Trip report - Cairns to Cape Tribulation

People don't normally publish "trip reports" for a simple drive up the coast
from Cairns.

I think mine was exciting enough to be worthy of posting.

I flew into Cairns for three days holiday, with day 1 for sightseeing and
days 2 and 3 for diving. Hired a car at Cairns airport on the Thursday
evening for my stay.

For my first day (Friday), I decided to drive up to Cape Tribulation, a few
hours north of Cairns, where the bitumen ends and the dirt roads start. I
drove straight through up to the edge of the bitumen, photographed the end
of the road, got back in the rental car, it wouldn't start. The engine
turned over, but no spark. Figured I had flooded it, waited half an hour, it
started. Great.

Drove about 20 minutes south, pulled into one of the lookout points by the
side of the road for my first real look at the scenery, and it started to
absolutely piss with rain as soon as I got out of the car. Got back in the
car, wouldn't start. Waited half an hour, then an hour, still wouldn't
start. Nobody has pulled into the lookout (because its pissing down). Mobile
doesn't work. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, unless 20 minutes from the
end of the bitumen is "somewhere".

Had no choice but to walk to the edge of the road and stick my thumb out.
First car picked me up - a couple of aborigines. They gave me a lift to the
nearest pub, which was the nearest place that had a phone. Got to the pub,
rang roadside assist, RACQ is the agent, arranged for them to pick me up at
the pub on the way to the car. An hour later he was there, drove me back to
the car, still wouldn't start, he said it was buggered and needed a tow (not
that any of this was exactly news to me). The tow truck driver with the RACQ
account is his brother in law; the RACQ guy knew he was out somewhere and
wouldn't be able to tow it until the next day, but he was going to see him
at the pub that night and would give him the keys.

So what about me? Its still pissing down, the car still doesn't go, and my
mobile still doesn't work.

The RACQ guy very kindly offered to give me a lift to the Daintree ferry,
where he reckoned I could get a lift. I eventually found some pommie
tourists who gave me a lift to Mossman, from where I got another lift home.
All in the pouring rain.

So my entire day was spent hitchhiking down the QLD coast. My brand new
rental car was left by the side of the road just south of Cape Tribulation.
I saw nothing at all, and got soaked to the skin.

The rental car company (Europcar) refunded my rental fee for the 12 hours I
had the car and it worked. As I was going diving the next couple of days
anyway, I declined their offer of a replacement vehicle.

Jeez I had the shits at the time. Now I think it was a great day - I met
some people (locals) I would normally never meet, and had an adventure.


Peter Webb

You sound just like the sort of resourceful bloke who CAN turn a disaster
into an interesting experience!!




"Peter Webb" <webbfamily.RemoveThis@DIESPAMDIEoptusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:47b65afe$0$20842$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> People don't normally publish "trip reports" for a simple drive up the
> coast from Cairns.
>
> I think mine was exciting enough to be worthy of posting.
>
> I flew into Cairns for three days holiday, with day 1 for sightseeing and
> days 2 and 3 for diving. Hired a car at Cairns airport on the Thursday
> evening for my stay.
>
> For my first day (Friday), I decided to drive up to Cape Tribulation, a
> few hours north of Cairns, where the bitumen ends and the dirt roads
> start. I drove straight through up to the edge of the bitumen,
> photographed the end of the road, got back in the rental car, it wouldn't
> start. The engine turned over, but no spark. Figured I had flooded it,
> waited half an hour, it started. Great.
>
> Drove about 20 minutes south, pulled into one of the lookout points by the
> side of the road for my first real look at the scenery, and it started to
> absolutely piss with rain as soon as I got out of the car. Got back in the
> car, wouldn't start. Waited half an hour, then an hour, still wouldn't
> start. Nobody has pulled into the lookout (because its pissing down).
> Mobile doesn't work. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, unless 20 minutes
> from the end of the bitumen is "somewhere".
>
> Had no choice but to walk to the edge of the road and stick my thumb out.
> First car picked me up - a couple of aborigines. They gave me a lift to
> the nearest pub, which was the nearest place that had a phone. Got to the
> pub, rang roadside assist, RACQ is the agent, arranged for them to pick me
> up at the pub on the way to the car. An hour later he was there, drove me
> back to the car, still wouldn't start, he said it was buggered and needed
> a tow (not that any of this was exactly news to me). The tow truck driver
> with the RACQ account is his brother in law; the RACQ guy knew he was out
> somewhere and wouldn't be able to tow it until the next day, but he was
> going to see him at the pub that night and would give him the keys.
>
> So what about me? Its still pissing down, the car still doesn't go, and my
> mobile still doesn't work.
>
> The RACQ guy very kindly offered to give me a lift to the Daintree ferry,
> where he reckoned I could get a lift. I eventually found some pommie
> tourists who gave me a lift to Mossman, from where I got another lift
> home. All in the pouring rain.
>
> So my entire day was spent hitchhiking down the QLD coast. My brand new
> rental car was left by the side of the road just south of Cape
> Tribulation. I saw nothing at all, and got soaked to the skin.
>
> The rental car company (Europcar) refunded my rental fee for the 12 hours
> I had the car and it worked. As I was going diving the next couple of days
> anyway, I declined their offer of a replacement vehicle.
>
> Jeez I had the shits at the time. Now I think it was a great day - I met
> some people (locals) I would normally never meet, and had an adventure.
>
>
> Peter Webb
>
>
>