Curraghmore Station, Daintree

Monday 29th May, we had arranged a fishing day on the Daintree River with Emma and Jason. We set the alarm (what is an alarm, we are on holidays....) and left about 6.45am for the drive to the Daintree River, just out of Mossman. We emptied the back seat of our car so we could take passengers, and towed Jase’s 21’ centre console fishing boat to the boat ramp, as Jase does not have a tow vehicle at the time being.

After launching, we headed upstream as far as the Daintree Village, where the water was calm, and then downstream, where the water was choppier, dropping the line and casting lures hoping for a nibble.
We had a lovely day cruising, but unfortunately only one fish was caught (by Jason, a small Mangrove Jack which he threw back.) It was a bit disappointing, as they catch fish all the time (that is Jason’s business – Topwater Fishing Charters/Adventure North Sportfishing Safaris), but the fish were all hiding today. Regardless, it was a lovely couple of hours cruising and croc spotting on the Daintree River.
This is a World Heritage area, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. We cruised to the mouth of the river, where it meets the Coral Sea, but it was too choppy to go any further. If the weather was nicer and the river and sea not so choppy, we may have gone out to Double Island which was only about 15 minutes offshore. There's always next time.

We saw about a dozen crocs, but the scariest one was the first one we saw, a large croc which was only a couple of metres from the boat. We saw it submerge, disturbing the mud, then leaving a mud trail where it went underneath the boat. It happened too quickly to take a photo.
Jase is leaving tomorrow to spend 10 days fishing with some mates at Cape York, so we will stay camping at the Station until he returns, to keep Emma company, although she is very confident and comfortable staying at the homestead with her dogs. She has campers coming and going and doing bookings and payments, then checking sites are left clean etc. before new campers arrive.

We may do a run to Mareeba about an hour away to replenish stocks. We have enough solar so we can recharge every day, and the river water is clean enough that we can pump it into one of the van water tanks.

We have 3 water tanks, two still have good town water which we have not touched. When tank number 3 is empty, we pump water from flowing river through a filter and use that water for washing dishes, showering etc. We have also been using it in the kettle, through a second filter, and it tastes fine and have had no ill effects using it for the past 2 weeks. City mindset that water needs to come out of a tap or a bottle!

Tuesday 30th, had a great night’s sleep, and a leisurely breakfast watching the river flow by. In the morning Theo spotted a small freshwater croc swimming upstream. By the time he got his camera, it was out of sight. We did a couple of small housekeeping jobs, catching up on diary entries, downloading photos etc. As we have no internet on our campsite, we log on the Station's WiFi when we go there.

Camping here is so relaxing, we do a few chores in the morning, then sit and watch the river flow by. I am not sure where the day goes, as we are just winding down and chilling out. Sometimes we take our chairs and sit in the shallows of the river, having a drink, enjoying the peace and solitude. At dusk, the cockatoos squawk and fly overhead, the kookaburra’s laugh in the distance, the solar fairy lights come on under the caravan awning and we light the campfire and sit by the fire and cook dinner. After dinner, we head indoors, shower then download photos, read, play cards etc. Repeat the next day.

The days all blend in together, we have been here for two weeks, and sometimes we forget what day of the week it is. The caravan requires minimal housework, and once the bed is made and breakfast is done, we sit outside and enjoy the serenity.

As Jason is still away, we spend most evenings with Emma, either at the homestead or she drives the buggy out to our camp. We sit around the fire, enjoying a drink and talking for hours. It has been lovely sharing time with her, and I think she has appreciated the company. Sometimes the owner visits and stays at the homestead, and she spends time at our camp as an escape from him. There are ongoing issues with him, and unless these issues are sorted out, we don’t believe that Emma and Jason will stay long here caretaking.Read more