Tuesday 19^th June Port Douglas

We rode the bikes into town and did the cruise up the inlet. We actually saw a couple of crocodiles, but they were only very small ones.

The captain was reduced to throwing cat food into the river to try to attract cat fish, and it worked. They really do use cat food to attract cat fish, but it has to be a good quality dry stuff, not the black and gold. See the photos to see the result.

After the cruise we wandered around to try to decide when we would go out to the reef and which boat we would go on. As the wind was getting stronger and promised to be increasing over the next few days we decided to wait till Friday or Saturday to cruise.

It was great to be able to catch with Ben and Simon and the girls. They are up here for a wedding. That night Ben and Jane picked us up from the caravan park and we drove to where they and Simon and Kate had their apartment for a few drinks and then we walked down and found a place for tea. It would appear that they lost our dinner order and after 45 minutes we asked what’s going on. Sheepishly the apologies flowed but we ended up with free garlic bread and free drinks, but boy were we hungry.

It was a great night and we walked Jane back to the apartment and then we walked home. The other three stayed out a bit longer. They enjoyed the cane toad races and some karaoke.

Wednesday 20^th June Daintree and Cape Tribulation

We set off early the next morning to head for the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. We still passed lots of cane fields. The harvest has started and we have seen some harvesters in actions and trucks on the road transporting sugar cane. Trucks are used up here not trains.  After we caught the ferry across, we had a good drive on winding roads all the way to the Cape. We actually stopped about a kilometre after the ferry to have a look at the first of the lookouts right along this coast. It was a very overcast day and the photos look like they were taken in black and white – you’ll see what I mean.

There were a couple of roosters there wandering around .At the lookout we met a couple who worked for the cruise company we are doing the cruise with. We could see out to the reef. They said their company was the best (What a shock!!!). They also said that some of their passengers had stayed at the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas and they had a free cruise thrown in – something we did investigate, with no results.

We also stopped at another place and did the walk through the tree tops. This was a great place even if we did pay for it. At one time after walking along the elevated walkway we then climbed 112 steps to the very top for yet another great view.

There were numerous places like this along the way, all free, and all great. Many lovely boardwalks that wind there way thru the forest. They are of various lengths and go thru a variety of foliage including mangroves. The Daintree is older then the Amazon rainforest. So many amazing trees etc. There were trees with buttress that look like cement and the actual buttresses are very wide.

The foliage is just spectacular and the photos do not do justice. 

Cassowaries live up here but only about 1200 are still alive. There are lots of signs to be careful of them while driving. 

We even have a photo of the giant spider, a golden orb spider, whose body was the size of my thumb’s first knuckle and the body the size of my hand. Amazing but non-poisonous.

We also have a photo of a painting of a prehistoric bird from around here called a Thunderbird – yes people! Thunderbirds are go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We drove to the end of the tarred section of the road and not knowing we were already at Cape Tribulation, we kept driving on the dirt track – the 4wheel drive track to Cooktown – only 100km or so up the road. After about half a km we decided we had done the cape trip and found a place to turn around and went back to the tarred road. Going onto the beach at Lake Tribulation was very special. The rainforest comes right down to the beach and then there is the sea. There is a beautiful picture book called “Where the forest meets the sea”. The pictures in there show what we saw.

We drove past the ice cream factory, coffee plantation and the tea plantation, and visited none of them. Imagine us passing up a visit to a tea plantation!

We eventually found our way to our caravan park and settled in for the night – after a walk along the beach (yes! More signs about crocodiles in the area – apparently there is a 3 metre one living in the local creek – we didn’t investigate) Because it was low tide we were able to walk out to the reef about 100 metres away. It was all dark coloured. On the beach there were people riding horses and a family had bought their table from the park to have tea.  

Parked next to us were a couple from Freemantle in WA. They were a great couple and after talking for about half an hour they joined us for a pizza at the camp ground shop and then we went back to their caravan area and had a cuppa and some cake. A really nice couple. This was one of several place to stay up here at Cape Tribulation and from here we were right on the beach. This is the first park that had a bar.

Thursday 22ns June – Daintree and Port Douglas

We set off early once again and after catching the ferry for the return trip we drove into the Daintree village. We followed the river all the way along. It is quite winding. The ferry is the old cable type ferry and the river where we crossed was only about 50metres across and took about 5 minutes.

Daintree village was small and pretty. From the wharf lots of cruises can be taken.

The road to Mossman was only built in 1933 so the wharf was very important for transport of people and goods. Horseback was the other option.  After a brief stop we set off for Mossman Gorge a few KM down the road.

Mossman Gorge is run by the local aboriginal community and is only about 4km off the road in the middle of town. The new information centre which is where you start the visit to the Gorge, was only opened yesterday. If we had visited it when we were on the way to the Cape, we could have driven our own car there. As from yesterday, you park your car and pay $4.80 and catch the shuttle bus back and forward. There is a marvellous raised walkway to the gorge. We had been warned about midges, sanflies bugs etc and advised to use insect repellent before we got out of the car. I [Fay] decided to cover up completely including my attractive net hat - See photo. Lots of interesting stares!

Once again the Gorge was beautiful but I don’t think it was as spectacular as the Daintree and the Cape.

Off to Port Douglas and after lunch on the seat next to the church we booked the reef tour, but we had to book it for Saturday as Friday was booked out. This meant we had to stay another day in Port Douglas, so we booked a night at the Sheraton Mirage Resort just out of town and I sit here typing from that Resort. This place has about 6 or 7 pools everywhere, but these are not your normal sized pools. The total pool area here is 5 and a half acres. They are enormous and there was one right outside our balcony (ground floor).

Tomorrow will be a lay day and we will be chilling at the caravan park we also booked today.

We have come as far North as we will go. Cooktown was the next town North, but that requires a 560km round trip – we will leave it for next time. We are revelling in being warm! The weather south looks atrocious.