This morning we have to take down our tent. We have to pack it well to be able to transport it, together with our other luggage from Cairns to Rockhampton by train next Wednesday And the Queensland Rail is very strict with its rules: i big piece of luggage each of not more than 20 kg. And we have more. Strange, that for trains there is such a rule. But you have to check in your main luggage – and the porters are not allowed to handle more than 20 kg – in a way understandable.
Annette is on the picture working on the missing translations of our blog. In Cape Trib (that’s how the young people call it here) there is only internet access that you have to pay for. 100 MB cost 5 AUD! And it doesn’t work at all places. That’s why we are sitting this morining in the stylish „PK’s Jungle Village“ – next to the dance floor (luckily in operation only at night) with a coffee and tea. Access is good here, so all missing translations into English could be finished.
Then we leave and drive South again through the rainforest for about 20 km until we reach the „Daintree Rainforest DiscoveryCenter“ in Jindalba. It is a well prepared tourist attraction with board walks on different levels, an audioguide and other displayed information.
The Discovery Center has layed different thematical pathes – one is leading up a tower where you have a good view on the roof of the rain forest and beyond:
On a special path they show what plants and fruits have been used by the Aboriginals – the so called der „Bush-Tucker“.
The coffee shop of the center serves among others a „Bush-Tucker“ plate – really good, with different fruit and ingrediences from the rain forest (the busch-tomato relish was one of the best).
Directly afterwards we did a 3 km walk through the forest nearby, about 2 hours as it was quite uphill. All the time we hoped to see Cassuowaries ( related to emus and ostriches) which live here (they are in danger of extinction) but we were not lucky. However, they should be around. We have learned that the big birds eat many of the fruit of the forest and excrete a lot of cores undigested which helps the trees to spread in the forest. and here we saw at least the excreta:
About 5.30 p.m. we reach the fancy little town of Port Douglas further South and get a nice room in a mixture of YHA and Motel – after 6 days of camping quite a luxuory. We follow a recommendation for dinner and find at the marina with its huge yachts a fish restaurant „On The Inlet“. Here, we get wonderful fish – Annete has seafood Laksa, a bit hot, and Wendelin excellent fish and chips, delicious and without any bones.
Here, everybody is waiting for the rain to come. And just now it starts ….
