Taking credits on the Qld coast

[JohnM]

After lunch a boat cruise searching for crocodiles.



Cape Tribulation.



A free day on the Sunday. Several people went to the outer reef, about 45km out. I opted not to after the earlier experiences and because in November PJM and I will be spending a week-long voyage out there from Cairns. I strolled around Port Douglas after breakfast before heading back to the resort and chilling.

Port Douglas doesn’t do much for me. It’s mainly a busy touristy marina and resort town, as a major gateway to the GBR. It’s on a peninsula, with the estuary and marina on one side and the beach on the other. The stinger season finished over the weekend, so they were reeling in the enclosure net on Monday morning.

 

[JohnM]

Then out to Mossman Gorge, also part of the Wet Tropics WH Area. Another Golden Orb Weaver, capturing the ‘golden’ web. There is an excellent walk trail through the area.



Interesting factoid about ‘cloud stripping’ as a significant source of precipitation in the rainforest.

 

[JohnM]

Green tree ants.



Along the Captain Cook Highway which hugs the coast between Port Douglas and Cairns, and a brief detour to drive through Palm Cove. For me, it looked much nicer than Port Douglas – but it is a beach area, rather than a bustling marina town for GBR access.



And from there it was straight to CNS and my flights CNS-xBNE-PER to end a very good trip.

Home for a week, then on the bird to DRW on Tuesday to take The Ghan to Adelaide 1000h Wednesday-1000h Saturday, and the bird ADL-PER next Saturday afternoon.

 

[bPeteb]

Out of Mission Beach the next day and into Cairns via a loop through the southern part of the Atherton Tableland.

First stop Millaa Millaa Falls.

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Then on to the Curtain Fig Tree before the run into Cairns.

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Next day, it was up to Kuranda and Barron Falls (Din Din). Interestingly, the rainfall has been comparatively low in far N Queensland this year and the flow was not as great as might be expected in May.

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As we left Kuranda heading for Port Douglas we spotted a cassowary running along the edge of the main road, but the encounter was too brief to get a photo.

After settling into our accommodation at Port Douglas, it was onto a boat for a sunset cruise in the mangrove-lined estuary.

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We’ve been out on Shao Lin a couple of times. Sunset cruise, and out to the Low Isles second time. Enjoying the trip reports JohnM as I sit in here in my luxurious suite at the Mater Private