We were in Cardwell on a Friday and our hosts said that they always got fish and chips for the evening meal if we wanted to join in. We agreed and had a very pleasant meal with them (both New Zealanders) and another guy from New Zealand who was working in Australia. The next morning, we were back on the road through banana plantations. The bunches of fruit were all covered with plastic bags which we presumed were either to protect from pests or prevent them from ripening too early.
We passed Mount Bartle Frere which at 1622m is Queensland’s highest peak. In 1942 a USAAF plane returning to base at Charters Towers encountered a tropical storm and crashed on the mountain killing the seven crew. In Babinda, we could not resist following the sign for Babinda Boulders and there is a memorial for the crash there. Swimming is allowed at the first pool next to the carpark and there is a walk to a couple of viewpoints where swimming is forbidden.
We were continuing on Highway 1 (The Bruce Highway) to stay with friends near Yarrabah, a 20km detour off the highway. Their house is right on the beach and we had a great walk and clamber over the boulders with them and their dogs before dinner. This was the first beach on the east coast that I have found sea glass on.
The next morning, we all had breakfast on Cairns esplanade. On the way there we passed numerous classic cars heading in the opposite direction for an event. There was a charity walk taking place on the esplanade, but we managed to find a quieter café eventually.Before leaving town, we stopped at Rusty’s market. Many of the stallholders are Hmong people from Laos. There is an amazing selection of fruit and vegetables and also jewellery and some crafts. I topped up my coffee supplies at this stall.
We then left Highway 1 to divert to the Daintree rainforest via the Captain Cook Highway to Mossman which for much of the way follows the coast. Just before Mossman we diverted to Port Douglas for lunch by the beach. Continuing north from Mossman there is eventually a turn for the Cape Tribulation Road and the Daintree Ferry. On the winding road to our destination there was a lookout (Walu Wugirrica) over the rainforest to the Alexandra Range.
We spent Monday exploring a little of what the Daintree National Park has to discover. The Discovery Centre was our first port of call. Elevated boardwalks run through different levels of the rainforest from the floor to the canopy. A 32m high tower gives the topmost views. and is also used to measure carbon flux by researchers at James Cook University.
The species of fig tree here (Ficus virgate) has very small fruit compared with my commercial variety Brown Turkey at home.
As we had a few longer driving days ahead we walked the nearby Jindalba (Kuku Yalanji for ‘foot of the mountain’) Long Loop trail which is 2.7km. There is a shorter boardwalk. The trail is way-marked and there are a lot of tree roots and rocks, plus a few fallen tree trunks to step over and some creeks to cross. There are a few short steep ascents and descents so sensible footwear is advised. Don’t go in your flip-flops. We were very pleased to get see an adult Cassowary and a youngster before they disappeared back into the foliage. Unlike most birds, once the Cassowary eggs have hatched, the male takes responsibility for caring for the young until they are 16 months old. I did not get a good shot of the adult but here is the youngster:
As we are almost at the end of the dry season there were a lot of fallen seeds and fruit on the ground and fungi on tree stumps. After finishing the trail, we drove to Cow Bay Beach for our picnic lunch. It was another almost deserted beach and this lizard was sitting on one of the trees. Saltwater crocodiles mean that going into the water is not allowed. I did some beachcombing while James rested, finding a couple of pieces of coral and looking at all the Bubble Crab holes on the sand. On other beaches I have seen them emerge in the evening.
There is so much more to see here but we had the press on with our journey the next day.
