Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation is the place where the world's most diverse ecosystem on land meets the most diverse ecosystem on the planet. The world's oldest rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

On the way up the coast we went on a cruise on the Daintree River and were lucky enough to see a few crocs. One pretty big guy decided to follow the boat for a while and had a look about him that was fairly similar to the one I see in the mirror when I'm in need of a feed. This brings me back to a point that I touched on a bit earlier. There really are a lot of dangerous and potentially deadly creatures in this country. There have been a number of attacks on humans by these crocs and more often than not they're fatal. We happened to see a box jellyfish that had been caught by a lifeguard on Magnetic Island and I made a note to try and avoid them when in the water. When we were snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef we came across quite a few and even though we were wearing stinger suits we were really careful but probably quite lucky not to be stung. A local chap was recently snorkelling in the Whitsundays (in a stinger suit) and got a box jellyfish sting on the neck. He was rushed on a helicopter to the nearest hospital and saved.

A resident of the rainforests of Northern Queensland is the Cassowary, a large bird that looks like an ostrich from outer space. It recently lived up to its name of being the most dangerous bird in the world by killing somebody. When threatened they jump around one and a half metres in the air, kick their legs out and tear and rip with their claws. There is even a plant that has a vicious streak. It has leaves that are covered in silica needles that become lodged firmly into your flesh if you happen to rub up against them. These needles release a neurotoxin that causes a sensation that is initially an itch but progresses to that of having boiling oil poured over you. This pain is so bad that it has resulted in 2 deaths from cardiac arrests.

Jackie and I turned a blind eye to the killers of the country and explored the beautiful rainforest and beaches of the area. After a great birthday dinner we set off on a guided night walk through the forest. Our mad scientist of a guide was interesting but also really irritating in nerdy kind of way. We came across a sleeping forest dragon, a spider that makes a web between its front legs and then uses it as a net to catch prey and a frog that has a flap of skin the whole way around its body so that it sits completely flush against a rock or tree, wiping out any shadowing and making it really difficult for predators to spot them. By far the most interesting creature encountered was the double-barred firefly which is the brightest of its kind. Light bulbs normally give off around 20% of their energy as light (the rest being heat and kinetic). These flies give off an energy that is almost purely light (about 94%) by passing an enzyme into the fatty tissue of their backsides. I reckon this could be the next big thing in the cosmetic surgery industry.

To end off our time in the rainforest we decided to see it from another point of view and joined a jungle surfing tour. This is basically a series of foefie slides (flying foxes) between a few big trees in a section of the forest, allowing you to glide above the canopy. A great way to experience the vegetation and to test your comfort at heights.