Australia 9/2/2019 - 9/22/2019

Friday, 9/13/2019 - Flight to Cairns, Dreamtime (Mossman) Gorge Walk, Port Douglas

We had to get up very early in time to leave the hotel at 6:30 a.m. to go to the airport via bus. The hotel provided us with a breakfast box to eat en route.

Also on the way, Britney circulated a lunch menu and had us choose what we would like to eat. She would call in the order so that lunch would be ready for us when we arrived at Mossman Gorge later today. She also told us that when we get to Cairns, she will actually be driving us in a bus. She joked, "Don't worry; I'm officially licensed to do so!"

We took Virgin Atlantic to get to Cairns. This was our first time using a "group check-in" counter at an airport, and it made things a lot easier. Queensland would be our third Australian state (Perth being in Western Australia and Sydney being in New South Wales).

When we arrived in Cairns, Britney collected the tour bus while we collected our luggage. We loaded the luggage into the storage compartment of the bus and then boarded. It was a beautiful, comfortable bus, with great air conditioning (essential for Craig, who overheats easily). It was a bit tight, though, as we were maxed out on passengers. If you wanted to keep anything with you, it needed to be on your lap or under your feet. We were headed to Port Douglas for the night, with a couple of stops along the way. We listened to Britney's playlist of songs performed by Australian bands.

The scenery was beautiful driving along the Captain Cook Highway up the coast. We passed sugar cane fields and Britney pointed out extremely narrow guage train tracks used by the "cane trains" which harvest the sugarcane. We saw quite a few train cars parked along these tracks as we drove by.

We stopped at Rex Lookout, which afforded spectacular views of golden sand beaches and seaside mountains. It was quite windy here, and we saw one hang glider in the air. Another took off right in front of us. It is amazing what thermal wind currents can do. Rather than taking off from above us, the hang glider took off from close to sea level, catching an updraft and soaring high above us into the sky.

We arrived at the Mossman Gorge Centre shortly before 2 p.m. The Gorge is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in Daintree National Park.

Britney had ordered the lunch for 2:15, but we had arrived early. So we sat and relaxed in the Mayi Cafe ("Mayi" means "good to eat" in the local Kuku Yalanji dialect) and ordered drinks while they prepared our pre-ordered lunches. We would rather be early than late; this way our food was fresh and hot and not sitting around waiting for us!

Craig and I each got a "barramundi burger" (grilled barramundi fillet with lettuce, tomato, and Mayi tartar sauce on a brioche bun) with fries. It was delicious! (Barramundi is also sometimes known as Asian sea bass).

When we were done eating, we explored the gift shop and Aboriginal art gallery at the Centre. The Centre is run by the Kuku Yalanji people, and is staffed by local residents, 90% of whom have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.

At 3 o'clock, we met Tom, our Kuku Yalanji guide for our Ngadiku Dreamtime Gorge Walk. ("Ngadiku" means "ancient stories" in the Kuku Yalanji language.) Louie drove us in a bus for a short distance, and we got out at an area that looked like a campsite in the Daintree Rainforest. There was a fire pit surrounded by stones and with a small corrugated metal covering to protect the fire from the elements.

Like our Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour with Margret yesterday, this walk also started with a traditional smoking ceremony. Tom burned gum tree bark in the fire and we walked around the fire pit in a clockwise direction, absorbing the smoke so as to be welcomed into the Daintree Rainforest. As one of the traditional owners and guardians of the forest, Tom asked his Country for permission for us to enter.

We each grabbed a wooden walking stick and followed Tom down a forest trail. The late afternoon light gave the dense vegetation an other-worldly glow. The Daintree Rainforest encompasses 460 square miles and dates back 135 million years. It contains 30,000 species of plants and animals. We only saw a very small area today, but it was awe-inspiring. I took a lot of photos, but unfortunately they don't do justice to the all-encompassing greenery (old growth trees, vines, bushes). The density of the forest literally prevents you from seeing the forest for the trees.

Tom was a great guide with a wonderful sense of humor, and taught us about the flora and fauna of the rainforest and its relationship to the Yalanji people.

He demonstrated how his people knock on red cedar trees to communicate over long distances. The resulting sound is deep and resonant. He showed us the "wait-a-while vine", a form of natural barbed wire.

He showed us a strangler fig tree, and relayed a story in which colonial settlers thought that this type of tree actually murders people because they found a dead body inside a cavity of the tree. What they didn't know is that Aboriginal people sometimes "bury" their dead within trees, returning their "shed" skin to nature.

He showed us examples of Kuku Yalanji swords, shields, and boomerangs, all fashioned from wood. They use the "copyright" (to borrow a phrase from Margret yesterday) of the tree in appropriate ways, i.e. they choose parts with the right natural shapes to create whatever they need to make.

We stopped at an area where there are sacred boulders, and he had us all lay our hands on the side of the rocks while we took in all of the natural sounds of the rainforest. It felt like a very spiritual place.

We saw a Boyd's forest dragon (Jalbil in the Yalanji language)on a branch, and Tom told us a traditional story about its origin. If I remember correctly, it was a man who was watching women bathe repeatedly while hiding in the trees. After ignoring his first warning, his punishment was that he was confined to the trees and turned into a lizard.

We saw evidence of cassowaries in the area: cassowary plums. These look like super-sized blueberries. They are poisonous to most animals (including humans), but the cassowary feeds on them with no ill effects, and spreads their seeds through their droppings. Tom pointed out some cassowary droppings near the plums. Although it would have been pretty epic to have seen a cassowary in the wild, it is probably for the best that we didn't, since they can be so aggressive to humans with their razor-sharp toes.

Tom then led us to a spring-fed river which is the source of the water supply for Mossman and Port Douglas. The river was surrounded by boulders and we clambered up the rocks to get some photos of the water. It looked very much like the granite-flanked rivers of New England.

We continued on our walk. Tom pointed out a snake, but it had slithered away before we were able to photograph it. He picked some sassafras leaves and showed us how Yalanji people derive soap from them. Sassafras can also be used as a balm similar to tiger balm. Tom also showed us how ochre is used to make paint for skin decorations, and encouraged us to paint our skin with it. Craig and I painted stripes on our forearms.

At around 4:30 p.m., we headed back to where our trek had begun. We passed a hut for short term use, which resembled an igloo made from forest debris. It certainly looked like a nice sheltered place to spend the night if necessary!

We emerged at the "camp site" area, where Louie was heating river water on a wood stove. We enjoyed a snack of Daintree tea and bush bread while sitting at picnic tables. In addition to the tea, cold river water was available in an insulated jug. Once we finished our tea, we refilled our cups with the cold delicious water.

As we were enjoying our snack, we heard scrabbling in the underbrush. Two orange footed scrub fowl were digging in the leaves. These are the closest existing relatives to the cassowary. Tom explained that these birds mate for life. If you hunt one, you are obligated to kill both of them. It is yet another example of how ethics factor into conservation for Aboriginal peoples.

We all got back onto the bus, and Louie drove us back to the Centre. On the way, Tom explained a bit more about something he had briefly mentioned several times during the trek: the "little hairy man" which roams the rainforest. This seems to be sort of a sasquatch kind of creature which ties into the Aboriginal worldview. It seems to be something which straddles the line between the corporeal and the spiritual. However, sightings of the little hairy man are not limited to Aborigines. Tom told us that a foreigner had recently seen one, and that the Aboriginal tribes of the area thought that it was a sign meant for them, to tell them that someone was breaking a taboo in the forest.

We couldn't help but wonder if there may be some kind of unknown primate in the area. Could something like an orangutan have walked over a land bridge in the past to settle in this primordial forest, eluding capture perhaps because it was held sacred by the Aborigines?

We arrived at the Mossman Gorge Centre and said goodbye and "Yalada" (thank you) to Tom and Louie. We had had a lovely time exploring this amazing rainforest and learning about the cultural traditions of the Kuku Yalanji.

We got back onto our bus, and Britney drove us to Port Douglas. We passed more sugar cane trains along the way.

Port Douglas was established in 1877 as a gateway to the Hodgkinson goldfield. It was essential for transporting mining equipment as well as newly mined gold. However, the introduction of a railroad in 1893 made Port Douglas rather redundant as more mining trade happened through Cairns. Port Douglas's location along the Coral Sea provided its reincarnation as a low key resort destination. It is a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef which is less crowded than Cairns.

When we arrived in town, Britney drove a quick loop so that we could get our bearings. It is a small resort town. There is a Hemingway's Brewery at the wharf from which the snorkel and scuba trips depart, and the main drag, Macrossan street, boasts some shops, restaurants, and small hotels.

Our resort, the Mantra PortSea, is about a mile south of town. There are many resorts in this area, but there is not much within walking distance of them. The lobby looked very tropical, with dark wooden punkah fans on the ceiling. We checked in and found that it was a long walk to our room, down several hallways and up a flight of stairs. Not especially great for the disabled.

But the room was itself (#84) was lovely. It reminded us of the studio we used to rent in St. Thomas, as it had its own fully stocked kitchenette, dining table, and couch. The grounds were also beautiful, with multiple swimming pool lagoons and barbecue areas.

Britney had made a dinner reservation at the seaside Hi Tide restaurant for anyone who wanted to attend. As there weren't many other options within walking distance of the hotel, we decided this was a good idea. Britney drove us in the bus, and we occupied about 2/3 of the small restaurant's capacity at two long tables.

Craig had a Hemingway's Doug's Courage IPA, and I had a piña colada. I was intrigued by a menu item, and couldn't quite work out what it was: "Beef, maple and miso glazed eggplant, mushroom ketchup, onion, and beef caramel." Huh? I know these words, but together they make no sense. I asked the waiter about it and he said that it was an "eye fillet" (which is Aussie for "tenderloin"). I like the various ingedients listed, but I couldn't picture how they fit together. It was intriguing, so I ordered it to find out exactly what it was. Craig ordered the chicken breast bourguinon, bacon, mushroom and onion gnocchi, and green beans, and we each got a side of smashed potatoes.

Everything was absolutely delicious! It was artistically plated and had such complex flavors! Mine ended up being a beef tenderloin with carmelized onions, roasted eggplant, drizzled with au jus and a maple miso sauce. It was savory and sweet, a delicious combination.

We had lovely conversations with our table mates: Britney, Gail and Pam, and Brad and Mary.

After dinner, Britney drove us back to the hotel. We didn't have wi-fi in the room, so a few of us hung out in the lobby to use the internet. Then it was off to bed: we had to be up bright and early for snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow!!