RAINFORESTS AND REEFS REMEMBERED

Cape Tribulation

 

I can only say a week in the Daintreere is not long enough, but you do need a 4wheel drive to really appreciate it as there is only one main bitumised road to Cape Tribulation. Many others are dirt tracks with deep dips and high

hills, though I am excessively proud of my Little Chihuahua which managed many of them with ease! I am going to try and condense this now as I could just waffle on forever otherwise. The Beaches are stunning! Literally, picture postcard tropical paradises. But as there are signs that crocs and stingers live here too.....swimming is optional.  Cow Bay, Thornton Beach and Cape Tribulation are just three unbelievable beaches.

Thornton's Beach

From Alexandra Lookout all the way to Cape Tribulation is Dense Rainforest but there are plenty of places to visit. Daintree Discovery Centre is next. A fantastic Rainforest walk into and over the trees with many paths, walkways and a 23ft high Canopy Lookout. At $30 it is awesome value.  A little further up are two Ice creameries. Floravilla, the first on your right is small and boutique $5 for a tub.  Daintree Icecream company a little further on your left is large and concentrates on the fruits it grows there. $6 for a tub of 4 flavours! Macadema, Jackfruit,  Wattleseed, and Mango. Gorgeous. Cow bay is on a road to your right from here. A small but beautiful Beach worth going to, but little else on the road except for some B&Bs or cottage stays (which the Daintree is FULL of).

 There are two caravan camps next at Diwan.  Lync Haven (more the traditional Caravan Park) with its own small zoo. As I hate cages I was uncomfortable staying here (though these are rescued animals, I was assured). Just a couple of kms further was Raintree Village Van Park. Part shop/ fuel stop, with a lovely back area in the trees for vans and cabins further up. It was only $20 (single, no power) per night with toilets and HOT showers. Washers too if you needed them. Much more relaxed, so this was where I stayed. I visited Thorntons Beach  and Marrja Boardwalk (awesome free boardwalk in the Rainforest)  while I was there. I had intended to stay at the ONLY national park camp ground there was at Noahs Beach (just after Marrja Boardwalk) , but it was FULL. You need to book well ahead for this one! Oh BTW – no internet or phone signals in the Daintree! So booking has to be done on the other side of the river.

Marrj Rainforest Walk

View from Masons Cafe

There is also Mason’s Swimming Hole and Mason’s Café just before Cape Tribulation. Both very well known tourist draws. Have to say loved the Swimming Hole but the Café was just not worth it. sorry :( Quite expensive, even for the Daintree (which has to have higher prices due to the cost of getting anything there), and not that great in taste. For me, also, the menu was mainly meat (not good for vegetarians). All sorts of meat. I heard one customer say the Croc burger was vile! The ‘Roadkill’ Burger worried me!

Ocean Safari Tours

And then came Cape Tribulation. This is not a typical Village but made of two Backpackers/ camping/ caravan sites on each side of the road. PKs Jungle Village on one and the Jungle Lodge on the other. Both are fairly basic but clean. NOT caravan Parks but more camping with toilets showers cafes and  tour bookings. Maybe the Spa and Chalets and Rainforest Retreats here are different in their pricing but  the Daintree is surprisingly cheap for this type of camping accommodation, I thought. Jungle Lodge was only $10 per night without power. Especially as the Beach here is to die for! Still can’t swim but, hey, just to laze on and look at! And paddle in, may I add.

There’s lots of other stuff you can do here too, for the more adventurous, or if you like tours. Lots of Croc Tours on rivers and reefs available. Swimming and snorkeling on the Coral Reefs too. WireRides up in the canopies and 4 wheel ‘Exploring the Daintree’ tours are on offer as well. And…. Oh so much more. A week is not enough.

And so,alas I have to bite the bullet here and say this will have to be my last blog for a while. It is just getting too much hassle to try and get internet connections now folks. And trying to download photos is a nightmare and takes forever!!!! So I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey with me? I will of course be journeying on, but maybe writing in a different way or not as often. I just wanted to say thank you all for being with me. You made it all worth while xxx And a Special Thank you to Valentino and Heather who left some great comments for me. Valentino I will miss your enthusiasm and cheer.
All the best. Di

May your journey bring your souls awakening.
The Grey Chihuahua

DREAMS OF THE DAINTREE

Cape Tribulation

I was finally poised for my ultimate destination- the Daintree. I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I had wanted to visit this region so much for so long, pouring over travel brochures which extolled the ‘Rainforest to Reef’, that I was a little worried it might fall short of my expectations. And, believe it or not, initially, that’s what happened!

Swimming at the Gorge

Mossman Gorge

I had travelled from Mareeba, through some nice but flat wetlands, to a free overnight stay in a lovely bush setting at Mt Mallory, before travelling through Julatten  to Mossman. At Julatten I began to feel my spirits rising. This was a very green, lush country with winding roads and the Mountains,I was headed for, in the background. But when I turned off for Mossman, although the Mountains remained,  the country became flat again. I felt  little deflated, but wanted to visit Mossman Gorge anyway on the way up, so turned off at the signpost just as I entered Mossman. Do not miss this place! If you travel to the Daintree this is the place to start!

Mossman is a nice enough town, with plenty to do, but a short trip to the Gorge makes it very special. You cannot drive your car up to the Gorge, and need to leave it at the stunning Info Centre at the bottom. This is one of the best Info Centres I have seen BTW. And the Café there caters for Vegetarians too :) I had some fried yams (huge portion for $6) and local spicy tomato chutney. Gorgeous!!The people who work/ run this are the local indigenous peoples, and they were such  considerate, friendly, welcoming people. They could give lessons in great customer service.

To get to the Gorge you need to take the bus there, which travels every 15mins. It is only $8 for a day of unbelievable beauty. People do try to walk up to the Gorge, but as you pass them you can see they didn’t realize how steep this place is to get to. It’s up a mountain for God’s Sake! Once up there's picnic tables, toilets, fabulous walks and viewing platforms and even a swimming hole with clear, pristine water. One of these walks is a 2.5 km Rainforest Trek. I took this trek. Word of warning… unless you are a mountain goat, or supremely fit….. maybe it’s not such a good idea. Fabulous, unbelievable views though.

As I made my way from there the land was still strangely flat up to lower Daintree where the road forked to right and left, and not really what I expected of the Rainforest. I took the right hand turn to Daintree Village. Now the roads became more winding with the rainforest vegetation clearly taking precedence. It was pretty and lush, but somehow not the wild, tropical forests I had wanted to see. I turned back and headed up the left hand turn at Lower Daintree towards Cape Tribulation. And came to the Daintree River. Actually I came to a Ferry. Because, silly me, hadn’t realized you need to cross the River to get to Cape Tribulation! Yes I know… my lack of brains astounds even me at times. $25 return on the ferry was cheap though. And once over the other side… guess what? I found my real Daintree!

Here, a huge, rainforest jungle met me, complete with a narrow, incredibly steep road of tight zig zags and treacherous shelves as I wound my way up a mountainside. I was amazed that my Little Chihuahua seemed to have little trouble negotiating such a climb, but REALLY amazed at the two huge caravans ahead of me! I kept well back from them, I can tell you, and I think I may have closed my eyes when a small truck passed one. Once at the top I turned off at Alexandra Lookout, to see the awesome view… and to calm my nerves!

I had made it to the Daintree of my dreams!

 To Dream is the first step to your goal.
The Grey Chihuahua

SONGS AND SILHUETTES OF THE TABLELANDS

Sunbird- female

As I said in my last blog, there is so much to see and do in the Atherton Tablelands, despite its’ relatively small area. And the Place just teems with birds and wildlife. Even sitting inside or  just outside my Grey Chihuahua I have had ducks, turkeys, pink robins, kingfishers, kookaburras, magpies, cockatoos, corellas, herons, curlews, and the glorious sunbird (which is like the tiniest yellow hummingbird)and so many more, all come and visit. As curious about me as I am about them. Silvered birdsongs wake me in the morning and long, soft, nightcalls lull me to sleep.

Then there’s the wonderful endangered Tree Kangaroo, the elusive Platypus, the many Possums, Turtles,  Wallabies and Kangaroos  up in the highlands and Goannas, Crocodiles and more in the drier lowlands. Everywhere is just amazing, though the green and rolling highlands hold my heart the most.

Lake Tinaroo, right in the middle of the Tablelands, is one of the most special places I have ever visited.. Even on the way there from Lake Baradine along a winding dirt road, you see such marvels as the Cathedral Curtain Fig Tree. The Cathedral Fig Tree, is a gigantic 500 year old strangler tree which towers into the azure blue sky , dwarfing all around it. There are  also several National Parks Camping sites here you can visit or stay at. And these are one of the few areas that there is phone and network reception in. However, I do suggest you visit first to see which one you like then book as NPQueenslands horrific booking system does not allow you to change sites once booked.

My view from The Grey Chihuaha- Camp Barabadeen

 Around the lake there are Camps like Fongon Bay and School Point on the south eastern side. These were too out of the way and not as pretty as the others to me. Also getting there was over some pretty rough roads full of corrugations and potholes. Kauri Creek, Downfall Creek, Platypus Rock  on the other side, were much nicer and easier to get to and, at only $5.75 per night, well worth spending time there. Then there is Camp Barabadeen, A scout camp next to Platypus Rock on the map, for $8 a night . With hot showers and drinking water- which the others don’t have. I love this Camp most of all. Small campers, such as the Chihuahua, can park right up to the lake, with the most stunning views you could wish for. Especially at evening when it becomes a silhuette of willowy gums with their delicate, fronds of leaves dappling against the purple and pinks of a still lake. It is like looking at the very finest of papercutting art. Though better, for no human hand could ever match the minute detail of Nature. Unfortunately, this Camp isn’t really any good for larger caravans as the road is steep and very difficult with no large flat areas. It is, after all a CAMP ground. I am so glad my Chihuahua is small as I can get to so many places that larger vehicles cannot.

My friend at Barabadeen:)

 I have to say though that the village of Tinaroo is just as lovely where you can sit at the only café there (at the one and only  caravan park)or go to look out over Tinaroo Dam, or wander through the beautiful lakes Edge parklands. There is a gorgeous Holiday Resort Hotel right at the edge of the lake too, but I have no idea of the cost.

Tinaroo Village

Neranda Tea Plantation

If you want to go a little inland for a unique experience, there is Nerada Tea. A tea plantation which allows you to look through the factory for free and a café which does lovely cakes, plus a vast array of their teas at a very reasonable price! I had the Devonshire Scone with jam and a massive pot of double cream and tried their honeyberry tea for just $7. It is quite a way out and not signed well but really worth it. BTW they have Tree Kangaroos which live nearby in their specially planted trees. One, named George, can be often be seen there:)

Rocky Creek War Memorial Park

Not far away from here is the pretty Town of Atherton, set in forested hills and dales, where you can buy just about anything. Then take the Kennedy highway north and Tolga is just up the road. A little town full of special places. Arts and crafts, Gems, wholesale Fruit and Veg  and the Humpy Nut world or the Peanut Place. Somehow, the countryside changes, from here, and becomes drier and more arid and leads to a favorite free Camp of mine. The Rocky Creek Memorial Park. This is just a wonderfully well kept, great place to visit. One part is all stone monuments for the myriad of Forces in Army, Navy, Airforce, Police etc. Really worth seeing. The other section is a picnic area with clean toilets. The other, HUGE area is a 72hr stop for RVs. There is a donation box there which I hope everyone puts into as this place is a MUST to keep going. 

Mareeba Heritage Mueum and Information Centre

Coffee (Doesn't) Works

And onto Mareeba. I really liked this friendly, down to Earth town, with its’ War Museum, its Heritage Museum, Boutique Wines and many shops.Plus a working Drive in Movie Theatre, showing the latest movies at the weekends! What an awesome blast from the past, for me. BUT, I cannot recommend the Coffee Works there. A large, very commercial, place(another one in Cairns) which has a big coffee café (selling local and boutique coffees) and chocolate shop an overstocked jumble of household accessories shop. Four words. Overpriced and poor value. 

Herberton Historic Village

Going from Atherton again, but south this time, you can take the road, up through lush hills, to Herberton. Gorgeous little place. Here is a beautifully maintained, massive Historic Village to browse around, for just $27 entry. This is a MUST to see. The Village is fully operational with each house open, some amazing machinery and acturate details. Herberton itself is very pretty too and kept in an old world state, in keeping with the area. and there is a caravan park. But No free camp :(

Ravenshoe Steam Engine

Carrying on over the hills, you drive through some lovely, to the flatter  countryside of Ravenhoe. This is definitely an RV friendly little town. Not as cute as Herberton , but the Steam Railway, though not working, is great to see AND offers a place to stay. At $15 powered and $10 unpowered with hot showers, toilets and washing machines- THIS is exactly what we travelers are looking for nowadays. The village has all the shops you need too! I spent there as I believe we all should in towns that offer such sites.

The final place is, perhaps, the best known in the area. And one which I am strangely at odds with. Kuranda. The scenery here is nothing short of stunning, perched, as it is, high in the hills above Cairns. To get there from Cairns requires some good driving skills and concentration for the steep road which twists and turns on incredibly tight, sharp angles. From the Mareeba side the access is flatter and easier. Kuranda itself is just plainly a tourist destination. Everything there is all about getting visitors to spend money. But it isn’t a heartless place. The people there are very laid back and friendly. In fact it almost shrieks… Hippysville! 

Many of the main streets shops are tawdry and ‘alternative’ with plenty of tie-dye clothing and crystals. And the odd Aboriginal Art Gallery or Souvenir shop. Plus plenty of little, reasonably priced, cafes. Yet the huge Market there is like Little Asia! Honest to God. As I  meandered, in bemusement, there, I felt as if had been transported to Thailand or China. The tiny little stalls are stuffed full of cheap Asian trinkets, the cafes offer dumpling and all varieties of fragrant rice dishes, and the polite, tiny stallholders are 99% Asian!

I was even more confused when I went to see the Main two attractions here. The Historic Rainforest Railway and the SkyRail. The Railway is a superbly kept Steam Train which runs through the tops of the Rainforest down to Cairns and back. It is like stepping back in time but in the best possible way. The Railway platform has a tiny little old worldly café too. Just perfect! The SkyRail, across the road, is a modern glass capsule which hovers well above the Rainforest, allowing you 360degree vistas of the area as you slide down the cable to Freshwater Station or come back up again.

 

I felt disoriented. Yes I liked the Railway and Skyrail. They were well done and worthwhile. The main street I was not so happy with. I think I expected something more in keeping with the beauty of the Railway, so more pretty cafes and less tie dyes. And the Market, I didn’t like at all! This is Australia, and I really wanted to see something in keeping with Australia, NOT Asia. Nothing here seemed to gel. It was a mish mash of ideas, ethnic values and tawdry tourism that just didn’t work. The only place I did feel comfortable in was the local Foodworks. Same all over Australia :) Oh … and the lovely Barron Gorge a few kms away, where you could stand and see where the Steam Train rolls past the Falls (there’s even a platform there that you can get off the train at), on its way through the Rainforest to Cairns. Or just go on a walk through the Rainforest there.

Will I go to Kuranda again? Well I would go on the Railway, but I would avoid the Market like a plague! ... and probably most of the Main Street as well. Shame.

Take time to reflect on what is there today for it may not exist tommorrow.
The Grey Chihuahua