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Published: December 16th 2006
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
The rain forests taken from the Daintree River. Believe it or not it was raining.Mon 11th December - Wed 13th December
The 6.05 two and a half hour flight from Darwin to Cairns was another resounding success thanks to having the back three seats all to myself and my first emotion on walking through the airport doors was one of huge relief. I could breathe again. Four weeks in the pollution filled cities of South East Asia and the energy sapping high humidity of Darwin allied to early mornings and late nights had left me completely bushed so it was nice to smell the fresh air again. Although still humid compared to back home it was bearable and all bode well and the short shuttle ride into the City further enhanced the feeling. Clean and picturesque, Cairns is quite obviously a City that relies on it's tourism industry for survival, it's close proximity to two world heritage sites ensuring that that is the way it will remain.
Unable to check in until 2pm (it was 10:30am) I ditched the sack and went for a stroll and found myself in the gallery of local photographer Ric Steininger (wwwsteininger.com.au) and the girl in there was wonderful. I explained I was only in the City for
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
Crocodile Hunter. You can just see the five footer lurking in the centre of the pic menancingly on the banks. a couple of days and asked her what she considered the must do's in and around Cairns. Better to ask a non partial observer as opposed to an agent, of which there are hundreds, eager for commission. As I left she called me back and handed me a complimentary pack of postcards, Maybe the Aussies aren't that bad after all.
When I did eventually check in I was impressed. Gilligan's is a huge hostel with four floors, each equipped with a huge and modern kitchen area and a comfortable TV and DVD lounge. There is a bar/nightclub within and my room had three extra wide bunks and a balcony overlooking the pool.
It wasn't long before I met my first room mate, Jay, a 20 year old from Milton Keynes with a look and sound of Jamie Theakston. He told me he hadn't been drinking alcohol for a couple of weeks which I found a tad strange for a lad of his age but he told me he'd had a minor op at the local hospital and seemed reluctant to expand on that. He was with Mike, another quiet lad and there was also Jamie, travelling alone and
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
Our boat driver. He knew everything there is to know about croc's and still took the piss about the cricket. I was the only Pom on board. who was studying for a diving licence and who only occasionally lifted his head from his studying and was tucked up in bed at 10:30 every night.
The following morning, on the advice of the gallery girl, I found myself at 7:30am boarding a small tour bus for the two hour drive to Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas and a small sleep later found myself being herded onto a boat waiting on the banks of Daintree River. We were going croc hunting.
The river cuts like a knife through the dense rain forest and is home to the estuarine crocodile. Our driver knew all there was to know about his specialist subject and, with the aid of walkie talkie communication with three or four other boats scouring the banks, also knew where to find them. He also took great pleasure in ridiculing our performance in the cricket. Having asked "we got any poms onboard" it became evident I was the only one and a smile crossed his face as he asked what our chances were for the third test. It pains me to admit it but I had to say not very good.
After the boat we
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
There was once a mature tree in here but the strangling vines that remain put paid to that. got back onto the bus and drove into the rain forest itself, a dense, humid treeland where you could feel the insects feasting on your ankles. The forest dates back 130 million years, is a world heritage site and has basically remained undisturbed for all that time and that made for a fascinating hour. We also spotted a Casowary, an Ostrich sized bird that has a huge claw like toe on each foot and which has been known to kill humans but luckily were at a distance not to be threatened.
After lunch, which was delayed by over an hour, we called at Mossman Gorge before heading to our last stop of Port Douglas, a wealthy sea side town where Bill Clinton holidays and where Elton John has a huge villa on the side of a hill. Adele had told me I must go see but due to the lateness of lunch we had just half an hour there. I walked to what I thought would be the beach she spoke of with my two new Dutch friends having told them I'd heard it was spectacular. They weren't impressed and nor, for that matter, was I. The four mile
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
The same vines from the outside. beach Adele spoke of was at the other end of the main street so I ditched the Dutchies and started ascending the hill in the other direction. It wasn't as close as a woman I'd asked had lead me to believe and as a result I had to run back to the bus in my flip flops. When I eventually got back I was five minutes late and sodden and the driver non too happy. But it was a good day made more the enjoyable by the company of the two Dutchies Duke and Maria and an Argentinian playboy Roberto who had all joined our party at lunchtime.
It was an even earlier start the next day (Wednesday) because as well as having to be at the harbour to board my catamaran to the reef at 8am I had to visit the station, which by sod's law was in exactly the opposite direction, to arrange the first leg of my train journey south. The ticket office didn't open until 7.30 and with the boat due to depart at 8 another stressful half hour ensued. As I approached the vessel a jolly Englishwoman who doubled as the ship photographer welcomed
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
Very arty. In the depths of the rain forest. me aboard with the news that I was a lucky chappie as I'd been upgraded to a classier ship and a reef further from the shore.
With a wind speed of 25 knots the crew told us to expect rough water once we'd left the harbour and proceeded to comically show us the correct procedure for throwing up into the paper bags provided. The trippers were probably 90% Japanese and so the deck resembled a mobile Dixon's and I thought to myself that the two hour journey was going to be fun. Twenty minutes out and it began. All around the boat oriental girls lay with their boyfriend lovingly cradling their poorly heads in their laps. Ten minutes later the guys appeared not to give a toss about their loved ones, just devoting their complete attention to how they themselves were going to successfully fit the contents of their stomach's into their small brown paper bags. I'm sure a wicked smirk came across my face.
Part of the deal was a supervised introductory scuba dive on the reef for those who wanted. With the majority of the nips still reeling from the journey this number was greatly reduced
Cairns (1); The Rain Forest
Once over Oliver Creek and the forest turns into Mangroves. They're roots popping out of the mud. and at 12:15 I boarded a small dinghy for the short journey to Michelmas Cay, a tiny speckle of sand in the middle of the ocean. After a quick tutorial (how to breathe and how to say "I'm in the shit and want to get out") in the shallows our French leader started our dive to the ship. There were four of us and we had to link arms either side of the instructor but that wasn't a problem although at first I was disappointed. The sand, disturbed by our flippers, made vision poor but once we got about twenty metres off shore it suddenly cleared and the next twenty five minutes were awesome. We dived to fifteen metres before coming up between the hulls of the boat where the crew had been dropping titbits to the fish so that there was an almost solid wall of fish of all sizes and colours. Amazing. After a lovely buffet lunch we headed back to town even managing a bit of sailing on the way. An excellent day out.
On returning to my room Jay and Mike were chatting on the balcony so I joined them. Within minutes they explained they
were having to head home. His reluctance to tell me about his op quickly became understandable and he went on to tell me that in Darwin he'd felt a lump on one of his balls so when he got to Cairns went to the hospital where they did some tests. He'd just received the results and they had confirmed his worst fears. He had testicular cancer at the age of twenty. I could have cried for him, especially the way he was putting on such a brave face. They said they were going to buy some meat and take it down to the esplanade by the lagoon to cook it on one of the many barbeque's that litter the area and asked me to join them and I couldn't say no so we had a lovely feast and a good laugh before another early alcohol free night.
The next morning I was up again at 7:30 (this is worse than working !!), pack on and off to the train station for a journey equivalent in time to flying half way around the world. But that's another story.
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non-member comment
Trees
Karen makes a nice change from the trees.Shame about the cricket.