When we reached the Daintree River our guide drove the van onto a small cable ferry to get across the river. After crossing the road was narrow and winding, and it seemed like a long ride as much of it was done in the dark and the last part in the rain.
We stayed in the Daintree rainforest where
the lovely cabins we built on stilts. It was morning before we could see just
where we were settled. During the night we listened to lots of nature noises,
and that was great. The first morning I was quiet so not to wake my travel
buddy, but I am an early riser. I sat in our lounge area in front of huge
picture windows with my coffee, and all I could see was lush foliage and vegetation!
Great care had been taken to design the resort to blend into its surroundings
and to be ecologically sensitive to the World Heritage Area. Elevated wooden
pathways protected the ground from being trampled. The 250 acre site showcases
a towering mountain range in the background. The mountains collects the rain
clouds and then sends rain to the valley and coast. The normal rainfall is
60-inches a year,
Early one morning we walked down to the
beach for a ride out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some snorkeling. We
learned that at certain times of the year box
jellyfish wash down from the rivers
bringing the stinging devils close toshore. This deadliest of all jellyfish is
but fist-size but has four meter-long tentacles. At these times some beaches
drop nets to enclose an area for safe swimming.
It was a bit over an hour boat ride out to
the reef. The Great Barrier Reef, the
largest coral system in the world, protects hundreds of small off shore islands
on Australia’s east coast fom Brisbane north to Cairns. I found the snorkeling
here much better than a previous trip when we went off of Green Island which
pretty much has been trampled by many tourists. It was a pleasant day and a new
experience for my travel buddy.
Another day we walked down to Coopers Creek
where our skiff captain was waiting to take us on a boat ride through the
estuary. We learned the brackish estuary is hoe to 20 of the 69 known mangrove species.
Mangroves in this area grow 30-50-feet tall protecting 70% of the tropical
shore around the world. Only 70% of the mangrove is above water surface; the
rest in underwater where a filter at the bottom of each root filters the water.
Sitting in the motorized skiff looking up at the mangroves was amazing.
After a while the captain started talking
about crocodiles saying, “Crocks prefer temperatures of at least 30 degrees
centigrade. Female crocks are territorial and reach 14-feet long. Males reach
23-27-feet and can way up to two ton. They wander in and out of territories. It
is possible for them to live 80-100 years. Crocks eat mud crabs, wallaby, and
mud pigs among other things.
“ They can swim 100km into the ocean.
Capable of slowing their heartbeat, they can stay submerged in the water for an
hour. Breeding season is December to April, and mama lays 30-80 eggs in a nest.
The crock goes into a trance-like state when laying eggs, then afterward
returns to her vicious self. Gestation is 6-8 weeks. Mom monitors the nest for 90
days, then uncovers it removing the 10-inch hatchlings to the water. The
temperature of the nest determines the sex of the egg; 85 degrees is good for a
female, 90 degrees for a male.
“A baby crock is not safe to be on its own
until 4-5 years old. The survival rate is ½%! Crocodiles have been protected
since the 1970s, and there is a fine for anyone caught poaching. The growth
rate is about a meter every 10 years.
“The
cold blooded reptiles can move up to 30 km an hour and cannot zig zag. He has
no tongue and cannot swallow under water. It has piercing but no grinding
teeth. The brain is in its head between the eyes. They thermos-regulate through
an open mouth.”
The talkative entertaining guide/captain
ended saying,”It’s always a good idea to give a crocodile its space!” was a
full fun morning.
That afternoon we met a botanist who took
us on an interesting hike through the rainforest. Enthusiastic, she obviously
loved her job. She pointed out the coral cycad tree, corkscrew vine, matchbox
bean vine, black palm and black walnut tree. She said, ”Studies are being done
on the black walnut bark as possibly helping in nerve regeneration.”
She also talked about the flightless
cassowary and two tree climbing kangaroos found only in the rainforest.
This delightful place is definitely on my
return-to list!
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