Daintree Rainforest

By 7:30 on Monday 10/1, I was all ready to go exploring in the Daintree Rainforest.

I was excited about the sites, time out and about, and experience. But I was nervous about being a single traveler on the tour, assuming that everyone else would be there with at least one other person. Luckily, this tour takes no more than 8 passengers. Small numbers, regardless of the fact that everyone was there with someone else, encouraged conversation and inclusion. I always felt like part of the group and forgot several times that I was there alone. The tour guide was technically also a single traveler. The tour guide, Les, was very personable. I was the last to be picked up and he addressed me by name and introduced me to everyone in the car and even cracked a joke on my accent. I like that he could pick up from our short interaction that I'm one that can take a joke. There were 2 couples on the tour and a daughter, mom, and grandmother. Everyone was very nice and laid back.

Our itinerary for the day:
- Rainforest and Mossman Gorge
- Morning Tea
- Daintree River Cruise
- Alexandra Lookout
- Thornton Beach
- Cape Tribulation
- Lunch at a Hideaway in the Rainforest
- Ice Cream at the Daintree Rainforest Ice Cream Company
- 4WD Through the Rainforest to Cassowary Falls

We spent a lot of time in the car, but when we weren't in the car... We were seriously living, exploring, and experiencing!!

The Rainforest was... well... green! Very green! And extremely shady. Surprisingly though, it wasn't rainy. Les showed us Strangler Figs, Wait-a-While, Rattan, Ginger, and tons of other plants native to the Rainforest. He explained certain characteristics, purposes, and the growth of each one. He also talked to us about the soil, the roots, and the way the trees of the forest all work together as one giant ecosystem.



Strangler Fig

Daintree Rainforest Tree Roots

Wait-A-While

Mossman Gorge was absolutely beautiful. It is extremely clean/pure water. You are actually allowed to swim in it, but it was a little chilly, so we just looked. We did however see a turtle there and I named him Federico.   The crystal clear water cascading over large, smooth rocks lined on both sides by Rainforest with the sky peeking in from above... It's a sight that a picture can't possibly capture.

On the way to our next stop - Morning Tea and the Daintree River Cruise - it started raining and everyone's spirits and attitudes dropped a bit. For morning tea we had Lamington, which was my first time and it was delicious!! Because of the rain, the temperature dropped significantly, but luckily the receptionist at our resort advised me to take a light jacket. The first half of the river cruise was done in the rain. Our boat guide told us that because of the rain, temperature, and high tide we were very unlikely to see a crocodile, which is the main attraction of the river cruises. The second half of the cruise, the rain cleared, which was nice, but we still didn't see any crocodiles. We did however get a beautiful view, see a sweet little yellow bird and its nest, a pretty ugly Tawny Frogmouth, and marveled at the Mangroves. If the Mangroves were taken out of the river, the entire river ecosystem would fall apart. The Mangroves offer homes and protection to the fish as well as breeding grounds for the crocodile and an area to raise and protect their babies.

Mangroves

Alexandra Lookout was pretty, but because of the overcast weather and thick, low clouds we really couldn't see much or far. There were however some beautiful, sweet smelling flowers there. Next we stopped at Thornton Beach to eat some fruit - fresh pineapple and oranges.

We stopped at Cape Tribulation and walked down to the beach, which was gorgeous. It was clean, white sand, blue blue water, and mountains and trees lining the sides (just like every other beach here). We walked up to a lookout there as well where we could see mountains stretch out and the coral in the unreal blue ocean. Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where 2 items that are World Heritage Listed exist. After Cape Trib we drove to the tour company's private location for lunch. It is this cool small cleared area in the middle of the Rainforest that is really hidden away. We explored the nearby streams, forest, etc until the lunch whistle was blown. For lunch each person got an individual box with a mix of meats, vegetables, cheeses, and pastas. Each person got a roll as well. You could pick and choose the items out of the box and eat them as is or put them on the roll. It was very light and fresh which was nice on such a long day.

For dessert we went to the Daintree Rainforest Ice Cream Company. The grow the fruit there and make the ice cream there. They only have one option of ice cream which is 4 pre-chosen flavors in a bowl. The 4 flavors for the day were Passion Fruit, Wattleseed, Raspberry, and Soursop. If you know me, you'll know prechosen foods with no other option really isn't ideal... but I decided to just go for it. To my surprise I loved all 4 flavors (some took a few bites to get used to). My favorite was Soursop, which was extremely surprising considering it sounded the most unappetizing. I also really enjoyed the Raspberry.

The last stop of the tour was Cassowary Falls. The tour company I went with is the only Daintree tour that has access to this location. The site started off with open fields and free, roaming cows - the ones that look like the ones in India. Everyone got super chatty and excited when we saw what we'd be getting in to get to the falls - a zebra striped 4WD. We drove through huge puddles, up and down gravely hills, through open fields with tree covered mountains in the background and a blue sky overhead. We also drove through parts that were lined on either side with the lush green of the Rainforest. We arrived at a dead end and followed our tour guide, Les, through a hidden path to a beautiful scene - a waterfall emptying into a clean, clear pool of fresh water. A few people went swimming, but it was really cold so the rest of us stayed back. Les fed the fish and we saw an eel then we hopped back in the 4WD and headed back to our tour van through the Rainforest, open fields, puddles, and mountains. There we ate some fresh fruit - oranges and pawpaw.

This was our last site on the tour and it was time for the long ride home. I hated to have to say goodbye to all the unbelievable sites and beautiful nature, but I could officially say I have seen a Rainforest - The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia to be exact. =]