Cairns pt.II: Cape Trib, Crocs & Cassowaries

My day-trip expedition to the outer reaches of Cape Tribulation, the Daintree National Park and Port Douglas began at silly o'clock in the morning as I climbed aboard the shuttle and was greeted by our energetic tour guide Andrew, who took to calling me "Seattle" because, why not. As we made our way north up the coast, our guide pointed out that we were driving along one of the most beautiful scenic roads in Australia, second only to the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne. And with a view of rolling green sugarcane fields on one side and the sparkling blue Coral Sea on the other, it didn't disappoint. Our first stop of the day was a croc-spotting cruise along the Daintree River, where we were rewarded with the sight of a giant saltwater crocodile, lovingly nicknamed 'Scarface' by park operators, emerging from the water and lumbering up the bank. Those "No Swimming" signs posted along the river are no joke.

From the Daintree River we continued north, stopping for a leisurely stroll under the thick canopy of the Daintree Rainforest -- the oldest tropical rainforest on earth, believed to date back 150-200 million years -- and an amazing panoramic view from the Alexandra Range lookout before disembarking at Cape Tribulation Beach, the only place in the world where two world heritage areas collide: the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. After admiring this unique and beautiful, but unfortunately named, spit of coast (so named, along with 'Mount Sorrow' and 'Weary Bay,' by a clearly troubled Captain James Cook), we made our way to Mossman Gorge. The Mossman River flows over large granite boulders that line the gorge, creating pools of crystal-clear water holes for swimming, and the steep hillsides extending from the riverbank are cloaked in lush rainforest.

Next up: Port Douglas, with a brief stop en route at the famous Daintree Ice Cream Company -- a boutique ice creamery renowned for its exquisite desserts made from local tropical fruits such as Black Sapote, Soursop, Wattle Seed and Jackfruit. Odd names aside, it was delicious. We spent an hour our so touring the charming town of Port Douglas -- a sun-drenched vacation spot with a mainstreet featuring quaint shops and cafés and a sizeable celebrity following -- before boarding the bus and making the scenic drive back to Cairns.

Another few days in Cairns and then it's back to Sydney for the holidays!