Daintree!

Group picture of students in front of Daintree river/coast lookout.

This past week we had our last large trip. The Daintree is another Wet Tropics World Heritage Area just like the rainforests that surround the Centre, but it is further North and in the lowlands right next to the ocean. The Daintree is also a little bit different than the Atherton Tablelands because it is virtually undeveloped. The Tablelands has protected pieces of rainforest, but lots of paddocks and houses. Very few people live in the Daintree area, especially north of the Daintree river where the local shire council decided to not allow an electrical grid. Back to that later.

On our drive to Daintree,we stopped at Mossman Gorge, a rainforest State Park with a river running through it. After a long swim break wearing ourselves out with the currents, we were back on the road. Before taking the ferry across the Daintree River- no bridge- we went to the Daintree Icecream Factory where native fruits are grown and made into delicious ice cream.

River at Mossman Gorge- had to swim through a strong current to get to the rock.

We spent some time on the beach, no swimming because of stingers (jellyfish), and got settled in Crocodylus, the 'backpacker's resort' that we were staying at. On the way to the beach, one vanload of students got to see two cassowaries dart into the rainforest! Picture large cabins, but with a waterproof tarp for a roof and thick mesh for walls. The next day was packed.

The day started with a trip to the Daintree Discovery Centre, a privately run rainforest boardwalk and information center. There were lots of paths to explore, a platform tower to get a good view and a theatre with informative videos.

It's a statue, don't worry!

Afterward we went to a plot of 3b rainforest, mesophyll vine forest with dominant fan palms, in case you wanted to know (we had to learn all about rainforest types earlier in the semester). An entire rainforest with 15-20 foot tall palms overhead, and a ground layer that I could actually walk through. It was a really neat change.

The fan palms that dominate type 3b rainforest.

We got to spend a lot of time on the beaches and even on the famous Cape Tribulation. In the afternoon the group split in half and took turns visiting our professor's home and going on a Croc Cruise. Siggy, my ecology professor, and her husband live in the Daintree when she isn't teaching at SFS. Their house is amazing- running on its own power and water. There is a solar power tower, it has to be higher than the rainforest canopy. Their bathroom is located on a deck (there's no one around anyway) and they have to keep books in an old glass front refrigerator because of the humidity.

The Croc Cruise was equally fascinating. The Daintree River emptys out into the ocean, creating a portion of estuary zone. This crocodile habitat is lined by awesome looking mangroves. We were in a 20 person tour boat, and saw two crocodiles! The female was just hanging out on the shore, but the male was actually swimming. It was huge- over three meters.

Ocean-side of the Daintree.

Upriver- Queensland's 3rd highest peak!

Male croc

The last day, on the way back to the Centre, we stopped at 'Wild Wings and Swampy Things', a wetland nature refuge. It was very, very warm out. Since then we've jumped into a finals weekend. Saturday several assignments were due and we had our first final. The second and third finals were today (Monday).

Sunday however, we got a day off! Most of the students took off to make Didgeridoos, an aboriginal instrument. I was with the minority who went to Granite Gorge, a privately owned and awesome boulder covered creek gorge. Seven of us went, spending most of the afternoon at a swimming holes that we'd hiked to, playing in the (small) rapids and going up and over huge boulders to find more. Pictures of that will be in a seperate entry. Finals are done and over with, so it's time for me to take a break!

Picture from April Fools Day: