From our overnight in Ingham, we continued north,
stopping for a leg stretch in pretty Cardwell
Seems the thing to do
But we stopped, of course, for the 'big'…
To know me, is to know I love Australia's tacky large icons, but this being a crustacean (with an exoskeleton) 'n all, we couldn't resist the hilarious (you know I'm joking) re-enactment of my phobic pose in Kingston S.E. earlier this year.
I love cane fields. Did you know, in Europe they have sugar beet, not sugar cane, so they miss out on one of my favourite things – that sights and smells of cane fields burning in the night.
We crossed the Daintree River on the car ferry late in the afternoon, leaving just a little time to check out our local beach for the next two days,
at Cow Bay.
Saltwater crocodiles do inhabit the area. They hang out on the beaches, and are quite comfortable hanging around the freshwater creeks as well. They have even been seen 100kms out to sea. That's right. Hanging out in the Great Barrier Reef.
They are real, and they have killed. But to be fair, there are plenty of swimming holes that are croc-free, and you just need to be sure to check for the signs.
If the crocs aren't enough to put the wind up you, then the stingers (importantly, the deadly box jellyfish) should keep you on your toes.
Swimmers are advised to wear special stinger suits in the summer season (go go alliteration), or just stick to the safe waterholes.
Which is really weird for a beach-lover like me.
The tropical vistas and clear water (ok, it doesn't look so tropical and clear on this cool afternoon but I like the picture) just beg me to swim, but I can't.
Evan relaxes. He is almost a teenager. Can you tell by this look on his face?
Our accommodation at Cow Bay was delightful. We chose (after a lot of searching) to stay in a house, rather than a B&B or lodges. The latters just seemed too expensive for a family, for what they offered, and we were happy with our decision after checking out some of the other options in person, which seemed to be of backpacker standard, as in beautiful surroundings with very basic accommodation.
Seascapes is a gorgeous Queenslander, that was transported to this spot (incredibly) up a driveway with a grade of I-don't-know-if-my-car-will-make-it-up-here-even-in-first-gear, but the effort was worth it.
You cannot see another house anywhere,
all you see is the Coral Sea, the jungle, and mountains.
Really comfy beds, and the sheets smelled nice too
A king room
A queen, a double, and a single divan
I loved the bathroom downstairs with it's jungle outlook
More than that, I loved the pawpaw outside the toilet window upstairs
Like all good house-stays there is plenty of books and games
and places to relax
Though I wasn't relaxing when I leapt out of bed in the morning to gobble up that sunrise from my bedroom window
and the verandah
Perched on the hill amongst the ancient rainforest as we were, you could hear the waves lapping at the shore, and the strangest sounding birds, incredible noises I had never heard before – really, like prehistoric beasties.
I was a little surprised though. I had expected to hear a cacophony of sound from the local fauna, but there wasn't a lot of noise.
The most diverse ecosystem in the world and they're all allowed their own time on the soapbox.
Surprising (in a lovely way) too, that while Queensland boasts some big, ugly bugs, the only wildlife in the house was the geckos, and I love geckos.
I love the lush foliage
Apparently a cassowary had been spotted in the garden over the last week, but for all our searching, it remained elusive. I was busting to see one of the incredible looking creatures, though not too sad we weren't confronted by one on the way back from the bath, as they can be very dangerously aggressive.
One of my favourite plants. I remember first seeing it as a child, in New Zealand (from memory), then again in Fiji, and now in tropical Queensland. It's called 'Sensitive Weed', which is kind of cute, because when you touch the leaves they fold up, and when you touch the stems they droop down. Seriously, hours of fun for us!
just watch for the prickles
The kitchen at Seascapes is well-equipped, but you are on limited solar-power (in a most eco-friendly way) so I think the evening is best enjoyed relaxing in the house, and eating at one of a few nearby restaurants.
We ate at Thornton Beach, where India made a friend
The house it is the perfect base to explore the Daintree and Cape Tribulation from. I wish we had been able to stay longer, and really relax,
but we had travellin' to do…
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