The lovely coastal village of Port Douglas, Queensland has been our home base for the past 2 weeks. It is further up the Coral Sea coast so the temps warmed a bit which is fine by us. It seems strange that moving north here translates to warmer tropical weather. Port Douglas has an amazing beach. Due to strict building codes, no structure taller than a palm tree is allowed in the city. Thus, a walk on this 4 mile beach delivers the experience of being on an uninhabited stretch of paradise.
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| Stunning views every day on this beach. |
Besides the beach, Port Douglas has ample shops, restaurants, golf courses and adventure tours to keep everyone busy no matter their passion. It is definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ must visit spot!
The locale affords easy access to the Great Barrier Reef as well as a to the wilderness of the Daintree Rainforest.
This week the trade winds finally calmed so we had an excellent day of scuba and snorkeling on the Agincourt reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. The size, volume and color of the coral is incredible and easily dwarfs any other reef system we have seen. We spotted lots of tropical fish, sea cucumbers, giant clams and a few sharks. Diving this reef was definitely on our bucket list so we are thrilled for the chance to see this natural wonder.
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| Having a Blast! |
The other bucket list item we checked off this week was finding the endangered Southern Cassowary on a hiking trail in the rainforest. This massive bird stands up to 6 feet tall and can weigh 190 lbs. They are flightless like ostriches and are nearly extinct with only 4000 left in Australia. They are fruit eaters that hang out deep in the forests and are incredibly shy. And yet, we had the good luck to spot not only 1 but 2 of them this week. The first one we found was actually resting and Dan was able to get within five feet of it to snap some photos. For bird lovers, sighting this bird is a fist bumping event!!
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| Birdwatchers Happy Dance - A Cassowary! |
Our adventures have taken us over mountain ranges and onto the scrub lands as well as through some high country cattle farms and sugar cane fields. The level of remoteness in some of the places we've been remind us of parts of western Wyoming and Montana. The locals are generally curious as to who you are, where you are from and are happy to share some part of their local lives with you.
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| Daintree Village |
This part of Australia is filled with outdoor enthusiasts for good reason. Besides amazing vistas, the area has miles of hiking trails offering glimpses of unique wildlife. To date, in addition to 150 bird species, we've encountered a black Whip snake, an Elegant Sea Snake on the beach, a White Lipped Tree Frog, a Boyd's Forest Dragon and a Lace Monitor lizard. The shy tree kangaroo has eluded us so far as well as the famous saltwater crocodiles.
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| Daintree River meets the Coral Sea |
Northern Queenslanders have a view on life we find refreshing and funny. Taking time to visit is very much a part of the culture. Whether you are friend or stranger, everyone takes time to share a few views on whatever topic presents itself. And there is a way of life here that means you should never miss a good weather day to go out and about. We thought the sign below perfectly captures the spirit of this place.
This week we are heading further north and even deeper into the wilderness. We'll be on a bump track (gravel road) for the last 100 kilometers of the trip. Only 4 wheel drive vehicles are allowed so it should be fun!
Stay Curious!
Cheryl & Dan
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