley-stream,
Wander amid the mild and mellow light;
And while the barn owl pipes his evening lay,
Give me one lonely hour to hymn the setting day.

A Walk at Sunset by William Cullen Bryant

Cooktown Waterfront

Finally a day with no rain but the humidity was still high and I sat on a bench outside Lions Kiosk, which was closed, and sweated in the heat. I drove up to the wharf and decided to go and find the CWA building and their Linen sale. I did not buy anything as it was mostly old and shabby and did not suit my needs, but others did not feel the same…they were buying boxfuls of old motel discarded sheets and blankets.

The wharf at Cooks Landing was translucent and not a ripple broke the surface of the water. It is a very beautiful location.

Sunset Today at Cooktown

Finally the rain stopped and I was able to walk up Jensens Crossing road in Cooktown to see a sunset over Mount Cook.

Endeavor River Cooktown

The Endeavour River, inclusive of the Endeavour River Right Branch, the Endeavour River South Branch, and the Endeavour River North Branch, is a river system located on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia. Wikipedia

Length: 140 km

Cooktown’s Endeavour River is the site where Lieutenant James Cook repaired his ship, Endeavour, after damaging it on the reefs off Cape Tribulation in 1770. James Cook, RN named the river in 1770 after he was forced to beach his ship, HMS Endeavour, for repairs in the river mouth, after damaging it on Endeavour Reef. The Endeavour River is one of two major rivers in the Cooktown area. The Endeavour River originates in the mountains north-west of Cooktown, while the Annan River starts in the mountains to the south-west.

Goanna in the road

He was walking across the road just past the airfield at Laura, and I stopped the car to take a photo. He barely acknowledged my presence, gave me a disdainful look and went off into the scrub at the side of the road.

Goanna, predatory lizards, are often quite large, with sharp teeth and claws. The largest is the Perentie, which can grow over 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length.

Around 30 species of goanna are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges greatly in size and fills several ecological niches. The goanna features prominently in Aboriginal mythology and Australian folklore. Being predatory lizards, goannas are often quite large, or at least bulky, with sharp teeth and claws. Like most lizards, goannas lay eggs. Most lay eggs in a nest or burrow, but some species lay their eggs inside termite mounds. This offers protection and incubation; additionally, the termites may provide a meal for the young as they hatch. Unlike some other species of lizards, goannas do not have the ability to regrow limbs or tails.

Echidna in the garden

He is a little dirty…he ran away and tried to burrow into the ground. Rachel held him for me to take a photo but he was not very clear as he was covered in dirt. Echidnas, sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes belonging to the family Tachyglossidae. The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the only surviving members of the order Monotremata. Baby echidnas are called puggles, and they make a sniffling sound while searching for food.

Rocks at Laura Queensland

Finally a day off with no rain, and I went driving to explore the local area where small streams crossed the road, and around are rocks, mostly quartz but I did find what I think is jasper. I was searching for round water polished rocks and there are plenty of them but I also realised there were other rocks there too. I returned home and downloaded some rock identification books and am now going to search for agates which I was also told is in this area.

Laura Basin sediments were deposited on an eroded and tilted
sequence of Palaeozoic marine and continental sediments in which
granitic intrusions also occur. Initial sedimentation commenced
in the Mid Jurassic with fresh water fluvial and delta plain
sediments of the Dalrymple Sandstone. These consist mainly of
quartzose sandstone with interbedded siltstones and shales. The
succeeding Gilbert River Formation is of similar lithology though
reflecting a change in depositional environment from fluvial to
marginal marine. Overlying the Gilbert River Formation are
shallow marine mudstones and siltstones of the Rolling Downs
Group.
The Palmerville Fault Zone is the major structural feature of the
Laura Basin and in places forms the western boundary of the
basin.

Laura….

Unfortunately the old Laura pub burned down in 2002.

laura pub quinkan hotel

But it has been replaced and is still the town’s only pub.

austin 7 laura pub camping

Next to the pub you may see an old Austin 7 – owned by Harold and Jenny at the Grocery Store and Post Office next door. It is the exact model of the first car that was ever driven to the tip of Cape York – quite amazing.

Accommodation in Laura

Laura Motel
The latest addition is the motel, in the main street across the road from the General Store and Quinkan Hotel. It is the most modern place to stay in town, with air conditioned rooms with all comfort.