Marc & Nora ROUND THE WORLD 2005/2006 - Join us!

On Arrival in Cairns we booked ourselves onto a Diving Trip that was leaving in 3 days time. This gave us the opportunity to head North for a couple of days up to Cape Tribulation and The Daintree region. We were'nt too sure of the condition of the roads so the 3 of us (Nora, Kat & I) decided to make the Journey in Kat's 4-wheel drive Subaru...just to sure that we wouldn't damage poor little Tony Toyota! As you head North from Cairns the view is magnificent. The drive is a long a winding coastal road which hugs he cliff edge giving you the most amazing views over the Coral Sea.

After a short stop at Port Douglas for lunch and and a quick visit to the sports shop to purchase our "Cher-esque Full Length Body Stocking" stinger suits (Seriously...."If I could [really] turn back time"...what were we thinking?)...there will be no photos of either Nora or myself wearing this lovely outfit so don't worry!

Anyway our next stop was the Mossman Gorge National Park which is really beautiful and you can swim in the really quite fast flowing river waters before slamming into rocks and risking potential rib fractures....good fun though!

After driving North and crossing the Daintree river by ferry we found a great little campsite buried inside the rain forest. The whole beauty of this area is that fact that it is where "The rainforest meets the ocean". So although we were camping in the rain forest we were minutes from the sea (which you can't actually go in to because you will probably be stung by one of the oceans most deadly jelly fish, or attacked by some of the Oceans most feared sharks or if you are lucky perhaps just be randomly attacked by a 6m long saltwater crocodile which inhabit the rivers and creeks just 2km away). Unfortunately the Cher-esque body stocking stingers suits don't protect against the last two of those deadly critters....aside from the life threatening dangers it was actually a really nice place to spend a night.

The next day we drove North towards Cape Tribulation itself where we strolled along the wooden walkways which bring you to some really great lookouts and viewpoints.

So if the "you will die within minutes of being stung" box Jellyfish or Irukanji Jellyfish do actually sting you at least the local authorities provide a catering size bottle of 'Blue' coloured vinegar for you to pour onto your wound to ease the pain seconds before you pass out.....

As we drove North we spotted these road signs.....so once again we have to fear for our safety as the mighty Cassowary roams this area!

At last we spot one walking along at the side of the road looking pretty menacing as it stands almost 2m tall

North of Cape Tribulation you have the road up to Cook Town and beyond which requires a full on 4-wheel drive trip for a few hours. We didn't really have the time or the vehcile to make such a trip but we did try to go a little farther North just to find a nice swimming hole which we had heard about. We soon aborted this idea after crossing the first causeway which actually partially flooded the car as the water came well above the bottom of the car doors plus the fact that I think we were all a little freaked out by the apparent randomness of the crocodile warning signs alongside the creeks and rivers. On our way South though we did actually find a spot to swim in croc free waters but even then every splash made you look over your shoulder.

Back to Cairns to prepare for tomorrows dive trip departure