Today was largely spent in the Prado heading south from our overnight camp site on the Coen River just north of the town that shares the same name. After filling up (for $1.77 per litre) in Coen there was a procession of roadhouses – Musgrave, Hann River and Palmer River before the ‘town’ of Laura.
To the south of Laura is the UNESCO recognised Quinkan Rock Art where you can go for a self guided tour to three of the galleries high up in the escarpment. The rock art is important as it represents a distinctive style that is not found in other parts of Northern Australia.
The walk up the escarpment was steep and we had timed our visit to correspond with the hottest part of the day! We tried keeping in the shade as much as possible and fortunately the rock art was adorning the walls of a large rock overhang that was well sheltered from the sun. A spot of lunch and a cold drink helped our recovery and we were soon back on the road.
One thing that marked a major milestone for us today is that we have seen the last of the Cape York dirt roads and are back on the tar for a few days. It will eventually run out as we head west but we will enjoy it while we can.
Glen and Claire have headed to Cairns to pick up Claire’s car before we will meet up again at Undara on Tuesday. We’re off to the supermarket to stock up for the trip west. We have to hope the Mareeba supermarket is open on Sundays.