Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation

A morning dip inside the stinger protection net before breakfast creekside round by the harbour and one of the best locations for a church that could be imagined. We head up the coast towards Mossman having decided to check out the waterhole at Mossman Gorge for a swim and a walk with an aboriginal guide in the reserve.

The water hole is a swimming area amongst waterfalls below the Gorge lookout. Benji soon gets to grip with the slide down the top falls while Caro and I make our entrance to the water from just below this point and are quickly whisked down the creek. It is exhilarating stuff and we find ourselves swimming with River Perch of some size.

We sign up for a forest walk with an aboriginal guide. Rodney knows his stuff and takes us on a walk within the aboriginal reserve. The walk is a real education with plants pointed out for their food and medicinal purposes and the significance of specific locations explained. The walk ends with a request for a performance on the Didg. Both Benji and I make a reasonable effort and I have been practicing the blow and breathe technique ever since.

Pass through cane country, miles of it, cross the Daintree River and enter the Daintree National Park. The road follows the coastline, sometimes at sea level and there are tempting views of the ocean with perfect beaches to our right and dense jungle to our left. We stop at Thornton Beach for a beach walk and first find of the day a perfect tortoise shell of good size on the tide line.

Second find of the day is Gray's Farmstay our accommodation for the next two nights. A warm welcome from Dawn the owner, we are treated to tea and a taste from a selection of the variety of fruits grown here. Our individual cabins are located amongst the fruit trees with views of Mount Sorrow. Supper and a few beers at the Cape Trib beachside bistro. We are in paradise!