On Sunday, Lyndon drove Monet, Nanna (Marianne) and I up to the Daintree Rainforest, about an hour and a half drive north from here. Its a pretty drive, with the gorgeous waters of the Coral Sea on the right and sugar cane fields and big mountains covered in lush rain forest on the left.
In the car, we crossed the Daintree River (you can only enter the forest on the southern side by a car-ferry which goes back and forth all day across the river). Our car was the only one on the ferry (it holds like 24 cars or so all up) and the drive to the Daintree Discovery Center (our destination) was a quiet one. We've been up to the Daintree twice and each time it is super busy with tourists, but not on Sunday. It was quiet. That's what I like.
The Daintree Discovery Center is where you walk along on a metal aerial walkway, which goes along the forest to a big Canopy Tower, where you are above the tree tops and you look out. My legs punished me yesterday as there were a lot of stairs to climb!! It is pretty spectacular stuff and pretty amazing. I don't think we'd go back though, a bit pricey to enter for a look around, but at least the money goes towards preservation of the Forest. And otherwise you probably wouldn't get to see the forest like this without being part of a tour group and keen on hiking. Monet thought it was pretty good. She said it was "Fun". She especially liked it because I bought her a toy 'Cassowary', whom we've since named Dain (as in Daintree) and Monet thinks he is the ants pants!!Lyndon drove north after leaving the Center, to Thorton's Beach.
We were going to go up to Cape Tribulation but that was about another 30 minutes north. We were pretty satisfied with a stroll on this beach anyway. It seemed untouched and was really beautiful. Part of Nature at her best. Truly. I'm not just saying that.
It is pretty special to see the Great Barrier Reef and The Daintree Rainforest, two World Heritage listed places, side by side. It is the only place in the world where this happens and aren't we lucky to have the opportunity to visit and enjoy. I think so anyway. (That's the 'Greenie' in me coming out!)
On our trip home we stopped off at Port Douglas for lunch. Monet got all whingy after our lunch so we pretty much left straight afterwards. The trip back down the Captain Cook Highway was quiet, thanks to a tired and sleepy Monet dozing in the back next to her Nanna (who was awake, not asleep!)Have you ever been somewhere in nature and thought just how lucky you are to see it?
9 comments:
I am continually amazed at how lucky I am to see some things in nature. I have seen Niagara falls but that was kind of spoilt by how touristy it is. You are so lucky to live where you are. I saw that rainforest canopy walk on a holiday programme and thought it was so cool. I would love to visit there myself some day.
That beach sounds absolutely divine as well!
Wow, that is preety. I once stood on a mountain in Japan, above the clouds, and saw a magnificent waterfall crasing down. Pretty spectacular.
Oooh, it looks just lovely - especially since it's cold and rainy here.
Beautiful, Melody!
We live very close to wine country in western NY, and it's absolutely gorgeous here. I do appreciate that. We're also an hour from Niagara Falls, which is of course very touristy, but also truly awesome.
Wow. You really re lucky to live there.
I feel lucky to live where we live, near ocean, farms, redwoods, wineries. I do think to myself quite often how lucky I am. We DON"T hAve warm swimming beaches, though. That would be nice.
That part of the world is just magnificent, isn't it? You will have to visit Cedar Bay on my behalf -- I have very fond memories of that particular beach when I spent 5 weeks (or was it 6??) living in the rainforest as part of the ANZSES youth expedition in 1991!
Wow that was definitely some beautiful country you were walking. I enjoy those moments when you become "aware" and know that you are seeing something special.
Times like that stay with me forever.
Thanks for sharing.
Back in the early 1980s I worked in the Flinders Ranges with its magnificent scenery. I regularly used to remind myself that people were paying good money to go where I was being paid to go !
Awesome, I love how you guys take advantage of what Queensland has to offer.
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