Daintree

[Wed 11/23 - Fri 11/25]

Happy Thanksgiving!

We were on the road from our lodge at about 10am for the 3 hour drive up to Daintree, in the north of Queensland, with a couple planned stops along the way. The drive through the Tablelands was pretty - a mix of farmland, mountains and rainforest, with some spectacular coastal rainforest views as we came down out of the mountains. Daintree is the oldest surviving tropical rainforest in the world (over 135 million years old), a World Heritage Listed site, and home to a national park, beautiful coastline, and several natural attractions. Our first stop was at Mossman Gorge, at the southern entrance to Daintree, where we did a mile and a half walk along a river gorge and through the rainforest.

Suspension bridge crossing Mossman Gorge

River gorge

After the hike, we grabbed a quick lunch in the town of Mossman, then continued north to the Daintree River and for a crocodile viewing boat cruise with Solar Whisper Wildlife. I was expecting cheesy gags and jokes but was pleasantly surprised by our captain and guide, David, who was incredibly knowledgeable about crocodiles and their habitat... and witty, to boot. When you check in, they give you a disclaimer that there is no guarantee to see crocs. David mentioned they had seen 1 on the prior cruise, so we felt fortunate to see 3 adults (1 male, 2 females) and several 'babies' - about 18 inches long at 9mos of age. It was really cool.

A 'small' female - about 9 feet long - lurking just under the surface

Baby croc hiding in the mangrove roots on the shore

We learned a bunch - importantly that saltwater crocodiles such as these are much more dangerous than their freshwater cousins (like the one that makes its home in Eacham Lake, as noted in my last post). Saltwater crocs live in coastal rivers, but non-dominant males sometimes get chased out by the dominant male and swim along the coast until they find a new river home. This is why - we later learned - nobody swims on the beautiful beaches in Daintree!

After the tour, we drove 2 minutes down the river to catch a small car ferry to the northern side of the river, then drove another 20 minutes to our home for the next 2 nights, the gorgeous Cockatoo Hill Retreat, arriving around 6pm. Our delightful hostess, Carmen, was waiting for us and showed us around the place she and her husband built 21 years ago - and she has run herself since he passed away in 2008. The inn has 4 small bungalows nestled in the trees. Carmen doesn't like to be too busy, so usually only rents 1 or 2 at a time - there was one other couple here our first night, we had the place to ourselves after that.

Entrance to Cockatoo Hill Retreat - main house

Sitting area looking out of the rainforest and ocean; roof of Karri and my bungalow on the right

Infinity pool with a peek of ocean in the distance

View from the deck of our bungalow

Bed with necessary mosquito ("mozzies" as the Aussies call them) netting

We quickly cleaned up, then headed to On The Turps restaurant for a delicious meal - barramundi (sea bass) for Karri and me, risotto for Victoria. Back at the inn, Karri and I headed to bed while Victoria star-gazed from the pool. It's warm and very humid here but we all slept very well with screened windows and a fan.

While getting dressed Thursday morning, we heard Carmen ringing a bell, notification that local cassowaries - large, flightless birds that resemble emus - had wandered into her yard. We went up to watch and take some photos as a father and 3 babies wandered through the gardens eating seeds and fallen fruit.

Cassowaries under a cashew tree

We finished getting ready, then headed north to Cape Tribulation - the furthest point north you can go without a 4-wheel-drive vehicle - walked the beach, then worked our way down the coast, stopping at several beaches and nature trails. No crocodile sightings today.

Beach at Cape Tribulation - mostly had it to ourselves

Happy to be at the beach! Bummed we couldn't swim

Dubuji boardwalk trail

Miyali Beach

Lunch stop at Thornton Beach Cafe - great spot!

Thornton Beach

We headed back to the inn around 4pm and relaxed in the pool for a while, then cleaned up and headed to dinner at nearby Lync-Haven Cafe - a casual spot with great food. We had green curry, butter chicken and barramundi for our Thanksgiving dinner!

We did some star-gazing back at the inn - slightly overcast but still more stars than you see in a big city. Slept well again, but I woke around 6 to a massive thunderstorm rolling in from the ocean. It was really cool to watch (and feel and hear) the storm pass through. I've been sitting on the deck, working on the blog and chatting with Carmen as the rain continues. She says we've already had 75mm today with another front on the way. She's concerned we may have difficulty on the road back - there's a report of a downed tree, and flooding is common. We'll play it by ear. There are worse places to get stuck! We have a reservation tonight in Mission Beach - about a 4hr drive south.