Along the boardwalk

Much of the time at Cape Trib we wandered along the excellent boardwalks that have been set up. This gave the opportunity to get in amongst the rainforest, rather than skirt around the edges. We didn’t see many birds as they tend to be hidden in the canopy, but we heard them. The distinctive call of the wompoo pigeon - wom poo, the rattle of the rifle bird and the occasional rumble of a brush-turkey.

The last walk at the Cape we did was Jindalba just south of Cow Bay. It was a wet day, and we’d spent a good hour in the Jambu café at the Daintree Coffee company enjoying coffee, lunch and some magazines. When the rain eased we thought we’d try the walk. There was a short boardwalk, or a longer ( only 2.7km, hardly the Pennine Way!) track. We went for the longer track. The Australians are very good at their route guides - they attach coloured tape to trees so it’s easy to make your way. And this path was also fairly easy to follow. It went up a slippery slope through the forest, and we felt quite intrepid as we made our way. About half way I stopped to scratch my leg, and discovered a leech. It clung on like a leech, but probably breaking bush etiquette I’d pulled it off before I realised what it was. Leon wanted me to leave it on for a photo, but I was feeling repulsed at the thought of it and wanted it off asap. It left a bite hole (well, a tiny spot that was bleeding) so he got a photo of that. The rest of the walk was uneventful, just wet & muddy but I felt like a true bush walker after my first leech.