Mossman Gorge

Monday, June 13, all the family members who were coming had arrived and we wen together to Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest.  Mossman Gorge is set up for tourists who wish to see the rainforest, but is still worth the visit.  We hiked the trails there and enjoyed the opportunity to see these beautiful forests, though we would learn later that they are not as pleasant as they might appear when visiting a place like Mossman.  The day was quite wet and we had some rain, but that only made the experience more unforgettable.  I soon gave up trying to identify all the plants and ferns and fungi we saw, though I am willing to learn from anyone who knows.

Mossman River

 

Trees

Cockatoos

leaves, ferns, vines

unidentified fruit

cycads and palms, including the spiny Wait-a-while Palm

Orchids, probably a Sarcochilus and a Bulbophyllum

Rex Creek

fungi

Hairy Mary

Wurumbu Creek

The day following the girls wanted to go shopping, so my wife, my son and I decided to go back to the rainforest and hike in a less touristy area.  We decided on a hike to the Devil's Thumb lookout and soon discovered the hiking away from the tourist areas was a different experience.  The track was hard to find in spots, very steep and with the light rain that was falling, very slippery.  We had to deal with a lot of spiny plants including Hairy Mary, Wait-a-While Palm, and Lawyer's Cane, and had to cross a river but it was the leeches that defeated us.  My son, who had only hiking sandals could not keep the leeches off and we finally turned back.

old vehicle near the start of the track

Little Falls Creek

the track

Cymbidium madidum

fungi

 mosquito repellant

and all the rest