As Troy’s odometer clicked over 7,000 kilometres, we reached the turning point of our journey: Cape Tribulation. The only place in the world where two listed World Heritage sites meet – where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. To see the stunning Daintree Rainforest highlands right next to the beautiful blue coastline is a remarkable experience.
To enter the Daintree National Park, you have to cross the Daintree River on a barge. This is an experience in itself and deepens the feeling that you are set for a real adventure. Being greeted by an ominous sign warning you of 22,000-volt power lines above your head conjured up images of entering the fabled Jurassic Park! Driving along the steep, winding road, we trekked to Cape Tribulation, named so by Captain James Cook when his ship Endeavour hit a nearby reef back in 1770. Cape Tribulation has a beautiful bay surrounded by towering rainforest.
The famous Cassowary is purported to roam all along this coast, though it proved elusive to us. We went off the sealed road and travelled along a 4WD track for a few kilometres, before hiking to a lovely waterhole where we just soaked up the tranquillity.
This was it… the return point of our 2015 Australian adventure. Surrounded by lush green rainforest, and hearing just the babbling creek and birdcalls (not cassowaries), we really felt like we were one with Mother Nature. After immersing ourselves in this natural spiritual experience for some time, we reluctantly trekked back to Troy and headed south. We stopped off at a couple of the boardwalks and beach locations along the way to enjoy the scenery and native animals such as fruit bats, scrub turkeys, herons. Sadly, no cassowaries.
To satisfy our thirst and hunger, we visited a delightful café and enjoyed the best seafood in a long time. Jan reckoned her salmon was better than my barramundi, but I doubt it. Both were freshly caught, cooked perfectly and tasted scrumptious. Thank you Whet Café… a perfect end to our Daintree escapade!
TOP TIP: Avoid following soon after a grader has gone through an unsealed road. Even though it may provide a much smoother track for your journey, a freshly graded road often has sharp rocks that have been exposed by the grader, making it easier to rip through your tyres.
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