Last days in FNQ

Saturday morning at Cooper Creek was a stunner, allowing us our first view of the mountains without their customary cloud cover.

We were heading back to Smithfield this morning, but took the opportunity for one more walk in the adjacent rain forest so we could hear more about David and Ro's plans for it. This part of the forest near Ro's cabin is a regrowth area so she would like to do more plant identification and get some old machinery from the original settlement cleared out. Meanwhile, I learnt that you should wear close fitting clothes in the rain forest - there are lots of vines wanting to grab onto loose fabric!

We had a lunch date at the Thala Beach Nature Reserve Resort restaurant to break our drive back to Smithfield - a brilliant way to celebrate our fabulous stay in the Daintree. We shared wonderful seafood platters and a bottle of Derwent Estate Riesling (2018) - they were indeed worthy of the stunning setting of this unique place!

Sunday morning we were awake early (Ro's idea) so we could do a dawn walk to Glacier Rock - a 6.8 klm out and back walk that is described as moderately challenging but which we thought was well within our capabilities. After a walk through dense rain forest the path brought us to the Kuranda Scenic Railway train line. There were an awful lot of mechanical stairs to climb at this point.

But after reaching half way (the mango tree) the path opened out, the breeze freshened and we could start to see fabulous views of the Cairns coastline behind us.

 

The last third of the hike took us back into the rain forest ...

Until we reached the lookout at the highest point of the peak with its stunning views of the Barron River, the Cairns coast and across to the Coral Sea.

Such a memorable way to end our stay in this amazing place in the world with our dear friends David and Ro...... (and we can't wait to get back!)

 

Cooper Creek Waterfall walk

We set out early on Friday morning, into the rainforest bordering Cooper Creek. David and Ro's plan was to take us up the full length of the creek, through the Daintree Wilderness area - to the spectacular waterfall at the creek's source. It was indeed a brave move on their part taking a pair of septuagenarian city slickers like us with them into the wilderness!!

For a while it was relatively easy going, along the rocky banks of the creek.

But then it got tougher where we had to "rock hop" up the creek itself - not so easy for Rob and me, scared of slipping on wet unstable ground and lacking the confidence to use the momentum required for actual "rock hopping". It made for much slower progress as we crab walked our way up the creek bed!

Rainforest wilderness walking is hard going for new players too - you have to watch every step for protruding roots, unexpected dips and hollows, vine trip hazards and "wait a while" vines that like to catch your clothes and any exposed skin.....

There's no track to follow either .....

But its a uniquely beautiful space too. We were so lucky to have an experienced guide and expert rainforest botanist to point out special trees and plants and encourage us to look up at the wonder around us. Ro showed us this Cycad, an ancient plant that has changed little since the days of the dinosaurs. 

.. and she collected some seeds at the base of it (a rare find apparently) in the hope that some might strike .....

There is so much life and exotic beauty on the forest floor too. That blue "fruit" (in the pic below) is the cassowary plum - a favourite food of the cassowaries of the Daintree (they eat them whole).

But just under three hours from our start time we finally made it (with all limbs intact) to the most beautiful and stupendous Cooper Creek Waterfall!

Ro and David had pretty much nursed us along the whole way - they must have been relieved we made it without any major health emergency (created by us) - but it was a bit touch and go at times! Ro even made us freshly brewed coffee as our reward, having carried the Trangia in her backpack the whole way up the creek...

The first waterfall pool is not deep enough for swimming - but is great for a euphoric shower of pristine water.

But the second waterhole is where all the swimming action is ......

That's Rob's head under the falls in the pic below .....

We made it back to base ok too - no bones broken - and feeling like we'd achieved something pretty remarkable (and learnt a lot too) thanks to the experience and generosity of Ro and David. They lit a fire that evening and we drank wine and ate our evening meal around it while watching a sky full of stars emerge from under the day's cloud cover - a magical end to the day! 

Cow Bay, Coral Bay and Cassowaries

Thursday morning saw us on the beach at Cow Bay launching Ro's tinny ......

......... into the Coral Sea and around the headland to Coral Bay ...... 

.... where another superb breakfast was served, picnic style on the secluded Coral Bay beach. Ro has mastered the  art of making brewed coffee on the trusty Trangia, so a happy boat/bushwalking crew is always guaranteed on her expeditions.

Ro is ok about snorkelling around this part of the coast (because crocodiles don't like their tummies being scratched by the shallow coral reefs) - but the rest of us aren't so sure!! But we did trawl a hand line and lure (mackeral anyone?) on the way back to Cow Bay ... but had no bites on this occasion.

After a lovely relaxing morning in the tinny, and beach breakfast, there were a few chores on the agenda in the afternoon. Rob did some mowing and helped David with some timber lifting and finding a new storage space for the tinny. 

Ro took me down to Thornton Beach in the late afternoon, for a leisurely stroll (and some 3G reception) and to see where Cooper Creek meets the Coral Sea.

That's Thornton Peak overlooking this beach ...

We had a wonderful wildlife experience along the road back to Cooper Creek.... a family of Cassowaries chose this time to take a roadside wander, oblivious to the cars making their way along the highway. Cassowaries aren't always easy to observe because their usual habitat is dense rainforest, but this little family of 2 adults and 3 "chicks" didn't take any notice of that rule today.

We ended off the day back at Cooper Creek, with G&Ts, and a beautifully prepared seafood meal served with a Fischer's Riesling. The Ro and David show at Cooper Creek never stopped surprising us! 

 

Cooper Creek in the Daintree

We headed up to Cooper Creek in the Daintree Forest on Wednesday for a 3 night stay at a unique property that David and Ro have a share in (since way back in the late 70s). The property borders the beautiful, pristine Cooper Creek and the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest. We knew it was going to be a pretty special experience!

The Cooper Creek Wilderness area is about 90klms north of Smithfield. We broke the trip up with a coffee stop at the amazing Thala Beach Nature Reserve Resort, just south of Port Douglas and a (tropical) fruit stop at Scomazzons Roadside Stall a few klm north of Mossman.

We were so impressed with the Balinese style Thala Resort (though not with their coffee) that we made a booking for lunch at the end of our trip on Saturday!

It had views to die for at the Thala Resort!

The only way to cross the Daintree River is by the small pulley driven car ferry ....

David and Ro's property is on a rough private road/track off the main highway up to Cape Tribulation - the track included a (shallow) creek crossing.

Their property is kept cleared, except for around 140 mangosteen trees, and there are a number of dwellings, although only two of them are habitable at the moment. The dwellings are spread all over the property, out of sight of each other. Rainforest fringes all the cleared areas and provides a beautiful backdrop of soaring trees and the constant sounds of bird.

This is Ro's cabin at Cooper Creek .........

The view from her balcony(with our hire car) .....

And her beautiful shed .... this is the shed that Ro built herself - the wonder woman she is. It's now having to accommodate some of David's passion projects too seeing he's (more or less) moved backed to FNQ! 

This is the house David built when he first moved to Cooper Creek 40 odd years ago (daughter Thea spent her childhood here). It's now used for storing some machinery but you can see it had beautiful Japanese style architectural "bones" in its day.

Cooper Creek provides a blue tinted, perfectly formed swimming hole only a few minutes walk through the rainforest next to Ro's cabin. we cooled off in this pool a few times, marvelling at all the fish swimming around us in the pristine water. We even had a close up Cassowary sighting on the edge of this pool on our first afternoon's visit.

We're definitely in the tropics - there's insects and rampant foliage everywhere. We're lucky Ro keeps the cabin carefully screened!

Ro's cabin has a rainwater tank supply, a composting toilet, a gas fired stove and one (solar) power source (no phone, no internet) - all pretty simple really - but very comfortable. We were amazed to see them preparing a full (pork) roast dinner for us on our first night in these simple surroundings!

Served on the balcony in the absolute stillness of a Daintree evening - complete with candlelight!