Day 14 - Kuranda and Tjapukai photos

Looking back towards Cairns while driving to Kuranda

At the butterfly sanctuary 

View of the Barron River from the Skyrail 

Barron River Falls

The rainforest canopy from the Skyrail 

Giant spider encountered during our walk in the rainforest

View from the boardwalk 

Playing the digeridoo 

EC students join the dance

Learning to throw spears 

Day 15 - May 10, Into the Daintree

We began our adventure today with a 2 hour ride up the coast and into the rainforest. On the way, we observed a field of hundreds of wallabies grazing, just like our white- tailed deer. We passed through Port Douglas, and Mossman, arriving at the Daintree River.  The Daintree is truly a special place, as it is a World Heritage Site of great significance. It is the world's oldest rainforest, containing over 1500 species of tree (not counting any of the vines, ferns, and other plants of the understory).  For reference, our guide explained that the average forest back home might have 50 tree species. The vast diversity of plant and animal life is just staggering!
  We embarked on our river cruise in search of crocodiles. A few meters from the boat landing, we spotted our first wild crocodile!  Before the day was done, we counted at least 5 crocodiles, including a hatchling that was less than a foot long. They were mostly sunning themselves on the riverbank, with their mouths open to help them thermoregulate. Signs are posted all over Northern Queensland warning people to stay away from river edges and beaches because of the danger of crocodile attack.
     The trees of the Daintree are enormously tall, and often have epiphytes, plants that grow on other plants. We saw pods of the matchbox bean, the world's largest legume, and flycatchers, orchids, Apple mangroves, cycads, fan palms, vines, basketferns, and the spiny "wait a while" plant that is named for the large spines that can tangle you up and make you " wait a while " until you can extricate yourself. We saw King Fern, the largest fern in the world with fronds over 6 feet long and dating back 300 million years. Students were pleased with the photogenic lizards that posed for them, and not so enamoured of the giant orb-weaving spiders that also posed for pictures. The tensile strength of their webs is unmatched by other spiders.
  Moving on, we crossed the river and ended up at a small place where we had a delicious BBQ and interacted with 2 populations of rescued animals; the swamp wallaby and the agile wallaby. After lunch, we drove deeper into the rainforest and stopped at a high mountain stream for Billy's tea, damper bread, and fresh tropical fruit. We sampled fruit that you just don't see at home, at it doesn't travel well. We sampled dragonfruit, custard apple (soursop or guanana), star fruit, pineapple, tiny, extra-sweet bananas, among others.  We drove along Cape Tribulation where Captain Cook had some troubles back during his coastline mapping days. One of our last stops was a chance to try unusual tropical ice cream flavors. Today, there was a selection of macadamia nut, plum, passion fruit, and wattle seed ice cream. Wattle is another name for acacia plants, and this particular wattle had a very interesting vanilla/coffee flavor that was really nice and different.
  One student was lucky enough to glimpse a rare, flightless rainforest bird that stands around 5 feet tall and has powerful talons; the cassowary. All these experiences made today one of the best days we have spent in Australia so far!  Tomorrow is a free day for students to explore and have their own adventures, so stay tuned.

Day 14 - May 9th - Over the Rainforest

Today was a packed day with a variety of different activities in which we learned about different aspects of the rainforest. 

We started out with an early morning bus  ride to the rainforest village of Kuranda where we visited a butterfly sanctuary. We learned about the lifecycle of butterflies and were able to see examples of the different stages in their lab. We also managed to spot a couple of pairs mating which we learned could take up to 14 hours. The female essentially sedates the male during the process. 

We saw many of the beautiful species that exist in AustralIa although it was hard to get photographs because they are almost never still. We also learned that the largest moth in the world - the Hercules moth - was recorded in Australia with a wingspan of 14 inches.

We then had some time to wander around the market place and grab a bite to eat. Vendors were selling a variety of handmade crafts and cheap souvenirs so it was hard to sift through the choices and find something that was more authentic.

Next came one of the highlights of the day where we traveled over the rainforest canopy in a gondola (the Skyrail). Apart from the incredible views, we saw the rainforest from a perspective that very few get to experience. We could identify many of the different types of trees and ferns, especially the basket fern which establishes itself high up in a tree. We had our eyes peeled to spot fauna and some of us caught a fleeting glimpse of the electric blue Ulysses butterfly and even a wild kangaroo!

There were two stops along the way and we got to get out and walk around the boardwalk that was built into the rainforest. At one point we were lucky enough to catch up with a ranger giving a talk and we learned about many of the plants and trees that inhabit the area. 

Our last stop for the day was the Tjapukai Cultural Center. The Tjapukai are  an aboriginal tribe from the Daintree rainforest and the cultural center gives visitors a chance to learn about the original inhabitants of the region.  As with all such experiences there is a fine line between watching and participating in performances that are clearly marketed towards tourists and wondering at the authenticity of the experience. On the other hand, given that the 'authentic' lives of the aboriginal people exist in only the remotest parts of Australia, if at all, this is a way of passing on traditions so they they don't die out and allowing others a glimpse into a rich and vibrant culture. 

We learned how complex and difficult it is to play the digeridoo, a traditional musical instrument made from a hollowed out tree trunk. We watched traditional aboriginal dances and some of our students even participated in them. We learned about bush medicine and the variety of plants used for many purposes. The students had fun leaning about weapons and hunting and trying out spear throwing and boomerangs. Lastly we saw a multimedia performance of the creation story of the Tjapukai. Each tribe has its own version of this known as the Dreaming and it explains the story of their ancestors and how the world began. 

So many experiences, so much to process. Students should have a busy night writing their journals this evening!

Day 13 - May 8th - Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Your students were so sweet and gave us both a Mother's Day card signed  by all of them (which they are holding in front). Hope everyone had a wonderful day!!

Today was a rest day after our snorkeling adventure so everyone relaxed and explored Cairns. There are many interesting shops and restaurants and a lovely walk along on the sea front. No swimming in the sea though due to the salt water crocodiles!! 

Photos from Day 12

We don't have any underwater photos of what we saw in the reef but several students either had or rented underwater cameras so they'll be eager to share those with you.  However we do have a few pictures so you can see where we went.

From our boat while we were headed to the reef

Getting the stinger suits on before going out to snorkel 

The second place where we stopped to snorkel - Michaelmas Cay

As we were leaving, the crew threw in some food for the fish (they are allowed to feed them 1kg per day) and we got to see a whole bunch of them from the boat as they came for the food

Day 12 - Saturday 07 May. Great Barrier Reef

 Today we put our new knowledge gained from Reef Teach to use with a snorkel trip to the Great Barrier Reef!  It was approximately a 2 hour boat cruise to the outer reef, far enough from shore that it should be healthy, although one guide earlier in the trip predicted that we might see more damage compared to past years. Thankfully, we didn't find this to be the case.
    The first dive site was spectacular!  There were so many species and colors and shapes of coral. Giant boulder corals that had to have been hundreds of years old, and sharp, fast-growing stag horn coral, and great, huge plates of coral, and mountains of soft corals waving in the currents.  A closer look revealed fish all over the reef; incredibly abundant, colorful, and busy. It looked like a living scene from "Finding Nemo."  Students saw black-tipped reef sharks, anemone fish (Nemo and relatives), dozens of colorful species of large parrotfish crunching away at the algae and corals, and tiny butterflyfish darting around the reef.  Those who took it slow were rewarded with sights of fabulous blue and electric green Giant Clams, slowly opening and closing the siphons and the scalloped edges of their enormous shells.  We happened upon a sheltered spot where sea cucumbers gathered. Each was as large as a person's thigh, and they were black and warty, or pale with bumps, or covered with spiny-looking projections, or spotted like a leopard.  Looking even closer, students discovered the unusual feeding tentacles of Christmas tree worms. These are polychaete annelid worms (related to earthworms, but distantly) that have a feeding structure that spirals up from their mouth like a Christmas tree. They are sedentary and live in tubes, and will withdraw their heads if threatened or if they detect shadows or water currents. Students were delighted to play with these colorful creatures that many people overlook.
    The sheer diversity, abundance, fragility, and beauty of the reef was breathtaking, and the need to protect the world's oceans obvious to any who visit this World Heritage Site.

Days 10 and 11 - May 5th and 6th

Yesterday (May 5th) was our last full day in Brisbane and students and faculty got to spend a free day with no official class activities. Well, students got to roam around the city and faculty got to grade journals : )

We left this morning for Cairns and are now comfortably settled in our new accommodations. This evening we attended a two hour lecture on the Great Barrier Reef by a marine biologist. The lecture was one of the best talks I've ever heard; so informative and the presenter was incredible. I don't think students have ever sat with such rapt attention through any two hour class. 

Tomorrow is The Big Day - a full day of snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Stay tuned tomorrow night.