So the screeching alarm clock sounded at 6.30 and I have to say, although not the most subtle, that little bird certainly wakes you up. And the showers were good too, boiling hot and plenty of water pressure, leaving you clean and wide awake ready for breakfast. I had the cooked veggie breakfast with a fruit smoothie and a nice strong coffee. The breakfast was good although I’m not convinced about the spinach.

Fed and ready for action we had a wander up to Cow Bay, named after the Doogon or Sea Cow. This was a pretty walk with rain forest either side of the road and the sunlight filtering through in speckled patches. Although I’m sure the vegetation is teaming with wildlife, we only saw a couple of small lizards. Not a tree frog in sight.

Cow Bay itself was very pretty and fairly typical of the beaches in the area. As you approach there are warning signs about crocodiles and also box jellyfish. It’s out of season for box jellyfish but the bottles of vinegar are there just the same. The beach itself was pristine and such a sight to see native rain forest grow right up to the sand and see. At the end of the bay were mangroves dotted over the sand right up to the sea, with their roots poking up like needles through the sand.

Next on the cards was a drive up to Cape Tribulation named after Captain Cook ran aground on the outer reef. This was a pretty drive though rain forest right up to the beach which looked the same as as Cow Bay. Pristine sands, mangroves and warning signs for crocs and box jellyfish.

On the way back we stopped at a local ice cream factory which served a tub of the ‘four flavours of the day’ all made from local fruits and nuts. Vey nice and quite cooling given the heat of the day.

Once back at Crocodylus, we finished of with the orange rope walk through the rain forest. This is a short 3k walk marked out by orange rope. One of the most noticeable things on this walk was the damage caused by the wild pigs. They clear whole areas of vegetation in their rooting sessions leaving nothing but freshly turned soil.

With the walking done it was time for a beer and a bite to eat against the dulcet tones of the scrub turkey and the thuds of falling coconut on the canvas roof of the bar. Just as we were relaxing a fellow traveller reported a snake in the gents shower block. Steve, armed with a snake catchers pole and sack, moved in, followed by a posse of young male onlookers, to transport the offending reptile back into the wild. Withe excitement for the evening over, everyone returned to their beer and feed with one more story to tell.

The following morning after we checked out I drove the ute home, stopping only for a quick walk around Daintree itself. The drive was ok although there was a nasty accident just outside Cairns involving a motorbike and a large ute. Apparently that stretch of road is quite a black spot. By the time we got back I was quite glad not to be sitting down anymore! Time for a beer I think.

Travelling up to Daintree we stopped off at Port Douglas for lunch and wander round. Port Douglas is very much a tourist town and quite an expensive one at that. We had a wander round some of the shops, down to the harbour and then found a nice little Thai restaurant for lunch.

Moving on we reached our destination, the Daintree Crocodylus Village, around 6pm. The accommodation is basic, a light, a fan and a bed with a mosquito net. The cabins are wooden with a canvas roof and no electricity. There is also a communal seating area near the bar and restaurant. And overall the this place has a very relaxed, laid back feel, mostly emanating from Steve’s constant smile (Steve is the receptionist, barman and proprietor).

Having settled into the cabin we grabbed a bite to eat and had a couple of beers at the bar. Just to ease the cost we then tucked into a couple of bottles of wine we had stashed in the ute. As we left, Steve’s non smiling partner Sally who runs the restaurant, held up the two empty wine bottles and asked if she should throw them away or did we want to keep them. It wasn’t until the next morning we saw the sign “NO B.Y.O”.

Having retired to the safety of the mosquito net I realised just how noisy a rain forest can be at night. With all manner of birds calling back and forth, the largest turned out to be the little scrub turkeys or the orange footed scrub fowl. The only way I can describe it is a kind of very loud screeching. This would also turn out to be our alarm clock at sunrise which is at 6.30am.