The World's Oldest Rainforest.

From our last update, we stated that we would be splitting up and doing two different things on our last day in Australia. Jessica will be writing about both experiences to catch everyone up.

My day started early. I was picked up at he hostel, and we traveled up Captain Cook Highway, a beautiful stretch of highway that hugs the coastline. Our first destination was the Daintree River. I had some Daintree tea which is grown in the rainforest while waiting to start our nature cruise along the river. On the cruise, I learned many new facts about crocodiles, and we were able to see 2 juvenile crocs and a amethyst python. The weather was rainy and windy, so I was happy to see the 3 creatures we did. However, we did miss the two 4m long crocs hiding under the water somewhere. The guide had some fascinating stories of what he has seen over the years. He has seen male crocs fight for territory-thrashing through the water and propelling their entire bodies out of the water, he has seen mating rituals, and new crocs emerge. After the most recent male-to-male battle for territory, the victor celebrated by eating and entire cow, but prior to devouring it, threw it multiple times out of the water completely. As you can tell, I find these animals that are older than the dinosaurs truly amazing and fascinating. I could continue with croc facts, but I think I am the only one that would be entertained.

After our cruise, we headed to the Daintree Rainforest, which is the oldest rainforest in the world. It contains 14 of the 19 primitive plants still remaining and has four that are found no where else in the world. As we drove through the curvy roads, the rainforest closed in and beams of light peaked through the few holes in the canopy to shine light on the dimmed forest. The forest was filled with mist, and I felt like I was in Avatar for a brief second. We walked on the Jindalba boardwalk, and our guide pointed out many of the trees and fauna and shared information about the Aboriginal culture. In this region, the Kuku Yalaji tribe dominated. There is still a medicine man that practices in this region. The utility and resourcefulness of the Aborigines is fascinating. The Daintree Rainforest was made a world heritage site in 1987, which is a shame because up to this point it was subdivided and logged. Many of the giant red cedars were lost in this process prior to its preservation. About 500-600 people live in the rainforest with no running water or electricity.

The next destination was Cape Tribulation. Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook who hit the Great Barrier Reef while sailing and damaged his boat. Captain Cook is responsible for the discovery of New Zealand, and then on his attempt to go back home to Britain, found Australia by mistake. The beaches were truly beautiful, but NO swimming. It is still "stinger season" in Northern Queensland which means that if you decide to swim in the ocean you risk your life from a few species of jellyfish. There are stinger nets and suits, but most locals simply choose not to swim during this season.

We had lunch at Cape Tribulation and then headed back south toward Port Douglas and the Mossman Gorge. Along the way, we stopped at the Alexandra Range Lookout which is a glimpse of the Daintree River meeting the ocean. We also stopped at the Rex Lookout, which is a great hang-gliding spot...too bad I didn't know that in advance!

Mossman Gorge was our second to last stop, which is in the southern part of the Daintree Rainforest. The water was freezing, but the gorge was very pretty.

Lastly, we stopped in Port Douglas. This charming city is where Marcee spent most of the day. It is a little town, known for celebrities visiting there. Bill Clinton supposedly goes there often. Marcee walked down the to the 4 mile beach, went in the shops, had some coffee, but soon ran out of things to do because the weather was not ideal for laying out on the beach. Ironically, while I was having a flat white, which is a cafe au lait, I ran into her on my stop to the city.

My trip concluded after my return to Cairns, and I met back up with Marcee after she returned. We had our final meal in Australia :( I had a kangaroo burger, which was very good. Burgers in Australia are served with beetroot, peppers, carrots, lettuce, onion and tomatoes. Kanga is a lean dark meat and tastes like beef. Marcee, who is not quite as daring with food as I am, opted to try it but not have an entire meal of kanga. We ran into our French friends Joce and Alex again, as they happened to walk past our table. We were excited to see them again, and they truly are sweet people.

We returned to the hostel and packed our stuff for the last time. Our trip is over!!! I am so sad, but so happy for the opportunity to see some of Australia. We have a long trip back to Virginia, with a long layover in San Francisco. I will post pictures and another post as soon as possible.