Funny road sign for Cassowary birds |
Our love shack in the rainforest at Cape Trib Beach House
Where rainforest meets reef at Cape Tribulation |
Joining the local wildlife! |
Handfeeding cockatoos. |
Fantastic views over Sunny Cairns |
Views down into Barron Gorge |
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THE BACKPACKER DIARIES
A weekend away in Cape Tribulation - November 2009
We travelled with Down Under Tours (the Adventure Company) as my boyfriend had received this trip free with his 4 day PADI diving course.
We were collected by bus at 7:20am (a little later than anticipated but we received a phone call to say the driver was on his way-very reassuring!) Neil, our tour guide was lovely and very friendly. After a few extra pick ups we made our way to Port Douglas Rainforest Habitat where we walked around and took lots of photos! The animals were all very happy roaming free including the biggest kangaroo I have ever seen who decided to hop very quickly through the middle of my us waking us up for sure!
We left here after one hour and headed towards the Daintree River. Neil, our tour guide had a fantastic local knowledge and gave us lots of information on our journey. We spotted a Cassowary crossing the road and stopped for a photo opportunity next to a very funny tampered road sign. We crossed the ferry and continued our journey to Cape Tribulation where we eventually arrived at our destination, The Cape Tribulation Beach House. We checked in and found our room which was perfect. Air conditioning was included and the room was very clean with plenty of towels in our ensuite bathroom along with toiletries.
Lunch was served at 12:15pm at a reserved table in the restaurant of The Cape Tribulation Beach House. At the beginning of the day we were given a choice of steak, barramundi or pasta. The dish was fresh and there was plenty to fill us up! We were served ice cold water and fresh bread to accompany our lunch. Afterwards we were given fresh fruit and again there was plenty to eat!
We were very full after our huge lunch so a quick dip in the pool to cool off and then a nap in our perfect room…unfortunately we found 2 little furry friends under one of the pillows! We took it all part of the Australian jungle experience( it’s a good job I am not a celebrity because there is no way I could go on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!) The staff came quickly and cleared our room and gave us a free cocktail at the bar while we waited. Dinner was very good again and there was plenty to fill us up. We had an early night amongst the jungle noises to prepare for the following day!
We woke up for our FREE breakfast at the restaurant which was cooked fresh in front of us and then headed for a walk along Cape Tribulation beach to the lookout. The views were amazing and a great place to take a pic! We walked back along the road and arrived back at the accommodation for a swim in the pool before Neil arrived to collect us at 1pm. We drove to the Marrdja Botanical Boardwalk where Neil gave us a guided tour and took pictures of us along the way. Back in the bus we drove to the Daintree river and hopped on the boat where we were given lots more information. We saw a tree frog, a croc (of course!) and a snake hiding up in the trees. So our busy day was nearly at an end. Neil greeted us at the other side of the river with afternoon biscuits and we began our journey back home to Cairns.
Overall we both had a very relaxing and informative 2 days in the jungle, the staff at both companies were fantastic and made our trip worth while!
Lynseys Day Out to the Zoo! November 2009
We got up bright and early with all intention of getting the bus to the Cairns Tropical Zoo but on the way decided that to give us more freedom throughout the day we would hire a car (which is roughly the same price as the bus when divided by 4 people) We headed to Rent a Bomb and signed up for a small car. We drove to the zoo, which was easy to find as it is sign posted along the way. The staff were great on arrival and very welcoming. They had details of my arrival and gave us brief instructions of the bird show that was about to begin with a map showing us how to get there.
The show was good with lots of cool info and of course fantastic birds who we were really close to! They were all free flight and one of the large eagles decided to fly around for a while which made every one laugh!
We spent about 2 hours in the zoo, listening to various presentations which we enjoyed. The canteen was a bit too pricey for us poor backpackers so we decided to leave for lunch. We drove up into the mountains to Kuranda, stopping along the way to take snapshots of the beautiful views of Cairns. We parked at Barron Gorge and took some more snaps before heading off to Trinity Beach. We sat and had a relax on the beach. The beach was really quiet and a great place for a chat with friends. We were able to swim but only in the designated area due to the Jellyfish season so for this reason we just decided to paddle our feet.
All four of us had a good day out and with the freedom of having a car meant that we were able to do exactly what we wanted and didn’t feel pressured to stay anywhere longer than we wanted. All 3 places are a must for anyone coming to Cairns.