If you are just joining us, here is the trip report for Part 1, Sydney:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22237
Part 2 will detail our journey up to Cairns.
Sorry it has been so long since the last update! Life has been busy.
So we left off with my wife and I leaving Sydney, and taking the three hour flight up to Cairns. The city is in the northern portion of Queensland, right on the coast. Instead of balmy, pleasant coastal weather, we now had hot, humid coastal weather. Just like south Georgia! We disembarked from the plane and walked across the tarmac commenting about how similar it felt to the Southeastern US. The mountains that surrounded us, with the combination of exotic trees and shrubs told us we were far from home though!
We got inside the airport terminal and waited at baggage claim. I looked around, and immediately noticed a gigantic billboard that took up an entire wall. It showed the anterior half of a saltwater crocodile, and there were very bold, very clear warnings about what to do (or not to do) near waterways. I wish now that I had taken a picture of it, but I did not.
We found a shuttle that would take us to the hostel we were staying at, and climbed on board. As we left the airport parking lot, my wife pointed to some trees by the street. She had seen about a dozen fruit bats hanging and moving among the leaves. I told her to remember where the tree was so that we could come back and see them (fruit bats were high on my list of critters to find), but it turned out we didn’t need to remember that particular tree.
The shuttle dropped us off at the hostel where we would be staying. It was just a little different than the accommodations we had been given in Sydney:
1Flying Monkey by B Boone, on Flickr
2Our Accomodations by B Boone, on Flickr
Since it was late afternoon and we needed to get some food, we wandered up the block to find a grocery store. We went exploring, looking in all the different shop fronts. I happened to look up, and saw a huge mango tree further down the sidewalk, and just across an intersection. It appeared to be moving. Bats!
We walked over to check it out. The bats were incredibly noisy- screaming and chattering at each other. It was fenced off around the bottom, and the city had put some signs up saying it was a roosting/nursery tree and they would move on after the babies were weaned.
3Bat colony by B Boone, on Flickr
4Pteropus conspicillatus by B Boone, on Flickr
5Pteropus conspicillatus1 by B Boone, on Flickr
We found a grocer, picked up a few days’ worth of food and walked it back to the hostel. We walked back out to the street to go check out the park right across from us. It was amazing! It is called the Cairns Esplanade, and it is a wonderfully landscaped area, with sidewalks and a boardwalk overlooking the bay. There was a gigantic, zero-depth entry infinity pool as well, and the best part was that it was open from 6am to 9pm every day!
6Cairns Esplanade by B Boone, on Flickr
7View of the bay by B Boone, on Flickr
8Cairns Esplanade Lagoon by B Boone, on Flickr
9Fake Beach by B Boone, on Flickr
The reason that this park and pool were created was because the bay wasn’t all that great for swimming and lounging.
10Not Really A Beach by B Boone, on Flickr
It’s basically just mud flats. Here it is at low tide, with a Striated Heron:
11Butorides striatus by B Boone, on Flickr
Oh yeah, that’s right…. and there are crocodiles there, too. It is not a good idea to go near the water.
12Warning by B Boone, on Flickr
Interestingly, right there at the main area with the pool and the park and all that, the signs strongly urged against swimming and going near the water. But if you walked 100 meters north, the signs changed to a very emphatic ‘do not approach’ and stated that crocs were seen there regularly.
We spent the afternoon swimming in the comfort of the Esplanade lagoon, and enjoyed the break immensely.
We crossed the street back to the hostel and made dinner. Since the air was so warm and tropical, many things were just open-air and the hostel was no exception. The kitchen was located on a second floor balcony that overlooked a pool and then the rooftops behind the building. The balcony faced west, and as we ate dinner we watched the sun set. A lone bat flew by, its five foot wingspan not making a sound as it flapped.
13Bat flying by B Boone, on Flickr
Then a few more appeared. And a few more. Suddenly, there were thousands flying by. They were leaving the roost tree for the night to go feast on figs, mangos and whatever fruits they could find.
14Dinner and a show by B Boone, on Flickr
The next morning, I woke up and went on my usual early morning walk. There were already dozens of people out doing the same thing, and swimming in the lagoon, biking, rollerblading. I was fascinated!
I saw the sun come up over the mountains out past the harbor.
15Sunrise by B Boone, on Flickr
Then I walked down to the marina to see what was there.
16Sailboats in the Harbour by B Boone, on Flickr
17Snails by B Boone, on Flickr
Diamond-scale Mullet
18Liza vaigiensis by B Boone, on Flickr
Archerfish
19Toxotes jaculator by B Boone, on Flickr
The birds were everywhere. If you are into birding, the Cairns Esplanade is a top spot, and often specifically recommended just for that.
Bar-tailed Godwit
20Limosa lapponica by B Boone, on Flickr
Willy Wagtail
21Rhipidura leucophrys by B Boone, on Flickr
Spotted Dove
22Spilopelia chinensis by B Boone, on Flickr
Australasian Figbird
23Sphecotheres vieilloti male by B Boone, on Flickr
Magpie Lark
24Grallina cyanoleuca by B Boone, on Flickr
Zebra Dove
25Geopelia striata by B Boone, on Flickr
Pied Imperial Pigeon
26Ducula bicolor by B Boone, on Flickr
No wonder the birds loved this place, there was fruit of all types and colors on the ground!
27Cool green fruit by B Boone, on Flickr
Bamaga Satinash
28Syzygium bamagense by B Boone, on Flickr
Bamaga Satinash
29Syz bam and by B Boone, on Flickr
Indian or Sea Almond
30Terminalia catappa fruit by B Boone, on Flickr
Almond leaves and flowers
31Terminalia catappa by B Boone, on Flickr
The trees were very interesting. This is a Cannonball tree. The flowers, which were the size of my fist, were on stalks that sprouted directly from the trunk of the tree.
32Couroupita tree by B Boone, on Flickr
33Couroupita guianensis by B Boone, on Flickr
Fish Poison Tree
34Barringtonia asiatica by B Boone, on Flickr
Apple Blossom Tree
35Cassia bakeriana x fistula by B Boone, on Flickr
36apple blossom tree c.b xf by B Boone, on Flickr
Screwpine
37Pandanus tectorius fruit by B Boone, on Flickr
Two moth species found on the sidewalk. Any ideas? I know the first one is some sort of Sphinx.
38Moth A by B Boone, on Flickr
39Moth B by B Boone, on Flickr
Huge Ficus trees and palms that had bases made of Basket Ferns created intricate networks of roots and leaf litter.
40Basket fern sprout by B Boone, on Flickr
I thought that perhaps this would be a good spot to come back after dark and check for geckos and tree frogs. I was right, for on the very next Ficus I walked by, I saw this Pacific House Gecko sitting out on a root.
41Hemidactylus frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
The trees also had great big Staghorn ferns growing from their trunks. One had to be careful poking around the trunks of the trees, within the staghorn ferns were the folded up nests of green ants.
42Green Ants by B Boone, on Flickr
I was careful around these nests, because I was told if you bumped it, they would come raining down on you, biting and stinging.
I went back to the hostel, and we spent the day lounging around again, at the lagoon, and walking around the city. We also chose what we would do for the next couple of days. We opted for a day-long trip out to Green Island for some snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, and the day after that, we were going to head north to the Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge.
After it was dark, I crossed the street back into the Esplanade park and began looking on the tree trunks and amongst the basket fern growths with a small flashlight.
43Basket fern by B Boone, on Flickr
More geckos! Lots of them!
I presume that these are all Pacific House Geckos, Hemidactylus frenatus, since they have the spines on the tails. Please correct my ID if I am wrong!
44H frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
45H frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
46H frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
While I was shining my light into the nooks and crannies of the tree roots and old fern fronds, I tried to be somewhat discrete because the park was still full of activity. Lots of people out walking, families cooking out on the various barbecue grills, and people on the sidewalks across the street enjoying dinner. A park employee on a golf cart was making his rounds, checking trash cans. He made his way over my direction eventually and when he saw I was looking in the trees with a flashlight, asked if everything was alright. I laughed and told him, yes, everything was fine- I was just looking for geckos and treefrogs.
“Oh! Great!” he said, “Have you seen any?”
“A few”. I showed him some of the pictures that I had on my camera.
“Oh yeah! It looks like they are all the exotic ones though” was his reply. “They don’t look as nice as the natives.” For yet another time on this trip, I was surprised at the locals’ knowledge and attitude toward wildlife. He continued, “Have ya seen any of the treefrogs?”
Not yet, I told him. I was hoping to find some.
“I haven’t seen any here in the Esplanade in a while, but mate, they are all over the houses just a few blocks in! Big and green, just glorious!” He told me he loved seeing them at his house. We bade each other a good night, and he kept on his rounds. Oh how I wished I knew some people that lived in Cairns! I would have loved to have seen some of the treefrogs, but it was not to be.
The next morning, we got up, had breakfast and walked over to the marina to catch our ferry that would take us out to Green Island. This is where we would get to experience a little bit of the Great Barrier Reef. It was a 45 minute ride out to the island, and while we rode, we listened to the rules about being in the National Marine Park in several different languages. Since it was the beginning of February, we were in smack dab in the middle of jellyfish season. They also had a portion about safety with marine creatures, and they focused the most on the jellyfish. There are two that you really need to worry about: the box jelly and the irukandji. Both of these species have excruciatingly painful stings, and have caused human fatalities. However, a simple wetsuit can greatly reduce the chances of a sting, and the trip offered the opportunity to get full body wetsuits. (More on this in a bit)
We docked and walked up the long pier to the shore. Right off the bat, we saw a green sea turtle floating at the surface, having a look around. I wasn’t expecting to see one so soon, so I didn’t have my camera out and missed an opportunity for a picture. There were, however, a bunch of fish swimming in the amazing clear, shallow water that I was able to get some pictures of.
47Green Island by B Boone, on Flickr
48Green Island Reef by B Boone, on Flickr
Yellowtail Fusilier, Giant Trevally and Orbicular Batfish
49Cae cun, Car ign and Pla orb by B Boone, on Flickr
Yellowtail Fusilier and Orbicular Batfish
50Platax orbicularis2 by B Boone, on Flickr
51Foreshore by B Boone, on Flickr
Black Noddy
52Anous minutus1 by B Boone, on Flickr
These Buff Banded Rails were all over. Many of them had chicks with them, and they were all so acclimated to people that they would wander right up to you and forage next to your feet.
53Gallirallus philippensis1 by B Boone, on Flickr
54Gallirallus philippensis3 by B Boone, on Flickr
There is a resort in the middle of the island and there is a sidewalk/boardwalk that circles it, so we took a quick walk through the forest, and just looked around.
55Green Island forest by B Boone, on Flickr
56Oh man look at that by B Boone, on Flickr
In the tiny patches of sun, these little Red-Throated Rainbow-Skinks darted back and forth, pausing just long enough to sit and get a single picture. These skinks are pretty small, about half the size of the brown skinks here in the eastern US.
57Carlia rubrigularis by B Boone, on Flickr
There were gaps in the trees and shrubs along the boardwalk, and the views to the water were breathtaking.
58Parafreakingdise by B Boone, on Flickr
We found a gap to our liking, and walked down to the sand. We pulled the wetsuits on, then strapped our flippers and masks on, and lumbered into the water. The wetsuits were fullbody coverage, covering your feet, gloves on your hands and even hoods over your heads. The only part that was not exposed when suited up was your cheeks and chin.
59Wet Suit Up by B Boone, on Flickr
They weren’t attractive, but that was okay. If we had to wear them to experience the reef, then that was fine.
60Ahoy mate by B Boone, on Flickr
As soon as your face dipped below the surface, there was life everywhere. There were clouds of little fish swirling around, thousands of them per school.
61Swimming Glitter by B Boone, on Flickr
62Baitfish by B Boone, on Flickr
As we moved further from the sandy shore, where the waves lapped, we got into sea grass beds. This was where the turtles could be found grazing, juveniles and small fish of dozens of species darted among the stems, and invertebrates galore crawled on the sandy bed.
63Lambis crocata1 by B Boone, on Flickr
64Bothus pantherhines by B Boone, on Flickr
65Amblygobius phalaena by B Boone, on Flickr
66Lethrinus harak by B Boone, on Flickr
67Coral Block by B Boone, on Flickr
68Parapercis cylindrica by B Boone, on Flickr
69Tridacna by B Boone, on Flickr
70Stichopus chloronotus by B Boone, on Flickr
71Aeoliscus strigatus by B Boone, on Flickr
72mmm...brains by B Boone, on Flickr
73castelnau wrasse maybe2 by B Boone, on Flickr
Every now and then, I would lift my head up to see which direction we were drifting and get a bearing. We were heading toward the pier that went out to where the boats docked.
74Sea Turtle eye view by B Boone, on Flickr
I signaled to Leia that we should go closer to the pilings, because lots of marine life likes to hang out near them.
75Pillar by B Boone, on Flickr
76Drifting by B Boone, on Flickr
The water also started to get deeper, and the sea grass thinned out and was gradually replaced by open sand and rubble again, then coral blocks.
77Holy Coral Batman by B Boone, on Flickr
78Labroides dimidiatus by B Boone, on Flickr
79Chrysiptera unimaculata by B Boone, on Flickr
80Neoglyphidodon melas- et al by B Boone, on Flickr
81Nardoa novaecaledoniae by B Boone, on Flickr
82Scarus and Siganus by B Boone, on Flickr
83Chaetodon aureofasciatus by B Boone, on Flickr
84Acanthurus blochii by B Boone, on Flickr
85Goatfish rooting by B Boone, on Flickr
86Scarus rivulatus by B Boone, on Flickr
87Neoglyphidodon melas by B Boone, on Flickr
88Thalassoma lunare by B Boone, on Flickr
89Parrotfish a by B Boone, on Flickr
90Scarus rivulatus by B Boone, on Flickr
91No Touchy by B Boone, on Flickr
Then the reef floor started to slope away even more. We saw bigger fish, schools of snapper and a few green sea turtles.
92Caranx ignobilis by B Boone, on Flickr
93Lethrinus nebulosus by B Boone, on Flickr
94Chaetodon vagabundus by B Boone, on Flickr
95Chelonia mydas by B Boone, on Flickr
But unfortunately, our snorkeling time was nearing its end and we had to get changed and catch the ferry back to the mainland.
We got back to the hostel, made dinner and ate, then we walked around town for a while, just window shopping and seeing what the nightlife was like. The bats began their nightly flight, and we stood on one of the street corners watching the horde fly overhead, and remarking to each other how no one was reacting to the bats (save the out-of-towners like us). Everyone else was just going about their evening, not paying any attention to them at all. How cool. I wish everyone accepted bats like the folks in this town!
97This is so cool by B Boone, on Flickr
More H. frenatus?
98Hemidactylus frenatus1 by B Boone, on Flickr
99Hemidactylus frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
The next day we had booked a day trip a couple of hours north to see the Daintree Rainforest. Our guide for the day was a fellow named Daniel, and he was fairly knowledgeable in Australian natural history (as I am sure most tour guides probably are/have to be).
After leaving Cairns, we made a pit stop (well, breakfast and coffee) at the Mossman Café. I walked to an outside patio to enjoy their garden, and surprised a couple of skinks that were on the brickwork. One was this beautiful Closed-Litter Rainbow-Skink.
100Carlia longipes by B Boone, on Flickr
Our agenda for the day would take us through the town of Port Douglas, then continue a couple of hours to the Daintree rainforest. As we drove north, we passed miles and miles of sugar cane fields. I asked if there were taipans in the area, and Daniel said there were heaps of them. I kept my eyes peeled for DOR’s but did not see any.
101Sugar cane fields by B Boone, on Flickr
Golden Penda
102Xanthostemon chrysanthus by B Boone, on Flickr
We made a stop at the Daintree River to see if we could spot any saltwater crocodiles, and took a short boat ride upriver. We were told the alpha male was a big (~14 foot) one named Scarface, from his many battles over the years. He had reign over 2 or 3 girls, all in the 8-9 foot range. No luck on seeing a croc, though we did go past a recent kill. A cow had been grabbed off the bank a couple of days before, and was stuffed back among the branches and mangrove roots. It obviously was a horrible smell.
103Here Salty, Salty, Salty by B Boone, on Flickr
104Mangroves by B Boone, on Flickr
As we drifted back down the river to our docking point, I spotted a juvenile scrub python curled up on the very tip of a branch overhanging the water. I would guess it to be about 2-2.5 meters (6.5-8 ft), and it was a beautiful golden color. Sadly, I had put my camera away already, and since we were moving downstream, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get a decent picture anyway. This would turn out to be the only snake I saw in Australia, and I couldn’t even get close to it!
We reaching our landing spot, and were warned not to stop moving until our feet were on asphalt, and good 40 feet from the water. We were told that there was a large bull croc that had learned that tourists could be easy pickings at this spot and had made several attempts, and grabbed and killed a person or two as they milled around the landing area. Daniel was stationed on land watching the water, and the boat guide stood near the front of the boat. Apparently, the bank dropped away as it got into the water and there was a deep hole, perfect for hiding a big crocodile.
105Hidey Hole by B Boone, on Flickr
We waited for the car ferry to pick us up, so Daniel let me explore for a little bit. I was excited to see these Ant Plants growing on the trunks of some trees where we were parked. (*My apologies for the picture quality, one of the cameras started messing up regularly and made a bunch of pictures unusable. Very sad!)
106Myrmecodia beccarrii by B Boone, on Flickr
107Myrmecodia beccarrii by B Boone, on Flickr
Some native bees (or wasps?...input welcome)
108No Touchy Part 2 by B Boone, on Flickr
108Wasps by B Boone, on Flickr
We made it to the Daintree Rrinforest and the walking trail we were going to take to explore it. Daniel told me there was a Boyd’s Forest Dragon that lived there at the trailhead that he saw regularly, so he and I looked for it for several minutes, but to no avail.
But there was LOTS more to look at and be excited about! I was here in the Australian rainforest- places and plants I had only seen in pictures before.
109Pandanus creek by B Boone, on Flickr
110Pandanus by B Boone, on Flickr
Australian Fan Palms!
111This is so awesome by B Boone, on Flickr
112Licuala ramsayi by B Boone, on Flickr
113Cerbera floribunda by B Boone, on Flickr
This is one of the more common Rattan palms, where rattan comes from.
114Rattan by B Boone, on Flickr
115Strangler Fig by B Boone, on Flickr
An interior view of the previous strangler fig, after its host tree has died and rotted away.
116Strangler Fig Interior by B Boone, on Flickr
Foxtail Palm
117Wodyetia bifurcata by B Boone, on Flickr
Cannonball Mangrove
118Xylocarpus granatum by B Boone, on Flickr
Four-Spined Jewel Spider
119Gasteracantha quadrispinosa by B Boone, on Flickr
120Travelers Palm by B Boone, on Flickr
Another Hemidactylus frenatus?
121H frenatus by B Boone, on Flickr
122Pandanus monticola by B Boone, on Flickr
We went to a hostel called PK’s for lunch. It was tucked in at the edge of the forest, where it meets the beach. We were not far from Cape Tribulation at this point. After we had eaten, we had some time to look around, so we walked down a trail we were told would not disappoint.
123Dirt Track by B Boone, on Flickr
The trees closed in a little bit, the ground got swampy and a few steps later we were in a mangrove swamp. I could hear something walking around, moving in the leaf litter. I stopped, and looked for movement. A pair of large brown birds appeared: orange-footed scrubfowl!
124orange footed scrubfowl by B Boone, on Flickr
They kicked and shuffled their way through the leaf litter, never paying us any attention.
We continued on a boardwalk through the swamp.
125Mangrove swamp by B Boone, on Flickr
126Stilts by B Boone, on Flickr
The land raised up a bit and dried out. We were surrounded by Swamp Lilies and Pandanus, and the trees were more open, letting light in again.
127Crinum pedunculatum by B Boone, on Flickr
A few more steps and we pushed out of the Pandanus on to the sand of the beach.
128Pandanus by B Boone, on Flickr
What a spectacular beach!
129View From PK's by B Boone, on Flickr
130Cape Tribulation Water by B Boone, on Flickr
But (and there is always a BUT!), we were not to go near the water, because of the jellies, but also because for a few days previous, a 12 foot crocodile had been hanging out on the beach. They had taped a warning sign to the warning sign about the jellies (notice the bottle of vinegar for stings)
131No, Seriously by B Boone, on Flickr
I did find a dingo nose pit in the sand though. I was excited about this- this is an interesting behavior that they have.
132Dingo Dig Pit by B Boone, on Flickr
We had to head back to the shuttle to load up and head back down south. We still had a couple of stops on the agenda. We made a brief pullover at Alexandra Lookout for some pictures. Perched on the side of the mountain, we could see the mouth of the Daintree and several reefs out in the water ahead of us. Daniel pointed out that one of them was Batt Reef, where Steve Irwin died.
133Alexandra Lookout by B Boone, on Flickr
134Alexandra Lookout South by B Boone, on Flickr
After reflecting there a bit, we continued down the mountain. As we went back and forth around the curves, we had a couple of oncoming drivers flash their headlights at us. Daniel explained that this usually meant there was a cassowary on or near the road, and to be cautious. He slowed down and we scanned the undergrowth for nearly a half mile, but didn’t see one. Another iconic animal that eluded me!
We continued on to Mossman Gorge, which was another location I was very excited to get to see in person. We parked the shuttle and got out, then walked along a boardwalk through the rainforest- sometimes at ground level, sometimes in the midstory of the trees.
136Rainforest by B Boone, on Flickr
137Mossman Gorge Rainforest by B Boone, on Flickr
138Little Spot of Sun by B Boone, on Flickr
139Wish I could get down there by B Boone, on Flickr
After a nice hike, we made it to the edge of Mossman creek, with its huge granite boulders.
140Mossman Creek by B Boone, on Flickr
141Boulders by B Boone, on Flickr
142Swimming Hole by B Boone, on Flickr
The water was clear and cool, and we had about 45 minutes to swim/relax/explore. So we did. I soon found a skink perched upon a root, watching the activity. It was wary of me, but allowed me to edge closer and take some pictures.
Yellow-Blotched Forest-Skink
143Eulamprus tigrinus by B Boone, on Flickr
I played around with some underwater pictures. I managed to catch several different species of fish in the frames- the most common by far was the Jungle Perch.
144Split View by <a href="https://www.flic