North of
Cape Tribulation, the Bloomfield Track is an interesting drive through the Rainforest. Numerous improvements have been made over the last few years, including a 3.5m
bridge above the Bloomfield River (2014). There are still several creek and river crossings and some steep climbs and descents so while it was once strictly for 4WD vehicles only and quite challenging after rains, it is now far more accessible to a wider range of tourists. The track is now well graded and as such is now considered a "road". The steep ups and downs are now concrete and the river crossings are hard bottom. Be aware however that the track is still narrow and unsuitable for large caravans but is ok for more maneuverable camper trailers.
The Bloomfield Track ends near the Aboriginal Community of
Wujal Wujal and travellers can either continue north using our
Ayton to Cooktown Trek Note, pickup the more challenging
CREB track, or retrace their steps south.
How to Use this Trek Note
If you'd like to download this Trek there are two options:
- Purchase our app ExplorOz Traveller. This Australian-made GPS & Navigation app will allow you to download all the ExplorOz Treks to your GPS enabled smartphone/tablet/iPad or laptop and enable active route guidance along the route as per the Directions shown on this page. The app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. The app also allows you to edit/customise the route. Viewing the Trek in the Traveller app also includes all the words, images and POIs exactly as on the website (excludes Wildflowers). For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage.
- Alternatively, if you already have another raster mapping software program (or an HN7 device) you can try downloading the route line data files via the Download Trek button shown below the map on this page (OR purchase EOTreks Route Files). Be aware that this doesn't include maps or text just the route line.
TIP | To purchase our maps for offline use, you will need to purchase an EOTopo map licence (available either in App Version, or Raster Version). |
Environment
Being a true Rainforest Habitat it is normal to expect some level of wet conditions during the trek - ranging from drizzly rain and wet sections of track at the beginning of the trek at
Cape Tribulation to a drier and more barren environment towards the end.
History
Cape Tribulation was so named by Captain James
Cook after his ship ran aground on Endeavour Reef. Aboriginals however, called the area Kulki. The first track through the
Daintree was an Aboriginal footpath, that with the arrival of settlers and miners, was later upgraded to a packhorse track. In 1983 the Bloomfield Track was formed for vehicles by bulldozers, attracting international attention to the fight to save the lowland
Daintree rainforests. The conservationists lost that battle, but the publicity generated by the blockade indirectly led to the Federal Government's moves in 1987 to nominate Qld's wet tropical rainforests for World
Heritage listing. Despite strenuous resistance by the Queensland timber industry and state government, the area was inscribed on the World
Heritage list in 1988 and one of the key outcomes was a total ban on commercial logging in the area.
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