6am came earlier than I would have liked. Though, I suppose it always does. The sun was just peaking it's head out from above the mountains... Slow to rise, just like us.
Because of the cost, it was just Kyle and I making this adventure today. The night before we decided to go on the Billy Tea Safari for $185. Kyle had gone to a handful of travel agencies and it was agreed that this one was the best for your money. The Billy Tea custom built 4WD vehicle arrived at 6:50am and we headed north along the scenic coastal route, the Captain Cook Highway, learning about the history of the area and admiring spectacular views of the coast line and Coral Sea. The Daintree National Rainforest was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it was granted listing as a World Heritage List - quite the prestigious honor. There are only 936 sites in the entire world that fit this strict UNESCO criteria being of special cultural or physical significance. Of course the weather never quite being in our favor, it began to rain on our way to the first stop - the majestic Daintree River. There we had Morning Tea & Coffee before enjoying an informative guided River Cruise on the Daintree River. Majestic is the only word that might be able to adequately describe what being on this river felt like. The rain had eased up, leaving a hovering layer of clouds that only added to the serene feel of this river. With the exception of our boat, there was almost a eery silence about that made me feel as though a crocodile might jump from the waters and take a chunk out of a tourist for breaky. Sadly, we never saw one because the tide was too high. Boo. The tour guide taught us about the Estuarine Crocodiles in the river, mangrove forests and endemic wildlife.
From there we ascended the Alexandra Range and paused to take in the amazing panoramic view of the World Heritage Tropical Rainforest merging with the Coral Sea. Let me tell you, this view is breathtaking! I could have stood there for an hour and just to take in all the beauty it had to offer. We continued driving to where we could experience the rainforest intimately on a guided elevated National Park Boardwalk. Accurate interpretations of flora and fauna were given with plenty of time for photographs and questions as we looked for the elusive, rare and totally unique Southern Cassowary and other wildlife species within this particular habitat. Unfortunately, we never found one but did come across a few big lizards and toxic plants.
All of the walking worked us up an appetite and luckily lunch was the next stop in store for us. We made our way to Lync Haven, an animal refuge centre, where enjoyed a delicious gourmet barbecue lunch that included steaks, sausages, and an assortment of salads at the restaurant nearby. No, none of the animal refugees were harmed in the making of this feast. With our bellies full, we walked over to give the kangaroos their lunch and were able to get up close and personal with a handful of them. Let me tell you, those 'roos love carrots. I straight up watched one hump two people in our group!
It was an hour before we arrived at our next destination, Emmagen Creek. The swimming hole at Emmagen Creek is a popular tourist walk because there are few other safe places to swim in the Daintree lowlands (due to those crazy crocodiles). It is only a 400 meter walk upstream along the creek until you reach the deeper pools. There we took a swim and enjoyed 7 tropical fruits, indigenous to the Daintree Rainforest. Our guide also prepared the group the infamous Billy Tea which included water and tea in a bucket that is cooked over a fire and then swung around to ensure it is properly mixed. The concoction wasn't my favorite, but then again, I'm not much for tea. The fruit, on the other hand, was delicious. Dragonfruit (pitaya), sweet pineapple, papaya, sapote... My favorite of which was cherimoya, a soft white fruit that tasted very much like bubblegum.
Next stop? Cape Tribulation. What cool is that it is located within the Daintree National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage area, which therefore means you are standing in two places at once! We spent about 30 minutes wandering the beach there and going along this path which takes you to a lovely view of the entire Cape. On the beach, there were these strange trees that had their roots above ground. They were absolutely fascinating - I took at least 10 pictures of the trees alone. It wasn't long until the rainforest brought back the rain in it's typical rainforest fashion. Within minutes I was caught in a downpour, running back to the vehicle with my camera and phone protected underneath my shirt.
Soaking wet from the torrential downpour, we started our 2.5 hour long trek back to Cairns. Exhausted, we washed ourselves up then grabbed some dinner and drinks while waiting for Drew to arrive. The night was a tame one, for the next day we are early to arise again... Only this time, our journey takes us under the sea.
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