The Bloomfield Track, which is also known as the Coast Road or officially, the Cape Tribulation-Bloomfield Road, is a controversial four-wheel-drive road in

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The road's construction through untouched wilderness was the cause of protests and blockades in the early 1980s. The road was completed in 1984, connecting

Cape Tribulation Cape Tribulation is a headland and coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas in northern Queensland, Australia. In the , Cape Tribulation had a population of 118 people. Geography The locality is north of Cairns. It is within the Daintree Na ...

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...

. This route is an alternative to the

Mulligan Highway The Mulligan Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 266 km between Mareeba and Cooktown, on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Q ...

further inland. It passes over the

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

and Cowie Ranges. To reduce the environment impact the road was designed with few switchbacks and bends on the climbs resulting in patches of steep gradients over the ranges. The track itself is 30 km in length. The road is only partially sealed and may be impassable after heavy rains. Access to

Bloomfield Falls The Bloomfield Falls ( Aboriginal: ''Wujal Wujal'') is a cascade waterfall on the Bloomfield River near Cape Tribulation, close to Wujal Wujal in Queensland, Australia. It is within the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. Features an ...

and the aboriginal community of

Wujal Wujal Wujal Wujal is a rural town and locality in the Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the , Wujal Wujal had a population of 282 people. It is an Aboriginal community. The community of Wujal Wujal is located in the Cape York r ...

is provided by the road which also crosses the

Bloomfield River The Bloomfield River is a river located in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia, noted for its Bloomfield River cod fish species, found only in the river. Course and features The river rises in the Great Dividing Range below Zi ...

. Tourism along the Bloomfield Track has been popular. Visitors are drawn to the pristine rainforest, swimming holes, creeks and beaches.

Access

The track begins at Cape Tribulation and winds its way north through the

Daintree Rainforest The Daintree Rainforest is a region on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Mossman, Queensland, Mossman and Cairns. At around , the Daintree is a part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australia (co ...

, crossing many creeks in the process; then it ends at the aboriginal community Wujal Wujal. Many local authorities recommend that the journey should be undertaken in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, however recent upgrades have been undertaken (including the construction of bridges at the Bloomfield River and Woobooda Creek crossings in 2014/15, as well as paving works on the Cowie and Donovan Ranges) that make the road more suitable for some two-wheel-drive vehicles, provided that they are driven with care in dry weather only.

Protests

Douglas Shire Council The Shire of Douglas is a local government area in Far North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covers an area of , and existed as a local government entity f ...

and the

Government of Queensland The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy was form ...

supported the road's development. Environmentalists opposed the road on the basis that it would bring unwanted development to an area of high environmental significance. Blockades against bulldozers brought police and arrests were made. This resulted in national and international attention to the issue. The campaign to protect the Daintree Rainforest through which the road passed eventually resulted in the area being declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. The Queensland Government opposed the World Heritage listing. It took the issue to the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...

to stop it but was unsuccessful.

References

External links

Cairns and Far North Environment Centre "Wet Tropics Rainforests" history - including a 1980's history of the blockading and construction of the Bloomfield track
Accessed 22 November 2009
Niemeyer, Simon and Blamey, Russell (2005) Deliberation in the Wilderness: the Far North Queensland Citizens’ Jury. (A report considering future management options for the Bloomfield Track) Land & Water Australia, Canberra.
Accessed 22 November 2009 {{coord, 15, 51, 27.64, S, 145, 19, 35.65, E, display=title, region:AU_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Roads in Queensland Protests in Australia Far North Queensland

Access

Protests

See also

References

External links