Australia

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We were off to Port Douglas! Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, about 70 km (40 mi) north of Cairns. So how are we gonna get there? We had to rent a car and drive on the opposite side of the road (opposite, like most Australian things). We rented our car and with the many Australian turnabouts, we took on this scary once in a lifetime adventure. Lucky for us we were able to follow a car on the way there on the empty street. The drive was very scenic and enjoyable. We arrived on time and safe, with the exception of a couple tire rubs on the curb. Soon our tour guide from Tony’s Tropical Tours arrived and we met the others that were on our excursion: an older couple from Scotland who came to visit their daughter and boyfriend who had moved to Sydney.

On Tony’s Tropical Tour we had an exclusive Rainforest wilderness experience with our first stop being at the renowned Mossman Gorge. Then we headed onto the Daintree River to join a river cruise, home to a diverse ecosystem and the elusive "Estuarine" crocodile, where we observed stunning native and migratory bird life, butterflies and breathtaking scenery.

After crossing the Daintree River we journeyed to Alexandra Lookout to enjoy sweeping views extending from the Daintree River Estuary to the Coral Sea, then onto Noah Valley, a World Heritage Listed private property which supports some of the most spectacular, pristine rainforest found anywhere in the world.

We then walked along "The Stairway to Paradise" and viewed one of the most primitive flowering plants still existing. Our barbeque lunch was delicious and we definitely ate our portion of steak, chicken, and vegetables. After lunch, Eric enjoyed a refreshing swim in the crystal clear rainforest stream as Vicky watched because the water was over five feet tall and the current pretty strong.



We then made our way for an interpretive guided rainforest walk in the heart of the Daintree rainforest. Noah Valley is acknowledged as a 'refugium' where plant species have survived undisturbed for millions of years with numerous species not known to exist anywhere else.
We followed on to Cape Tribulation, with a stop at Kulki Lookout for unsurpassed views of the rainforest and beach, being the only place in the world where two world heritage listed areas meet.

We ended our tour at the Daintree Ice Cream Company. Truly, some of the best ice cream ever. They had exotic ice cream homemade from some of the fresh fruit from the Daintree Rain Forest. This was a good treat after Vicky had to push through an entire day of being car sick.



Australian Word of the Day: OZ=Australia

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