7-29-19 - Daintree rainforest 180M years in the making.

We started the day to hear our tenor John practicing for his Sydney program and walk over to a backpackers resort to pick up our bus tour for the day! 

We start our tour being welcomed in a smoking ceremony where a member of the K — aboriginal clan welcomed us to his home, the Daintree which is a rainforest system that is 165 million years old. (And a World Heritage UNESCO site). 

Yes that’s 165 million years old.  A good 65 million years older than the Amazon. The Daintree is a UNESCO world heritage site that contains 3,000 species (800 of which are different kinds of trees).  

80 percent of the species are a danger  to man.  That was enough to hear to creep a few of us out for the day. But we all survived. 

A few popped in for a swim in Mossman Gorge including Kyle who we had to drag out swimmer boy! 

The smoking ceremony was a way to tell ancestral spirits that we foreigners are free of dark spirits, to cleanse us, and to welcome us. Our guide Jarrod explained that there are over 4,000 in his clan and they do whatever they can to pass down their traditions to their offspring.  He asks us to respect the rainforest today. 

Our next stop after the Gorge is to a croc searching mission on the Daintree River. This is our second attempt at a river cruise looking for the crocs and this one didn’t disappoint.  We caught a couple of females, a 60 year old male huge crocs, another full grown male and a baby.  5 sightings - money’s worth!

After outdoor dining, our third spot is for a rainforest guided walk through this majestic place. We came across a tree full of the all important flying foxes, a croc-home beach and beautiful flora and fauna. Including trees that heal, cradle, and even serve as resting places for the dead. 

The last spot was to an Exotic Fruit farm where we enjoyed the most original ice cream flavors yet.  Ever tasted a scoop of soursop?  The coconut flavor seemed a bit boring next to the wattleseed and yellow sapore.  Earlier in the day I read an ad for Share Happy ice cream pronouncing “Ice cream makes u happy.”  We at the ice cream at a lookout point where a young Aussie played the woo woo - a long wooden instrument that was hollowed our by termites. You just have to see the photo or video to appreciate this unexpected cultural experience!  And of course crossing the Daintree on a cable pulled ferry was surreal.  

Today’s tour - 5 star!!!  Hits all the buckets we sought when planning this trip.   High educational value plus adventure plus family fun.  

And what a way to end our magical week at the Great Barrier Reef.