Crocodile Attack!

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OK, the title's a tad melodramatic and should more accurately read "Crocodile Attack Show". This was the main event at Hartley's Crocodile Farm some 40km north of Cairns and, conveniently ignoring my usual concerns about the ethics of turning wild animals into performing spectacles, an impressive show it was too. One man who has obviously had his fear emotion surgically removed spent some 45 minutes showing us how crocodiles behave when presented with food opportunities. Whilst the food in question was ostensibly some bait on a rope, it was pretty obvious that given half a chance the croc would happily 'large it' and upgrade its choice to human flesh. For such large (and they are surprisingly large) unwieldy looking creatures the croc was incredibly stealthy, sinking and surfacing without so much as a ripple, yet capable of making a fierce and very sudden move on the food when it came within reach. We were treated to an exhibition of jaw snapping, head shaking and the infamous 'death roll', all of which were noisy and dramatic enough to make the presentation on croc attack avoidance compelling listening.

Earlier on our visit the boat ride through the lagoon with free swimming crocs was a lot less impressive. At the end of the queue for boarding we were stuck with inside seats and spent all the time being treated to views of our fellow passengers going ooh and aah as largely unseen crocs snapped at bait dangled by the skipper. The latter's commentery was entertaining though in a dry fatalistic kind of way. His tip for surviving should the boat sink was to swim faster than the person next to you. We also learned that whilst it would be 'game over' if caught in the water, crocs are none too swift on land, having a top speed of 15kph. This is basically jogging speed and given the incentives one would instinctively tend more towards the 'personal best' end of the running spectrum.

As well as a tourist attraction, the place is a working farm, one of a handful in Australia supplying high quality crocodile skins and meat. The farm tour concluded at the pens where they keep young crocs destined to become handbags and dinners. It was quite a shock to peer over the walls and be presented with masses of youngs crocs crammed under the shade.

Other attractions on hand included the snake show, something that I enjoyed from the back of the auditorium with all escape options, including taking my chances with the crocs, fully mapped out. C, with what I can only think of as a perverse affection for these squirming wriggly beasts, sat at the front and lapped it all up.

This was our last day in Cairns. It proved difficult to leave and not only because we had to get up at 03:20 to catch our flight. It's a fascinating corner of the globe and well worth the extended visit that we enjoyed there.

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