Page 75 - BNB Fishing mag

Stunning southeast Cape – part one
* from P74
field Falls is a must, as is a visit to the scenic Weary Bay at the little village of Ayton just to the north.
About 30km north- west on the Endeav- our Valley Rd is the immaculately kept En- deavour Falls Caravan Park, another cracker place to stay.
at Eddie’s Camp, you can also drive (all this is 4WD only) over to the pretty stretch of beach near south Cape Bedford.
There are two great caravan parks at Ay- ton, and a boat ramp on the Bloomfield that al- lows access to the local reefs in good weather.
Just beyond there, you would normally turn left onto Endeav- our Battlecamp Rd.
The sand en route can be very soft, so expect to air down, and if the trade wind is blowing – hold onto your hats!
A great place to spend a few days!
However, I strongly recommend continuing on through Hope Vale to Elim Beach, where you can camp at Ed- die’s Camp.
It’s well worth the trip though.
The Bloomfield Track from here north is now all bitumen, but the beautiful moun- tainous scenery re- mains – part of what was once known as ‘The Big Scrub’.
This area is again se- riously beautiful!
From Elim Beach it’s back to the Endeavour Battlecamp Rd and into the magnificent Riny- irru National Park.
Great camping op- tions en route to Cook- town are Home Rule Rainforest Lodge and Camping, and the fa- mous Lions Den Hotel.
It’s possible to beach launch at high tide to fish in the bay or around north Cape Bedford for barra- mundi, mangrove jack and fingermark, as well as mackerel fur- ther out.
Fingermark like this one caught by Drew Polder- man are common captures along the Cooktown coast.
Coral trout are a prime target reef sh in this area.
Both offer ‘saltie’-free freshwater swimming, and there’s a cracker hiking track at Home Rule up to the waterfall of the same name.
West of where you first reach the coast is the famous coloured sands, accessible by walking or 4WD at low tide.
A stop at the boulder- strewn Black Moun- tain is a must.
Never drive low on the beach – getting bogged is virtually a certainty and many vehicles have become swamped here.
Onwards to Cook- town, but first with a di- version to Archer Point.
Camping is allowed here, and you can take in great views along a truly spectacular coastline.
For a small fee paid
However, we’ll visit there and places be- yond next month!
You can beach launch to fish a plethora of nearby reefs and also visit nearby Hope Is- land, which is a true gem.
Picturesque Cook- town is nestled on the southern bank of the Endeavour River, sur- rounded by beautiful nature, steeped in his- tory and culture, and the town still retains its frontier character.
There’s a stack to see and do, however I’ve covered Cooktown pretty well in the past
so will move on.
Hope Island is easily reached from the Bloom eld River, Archer Point or Cooktown in good weather.
www.bnb shing.com.au
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2020 – Page 75