The Daintree Sights.

Coopers Creek Croc Tour.

Location

Cooper Creek Wilderness Daintree Rainforest, 2333 Cape Tribulation Rd, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia

Info

Hoping to see a croc or two on this river tour. No guarantees though. Meeting place on the road side where there is a pull off for parking. There was, what looked like an access point to a tidal creek and it had vehicle tracks in it. I am sure we were all wondering how we where to get in a boat from there considering the crocodile warning sign was at the top of the access point. As it turns out the tour guide called us to come to a point some 50 meters future down the road. Checked out tickets and directed us through the mangroves along a well worn track. It felt like we were walking through croc territory. I am sure ther would have checked first. Surely! 🤔🤔🤔 Walkex along the track some 150 meters at which point we could see the Cooper Creek and a sign saying "Beware Crocodiles" and "Wait Here". Our kids walked right past the sign and headed towards the water. OMG!!! 😡😡😡 The guide turned up and we followed him closer to the creek and to his boat which we piled on to. This guy was very good as a tour operator. Very knowledgeable and covered so much stuff that we will never remember all of it. Oh yeah, we got to see 3 crocodiles in the wild. No fences this time like in Broome. One juvenile, one male and one female. Footnote: The next day we again bumped into this Australian who is living in Barcelona (we seem to be doing the same stuff) who said he did the croc tour the same day but earlier. He had photos of the crocs more exposed and laying on the river bank. Oh well, you get that. 😲😲😲
GPS: -16.171689000000004, 145.419137
Expenditure:
Fee 132.00 AUD

Discovery Centre.

Location

Daintree Discovery Centre, Tulip Oak Road, Turn off Cape Tribulation Road, Cow Bay QLD 4873, Australia

Info

Here is a self walk tour of a section Rainforest with audio, boardwalks, a 23 meter tower and displays with information on the rainforest and inhabitants. There was an audio point about every 10 meters or less which kept you constantly slowly moving while trying to identify what was being talked about. Of course when talking about the inhabitants of the forest and we should look out for them, well we thinks that your chances of seeing anything roaming through would be relatively remote. All we did see was some birds flying over at the top of the lookout. Either way it was not extremely expensive and it was informative and very picturesque.
GPS: -16.2375602, 145.42781069999998
Expenditure:
Entry 65.00 AUD

Jindalba.

Location

Jindalba Boardwalk, LOT 439 Tulip Oak Rd, Cow Bay QLD 4873, Australia

Info

Just up the road a little was another walk. Julie noticed it and thought it might be worth a look. Heaps less people and it has two walks. One at 700m and another at kms. We went the short one. The long one said 2-3 hours. difficult and steep. Not really prepared. 🙄🙄🙄 Very peaceful walk. Actually we crept around trying to be as quite as possible. Most of the other people were trying to do the same it seems. We did see a Red-legged Pademelon (small kangaroo) along the way. A few bird which are very difficult to photograph on the account that they never seem to sit one place long enough. While leaving we had another encounter with a Cassowary on the road. It was in no hurry and watched for a while and then decided to move past it once it started to head for the rainforest. It did not seem very bothered by the car noise. A bit further along the main road we came across yet another Cassowary feeding. Again it did not seem to be in a hurry.
GPS: -16.238576200000004, 145.4324275

The Bloomfield Track.

Location

Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Road, Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Rd, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia

Info

We were heading for a Strangler Fig Tree and the local swimming hole. Not sign posted and missed it. Maybe it was the creek crossing that distracted the driver. Do we or don't we. Not very deep, ahhhhhh let's go anyway and have a look. Can't hurt! We can always turn around. 🙄🙄🙄 As it turned out, the "track" is more like a nice dirt road. The Great Central Road was much worse. The steep sections (33° in line or decline) were concreted. We only went a third of the way (35 kms) to Wujal Wujal. It may have been worse further on but judging but the number of 4wd without winches and the odd 2wd cars we passed we don't think so.
GPS: -16.010610000000003, 145.4416247

Wujal Wujal Falls.

Location

Wujal Wujal QLD 4895, Australia

Info

Looked here a Waterfall sign. So we checked it out. This is easily the best waterfall so far. In full flow it would be very spectacular. That is if you could walk along the river bank. Managed to get closer that most by practicing my goat skills. 😁😁😁 Just beat the crowds. The car park was full when we got back. That explains the people passing us in the opposite direction on the walk back. 😏😏😏 There is a cultural center at Wujal Wujal but it closes at 12:00pm on Fridays. so we missed it. Should have done it before the waterfall but we would have grabbed the crowds. I think we got it right. 😎😎😎
GPS: -15.943124799999996, 145.3205922

Emmagen Creek Swimming Hole.

Location

16°02'34.2"S 145°27'40.9"E, Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Rd, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia

Info

We left Wujal Wujal about 12:30 ish. Took a lot less time to get back to the Emmagen Creek Crossing which is where the local swimming hole is apparently. You would about 200-300 meters into the jungle and follow the worn track. When you come to the fork in the track take the left one. 😅😅😅 You can hear the yelling as you get closer. Seemed to be a lot of people. Well, after about 30 minutes the crowd started to disappear and we almost had it to ourselves. The water was 22°c and clear and about 2 meters deep. There was also a rope off a tree. Yeehaa!!!
GPS: -16.042822499999993, 145.46136328125002

Strangler Fig Tree.

Location

16°02'34.2"S 145°27'40.9"E, Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Rd, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia

Info

About 200 metres further along the road is a Strangler Fig Tree. Probably in the vicinity of 300 years plus in age. From here you can walk to the Coral Sea. Watch out for crocs the signs say. 😲😲😲 About 500 meters past the fig we saw another Cassowary crossing the road. This one was on a mission by the looks. 👍👍👍
GPS: -16.03969240813099, 145.46155476942658

Kulki, Cape Tribulation Beach

Location

16°05'00.6"S 145°28'07.3"E, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia

Info

Oooh Yeah a beach with real fine sand. Reminded us of the beaches at Cocos Island. It also looked like a safe harbour for boats. Did a walk along the beach and checked out the end of the beach where some old trees were growing right on the edge of the beach sand and the high tide mark. Taleah climbed one of the trees and could not get down. Dad to the rescue. 🤗🤗🤗 By the exit from the beach was a boardwalk where you could see the mangroves meeting the rainforest. Rather unique. Well time to head back for dinner. We are doing a night walk tonight. 👍👍👍
GPS: -16.0834975, 145.46868359374994

Night Walk Jungle Adventures.

Info

Being picked up from the Cape Trib Camping reception tonight for the night walk. Seems to be a warmer night tonight. Only 10 including us on the tour which is less than we thought. The guide name was Ian and had a great knowledge of the rainforest and Inhabitants. Didn't see as much as we thought, but it was an experience move around the rainforest in the dark. And when I say dark, it is dead set dark. I mean you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Any light from the sky is blotted out by the tree canopy. Saw a Boyd's Forrest Dragon, a couple of bandicoots, a baby green stick insect, a rat and a mouse of some description chacing one or the other. Blinked and missed it. Several spiders, Huntsman Spiders, glowing fungus. Got to walk through the middle of a Strangler Fig and look up to see the hollow centre. Oh and it seemed the kids liked it. 🤗🤗🤗
Expenditure:
Fare 180.00 AUD

The Crocs Next Door.

Info

We are a bit weary this morning it seems. The kids are rather slow getting up, so we will be a tad slower on the move today. Plan B, the word is out that there are a couple of crocs sunning themselves on the bank in the estuary next to the park. Time for a sticky beak. 🔍🔍🔍 Off the beach through the jungle and follow the hood prints to a Bush boat ramp. Don't go down the boat ramp, too dangerous. GOT IT!! Just check out the photos. They explain what happens better than me.
GPS: -16.096975269440783, 145.46481097117066

Thornton Beach.

Location

Thornton Beach Bungalows, Cape Tribulation Rd, Thornton Beach QLD 4873, Australia

Info

Pulled up in a parking spot on the edge of the forrest and burst through the darkness onto a bright sandy beach with a solitary island about 800 metres from the edge of the water. Quite a few people walking along it. We joined in and wander here and there just waisting time. It was quiet and enjoyable. Aidyn dug a hole in the beach sand near the water of course.
GPS: -16.172019000000002, 145.441517

Marrja Botantical Walk.

Info

Oh well, another board walk. This turned out to be a great walk. It was a shame that it is probably at it's best in the wet season. Meandered along the 700m boardwalk until the kids came running back trying to be quiet to tell us about their Cassowary sighting. We followed and expected the Cassowary to be gone but not so. It was stridantly standing on the path looking for a path forward. Creek on one side. People behind it and in front of it and it appeared not to want to back track to where came from. We moved off the path and it started to move forward along the path. It seamed that, we gave it an opening. Then the tourists turned up and propped in front taking photos blocking its exit and it veered off the path and through the forrest still in view. If the tourist had stayed put or stepped off the path staying still it was near a sure bet it would have walk along the path between everyone. That would have been something! It then headed for the water where we originally walked from and had a drink. Taleah managed to get a video of it having a drink. Amazing stuff, being so close and not watching from a car. It does seem that they are not afraid of humans and will walk right past providing they have a clear path to do so. 😲😲😲😲
GPS: -16.137895887344406, 145.44058794155717

Trib Beach Crocodile.

Info

All the stories indicated that crocodiles are rarely seen on the Cape Tribulation Beach. I guess tonight was one of those rare occasions. A family was having a camp fire on the beach about 15 metres above the water line. They had as few kids with them and they had been playing on the beach and the edge of the water not much earlier. It was dark in case you are not sure. Dad had a torch and was shining it in the water when he noticed a shape on top of the water. Turned out to be a crocodile. Suspect it was the same one from the estuary as we had seen earlier today. Described as 4 meters long. The water is is only ankle deep a fair way out. So you would expect that the croc was walking instead of swimming along the edge. The Dad rounded everyone up and left for the caravan park warning the park. The funny thing is that Taleah said she was going to the beach about that time and Kim had to follow her to bring her back. I walked along the beach a couple of meters from the waters edge right past the family having the fire looking for her. Taleah only went to the toilet instead of the beach and she was back at the caravan when I got back. 😅😅😅
GPS: -16.096207951388948, 145.46559182927012

Mason's Swimming Hole.

Info

As the temperature rises today so had the frequency that the kids have asked to go back to the Emmagen Creek Swimming Hole. Thought we might try the other swimming hole at Mason's just down the road o. the Myall Creek. A similar place to Emmagen. Not as deep and no rope for swinging in. Taleah was most disappointed at that. Never the less in they went. Aidyn was happy under the water with his goggles. It is more shaded and must be cooler than Emmagen Creek. The swimming hole is on private property and has a donation of $1 per person for use. The consensus from Aidyn & Taleah was it was much colder than Emmagen Creek.
GPS: -16.0981446023306, 145.45762768015265
Expenditure:
Entry 2.00 AUD

Dubuji Myall Beach Boardwalk.

Info

Doing our last boardwalk hoping to see a final Cassowary. No luck. Mostly noisy tourists from overseas. Had a look at the Myall Beach. There were a couple of swimmer in the water. Go figure! After seeing how fast a croc can move I have a new perspective on how slow we do move. Headed back to camp and took the drone for a fly past Myall Beach to the point. It turned out to be 2kms plus. My longest fly to date.
GPS: -16.09032636972112, 145.46592878177762