the colour of blue: the daintree

Last year we started ticking things off my mother’s bucket list (going camping, watching the sun rise on the East Coast of Australia and riding a roller coaster). Spending the last few days in the Daintree Rainforest has seen her tick off another. Her desire to enjoy the rainforest birds and see a green tree frog were realised. Johanna wanted to see a crocodile (in the wild) and we were lucky enough to see that as well.

enjoying the view from Daintree Manor, our B and B

Tweety, the friendly resident at Daintree Manor

a misty, drizzly moment in the rainforest

The Rainforest captivated us with its unfamiliar plants and amazing wildlife, the mozzies the one exception. We learned about rainforest plants and trees and the vines that grow up them seeking light, the root systems of the mangroves and saw first hand the destruction caused by floods and recent cyclones.

a green canopy above

wonderful muddy mangroves

taking a moment to enjoy a magical place

the colour green

We explored the Daintree River in a boat at dusk and saw birds and butterflies, bats and crocodiles and a green tree frog. A good many of the animals spotted were by torchlight, when it grew dark, the amazing eyes of our guide picking out minute specks far in the distance, including the jewel like sparkles of a multitude of brown spider eyes.

We couldn’t resist a couple of side trips to local beaches. Much to Colin’s dismay the beautiful coastline is for looking at not swimming in – stingers and crocodiles a successful deterrent. He and Johanna amused themselves on the beach tossing around a fallen coconut and swinging from a rope tied high on a palm tree. Colin did manage to find a safe swimming hole and got his water fix, it also happened to be a most picturesque spot.

coconut catch at Cow Bay

a rope hanging from a palm tree
is just asking to be swung on

Mason's Hole, Colin finally got his swim

Colin returned to Melbourne on Monday, Johanna, my mother and I had a couple of days in Cairns. We rode the Sky Rail and the Scenic Railway to and from Kuranda and took a ferry out to Fitzroy Island visiting the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and looking at coral through a glass bottomed boat. (managing to keep mostly dry on a very grey and drizzly day) The ferry trip out proved to be ‘a bit rough,’ Johanna and I were glad to disembark, my mother was sad that the fun rocking and rolling was over and doubly sad when the trip home proved a whole lot smoother.