4 Stray Katz: Salties and cassowaries in the Daintree

Daintree Rainforest, Far North Queensland

Wednesday 13th - Saturday 16th July

We took our time on our way up to the Daintree, enjoying a few beaches, shopping at Mossman and stopping at the Mowbray River where we were lucky enough to see two saltwater crocodiles. By the time we got the ferry over the Daintree River and got to camp it was already 5pm. We were super impressed with our choice of caravan park - the Daintree Rainforest Village- as it was set within the rainforest, bordered by two mountains. The park itself was very picturesque, with a sunset viewing area, a swing attached to a giant old fig free and a communal fire pit. After a wander around the park we ended up at the fire pit and were lucky enough to join a group of 12 travellers, of which 2 played the guitar and sang (really well). We enjoyed a few hours of live music (they even took requests) and chatting with fellow campers before we realised how late it was (8.30pm) and decided we'd better be responsible parents and get dinner for the kids!! It was a lovely first evening.

We spent the next 2 days exploring the beaches, rainforest boardwalks and other attractions in the area, ensuring we made the most of our time here. It is a lovely place with so much to see. It was extremely windy both days though, and actually quite cool on the beach on Friday (not that you can swim anyway). We visited the most well know beach (Cape Tribulation) but actually thought some of the other beaches were nicer. The way the rainforest meets the sea is so unique and it is beautiful to wander through the ancient rainforest then pop out of the thick vegetation onto the beach.

We really enjoyed our time in this natural wonder.

Saltwater crocodiles on the banks of the Mowbray River on the way up to the Daintree.

He even gave us a smile!!

Myall Beach- Jackson built a driftwood bridge so no-one would get wet feet

Wandering along one of the many lovely beaches that border the Daintree Rainforest.

We drove the Bloomfield Track to Wajul Wajul (to check out the road condition and see these incredible falls).

Enjoying the serenity

A big fat croc on the bank of the Bloomfield River.

We stopped in at Cowie Bay on the way back from the falls - the tide was out so far and we had the vast beach to ourselves.

We walked out to the exposed reef at Cowie Bay. In this large rockpool there were heaps of stingrays and even a white tipped reef shark.

The super low tide exposed so many starfish in the shallow pools- we had to watch where we walked as they were everywhere.

As it was going to be full moon this evening, the tide went out extremely far. This photo was taken closer into the high tide mark and the ocean was very far away!

A little rocky island off Thornton Beach.

We couldn't go past the Daintree Exotic Fruits Ice-Cream shop.

The ice-cream flavours on the day we visited were coconut, passionfruit, wattleseed (tastes a bit like mocha) and mamey sapote (a tropical fruit sort of like a papaya, that makes a fabulous ice-cream flavour).

Great timing - just as we pulled into a carpark these 2 juvenile cassowaries were wandering through the forest- they were not upset by our presence at all and just kept foraging.

There were several picturesque boardwalks through the rainforest- the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world and some of the trees on this particular walk were so big. The boardwalk was made around existing trees and the kids gave each one a hug as they passed by.