Uncovering the Cassowary - Cairns and Far North Queensland
Our visit to Cairns and tropical far North Queensland in May was an unforgettable adventure, not without mishaps. We hired a van and hit the road at an early end to the dry season in April with a non-functioning fridge, stove which worked 30% of the time and with a van unable to charge our phones. (Thank god for portable chargers.. learn from our mistakes please, Britz van hire>Jucy van hire). On this crazy adventure, we had 1 big goal that had us glued to our windows all day long - would we see the elusive cassowary in the wild?? Join us to find out...
Cassowary Coast - Etty Bay
Our first stop was cleverly engineered to increase our chances of meeting the infamous cassowary. Surely the cassowary coast would be the place we would meet one of these tall and mysterious bird friends? Sadly we did not meet a cassowary but we did enjoy a swim in the area netted with jellyfish nets. Unfortunately this beautiful spot suffered from the same mosquito plague that followed us around most of FNQ so please remember your aeroguard if you follow in our footsteps!
Babinda Boulders
The Babinda Boulder was one of the highlights of our trip and we enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the Wanyurr Majay people who are the traditional owners of this sacred site. At the start of the walk you must read about the legend of Oolana, which also acts as a warning of the dangers that exist in the rapid currents that flow over the boulders. The walk through the rainforest itself is stunning and there are safe designated places to swim if you choose to do so.
We stayed at the Boulders free camp site and enjoyed a night looking for critters with our spotlight, unfortunately no cassowaries were spotted but! I did see the most terrifying ?centipede the size of a ruler crawling towards me in the night that continues to haunt my nightmares.
Daintree Rainforest
After driving up the famous Captain Cook Highway, which is a scenic route from Cairns to Port Douglas that hugs the palm tree lined coast, we finally crossed the ferry into the Daintree.
When first exploring the Daintree I was surprised to find lots of private land within the National park, including residential properties and commercial land. Things did begin to click as I learned more about the history of the park. Prior to the the Daintree world heritage listed in 1988, much of the park was being increasingly subdivided by developers for residential and commercial properties. Logging, farming and larger industrial activities were also being pursued and causing damage to the fragile rainforest ecosystems and further threatening the vulnerable cassowary. Heritage listing in 1988 was the result of campaigning by activists at the time, for example in the 'Daintree Blockade' in 1983 and limited some of this development activity, though much of the Daintree is still privately owned today.
Please check out and sign this petition to save the Daintree, if you would to see this precious natural ecosystem preserved!
We decided to do one of the the off-boardwalk hikes available to the general public, Jindalba circuit track for a proper bushwalking adventure. We got what we asked for as we encountered a musky rat kangaroo, paradise kingfisher and less excitingly.. a group of wild boars. Unfortunately pests such as wild pigs are a big issue in the Daintree! On our last day in the Daintree, our dreams finally came true and we managed to spot a cassowary in the wild- with a baby cassowary in tow! We very quickly pulled over as we spotted the bird on the side of the road. Did you know 70 to 100 species of plants in FNQ rely entirely on the cassowarry to disperse their seeds? This special bird is a keystone of the tropical Daintree ecosystem!
Atherton Tablelands
Heading down south again, we made a pit stop at the beautiful crystal cascades and went for a quick swim before sudden torrential rain forced us back into our cosy van. We then made our way to the Downfall Creek camping area in Danbulla state forest, with a view of Lake Tinaroo and plenty of space all to ourselves. This was the perfect site for a campfire and some respite from the constant stream of mosquitos and insects in the more tropical Daintree. Bandicoot bandits kept us company at night and tried their hardest to jump into our van to join us looking for snacks...
The next day we explored the cute local town Yungaburra with it's infamous Curtain Fig Tree and hit the famous waterfall circuit; Millaa Millaa falls, Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls. Instagram famous for a reason, we managed to out-chase storm clouds for most of the day to see these awesome sites. Thankfully we somehow avoided leeches despite our soggy socks and shoes! We also visited Granite Gorge National park to hang out with the cutest and friendliest rock wallabies.
Fitzroy Island
For a bit of tropical relaxation, Fitzroy Island is the perfect FNQ paradise. Our only regret is not spending longer here! With gorgeous walks and snorkelling to be had, we very much enjoyed this relaxation in our otherwise packed trip. The only tip would be to pack lunch if you are on a budget, as there are only 2 food options available and 1 if you are not staying in the resort.. we might have been tempted into a pina colada at the resort bar.
This is just the highlights of what was an epic Cairns/Far North Queensland adventure. We had a blast and enjoyed many other sights, campfires and suprise animal sightings along the way. There is so much to discover so we can't recommend exploring this region enough. Another reminder to support groups such as https://www.rainforest4.org/save_the_daintree who work to preserve these magical places!
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