Pick up at 7:45am for a 1 day tour to Cape Tribulation.
It's a minibus, we're 16.
The group is a good one, except for 5 French girls, all from Paris, talking all the time about stupid things instead of listening to the guide, and complaining about everything - "ouais, l'Australie c'est trop nul", "en France, patati patata, ...", etc.
Stupid girls ...
(the best one was : "je pensais qu'en Australie je verrais des beaux surfeurs, mais tout ce que je vois ce sont des grands minces roux, comme en Angleterre et aux States" ... I don't know what's wrong in her head and where she's been but ...)
As we leave Cairns and head up North, the views become more and more beautiful.
We're entering the Daintree NP, a unique place on Earth where the tropical rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.
The vegetation is really tropical, getting denser and denser ; and the relief is really interesting : hills covered in forest, along the sea.
We pass through Mossman village (which is big in the sugar cane industry), and get to the Daintree village, where we go for a cruise on the river, to see some crocodiles.
The landscapes are beautiful, and we see some birds and snakes, but unfortunately no crocodiles ...
(but I don't really mind, I've seen many of them in NT, and didn't come here for that)
After that, we drive a bit further to take what they call the "Ferry" to cross the river.
Actually it's just a barge, a platform attached to cables, going from one side of the river to the other.
Once on the other side, we're now on the Cape Tribulation Road.
(actually, the NP is divided in 2 parts by the river : the Mossman Gorge in the southern part, and Cape Tribulation in the northern part)
We stop a bit further for a walk in the forest.
It starts in a deep tropical rainforest, that suddenly becomes a mangrove area, totally different.
(unfortunately, I forget my camera in the bus ... it fell off my pocket when getting out ...)
We see some interesting plants, like :
- the Strangle Fig Tree : attaches its roots to other trees, and when strong enough, kills the tree (it results in a network of roots forming a cylinder, but with nothnig inside !)
- the Basket Fern : it starts attaching itself to a tree trunk, and forms a circle around it like a basket, that then holds falling leaves and water to nourish itself
- many trees with "tuba" like roots : small tubes coming out from the ground mud, to help them breathe
- sensitive leaves : fern like plants that when touched close on themselves (I have a short video of this, as they were close to the bus)
We also see a very strange spider : the Northern Jewel, which has the shape of a crab !
(only find in Daintree NP)
(one of the guy of the group loses his sunglasses in the water as he was leaning down to look ...)
After that, we continue up to the Cape Tribulation "PK's Village", where we stop for lunch (fish'n'chips)
It's a hostel in the middle of the forest, just a few metres away from the beach. A really nice place !
While eating, I get to know a Spanish couple, they're living close to Perth, and both work as enginneers (they're here on a weekend mini-trip.
We then go for a quick walk on the beach.
When back in the bus, we start our way back.
(to go further North from there, the only way is with a 4WD, and still, it's not always possible)
Our next stop is at Alexandra Lookout, where we have a nice view on one side of Cape Tribulation, and up to Cairns and further on the other side (we don't see Cairns, but we can see as far as it is, and even further).
The next stop is at the Daintree Zoo.
It's a very small sanctuary, with all the local animals of the Daintree NP (that were all either rescued, or born there).
(there's nothing really special - especially considering that I've been to a much bigger one 2 days earlier - but it's still quite good)
After that, we stop in Port Douglas, a Holiday Resort village (typical tropical holiday village).
We stay a bit at the 40 Mile Beach.
The last stop is at Rex Lookout, where we have another great view on the ocean and the forest.
We're then all dropped off at our respective hostels.
I stay a bit in the room talking to the French guy (can't remember his name).
After that I go out for a walk in the centre and to eat something.
Back to the hostel I chill in the room, on my laptop.
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