The 'Tropicana' tour - Cairns to Darwin
(or vice-versa)
The Tropicana takes you from the East to the West of the tropical
northern region of Australia. Setting off from Cairns on the Pacific
coast the route then heads West across the Cape York peninsula
to the Gulf of Carpentaria and on to Darwin and the Timor Sea,
going through numerous splendid national parks on the way. The
4000km trip is mainly along unsurfaced roads in the bush and includes
driving through several rivers. It’s an "Eldorado"
for Enduro lovers, who should be fit and have some off-road experience.
The tour begins in idyllic surroundings in Cairns on the Pacific
coast. We will do a day trip to the Atherton Tablelands, with
opportunities to swim and view waterfalls. We organise diving
excursions onto the reef, or for the less faint hearted, bungi-jumping
from a 80m bridge into the rain forest. The first day’s
ride to Cape Tribulation makes the Enduro biker’s heart
beat even faster. Traveling on unsurfaced roads we make our way
through the mountain ranges along the Pacific coast. To the left
there is the seemingly impenetrable jungle and to the right the
breathtaking views across the vast expanse of ocean and the countless
romantic bays.
 In
Cooktown, the historic harbour where Captain Cook’s Endeavour
lay at anchor, we leave the coast and drive into the tropical
forests of the Lakefield National Park. We will be able to watch
the huge salt-water crocodiles from a safe distance!
We travel across the Cape York peninsula, driving through several
rivers and along earth roads, before coming to Karumba where we
reach the Gulf of Carpentaria. Karumba is an old port which has
fallen into decay to become almost a ghost town and is certainly
one of the many attractions to be encountered on this journey.
We then head along the gulf via Normanton and Burketown on the
way to Borroloola. Here we find the first surfaced road since
the beginning of the tour. Further on, we bathe in the hot springs
at Mataranka and enjoy the beautiful countryside around Edith
Falls in the Katherine Gorge National Park.
From here, it is only 200 km to the most famous of all Australia’s
national parks, the Kakadu National Park. During a boat journey
through the mangrove swamps we will be able to see salt-water
crocodiles sunbathing and get to know the extraordinary flora
and fauna of the region.
At the end of the tour we visit the Litchfield Park, a national
park which has only been open to the public for a few years and
which has already become the big hit among Australian connoisseurs.
Our final destination is Darwin, a town with a very pleasant easy-going
atmosphere and where the Australian saying "no worries mate"
probable originates from!
|
