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Published: July 22nd 2007
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I took a day tour with Billy Tea Tours to the Daintree Rainforest and the river cruise. It was a great day, and being almost all on land means I can keep my breakfast down. These tours pick you up at your hotel / hostel and drop you off at your hotel. After picking everyone up, about 14 people at about 5 locations we were on our way, about a 2 hour drive north along the coast, the Captain Cook Highway. Our first stop was the Daintree River for a cruise to spot the wildlife, which means crocodiles. A gentle boat that ambled along the river, and within seconds we spotted our first croc swimming. The guide swung the boat around for both sides of the boat to get a good look. He asked us not to all rush to one side of the boat, while the crocodiles might like us to do that, the guides want all of us to get back alive.
Then some more cruising and we saw a juvenile. Baby crocs are quickly left to fend for themselves, this youngster was only about 50 cm long sunning himself on a log. We continued and saw two
more crocs, the last was the granddaddy, a huge 5m long male, missing most of his teeth so he was quite old.
The guide told us of stupid Sam, a tourist who got a little too close. Just three months earlier there was a tourist travelling on his own in the same area who had spotted a crocodile. He wanted to get a closer look, so he walked into the water. Still he couldn't attract the attention of this deadly reptile so he slapped the water with a stick. That got its attention and the croc lunged at the tourist and bit his leg badly. He survived to tell the tale, but beware crocs love to dine on tourists. Actually, there are very few attacks, less than one a year.
Our next stop was the rainforest walk. There is a boardwalk for about a kilometer that winds its way along the dense rainforest. This part of Queensland has some of the oldest flora in existance, plants from the Jurassic and Cretaceous. I don't mean an individual plant that is 100 million years old, but the species has little changed in that time. Then off the to the BBQ
lunch, where our guide cooked for us juicy steaks, and salads were prepared. Then off to the Emmagene Creek for a swim, quite a nice remote rainforest creek. We had some tasty rainforest fruits and tea. The tea was made in a billy, heated in a pot over a stove - hence the name Billy Tea Tours.
Our penultimate stop was Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the ocean, a beautiful stretch of sandy beach with palm trees and thick vegetation just behind. Cape Tribulation was where Captain Cook ran aground after striking the reef. He spent many weeks there stuck. The crew were able to repair the boat, but it was a tribulation. Our final place was the lookout about 300 m elevation above all of this.
It was a long 12 hour day, our guide was very knowledgeable. The van was a converted troupe carrier now designed for 4WD tours. A very enjoyable day.
In Cairns, I stayed at the Traveller's Oasis, a very nice place. I had a single room with the toilet and shower down the hall. Very helpful staff with a tour desk to book all the day trips, and onward travel.
There was a kitchen and a laundry. In my single room I had a small fridge, so I bought supplies to make my own breakfast and tea - like my very own little oasis on my long trip.
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