Mad Trip Day 3: Cairns to Magnetic Island

[galadriel1010]

Half past five in the morning is not nice.

I dragged myself out of bed, packed my things up and was checked out of the hostel just after six. From there I walked up the road to the tour booking office where I could get online with Global Gossip, checked my booking details and chatted to Mum, Lizzy, Ruth and Lucy for a while.

On the bus I was surprised to discover that there were things happening on route. First of all, after everyone was collected, we were supposed to be going to the Babinda Boulders, but by the time we got to Babinda it was already too wet for it to be worth it, so we stopped in Babinda for breakfast and moved on.

Next stop was in Innisfail at the Joseph River Crocodile farm. I got hugged by a snake, scared a baby Salt Water Crocodile, nuzzled a Cockatiel and stroked a Bearded Dragon, a couple of wallabies and kangaroos and a dingo. We watched them feeding the captive Salt Water Crocodiles, which are brought there because they are causing problems in the wild, and are bred for their meat and their skin. The captive crocodiles can't be killed, because they are classed as wild still, but their offspring, bred in captivity, can be taken to an abbatoir and slaughtered like cows would be, but for a lot more money. Breeding them like this reduces the potential for poaching by cornering the market, and keeps both Salties and the poachers safer.

The dingos there were also bred in captivity, but they're still not domesticated. They're just not dangerous, unless you take your eye off them.

From Innisfail we went straight down to Mission Beach, which is a bit of a dump from what we saw, and then over the Camber Range, out of the Wet Tropics and into the Dry Tropics (where it was still raining). We left the rainforest and the banana plantations behind us and carried on into more sugar cane to Townsville and onto the ferry across to Magnetic Island. Caught the bus out to X Base Backpackers, which is right on the beach, checked in, dropped my stuff and got dolled up for ladies night, where I got free champagne and fruit punch. Heading back to my room to go to bed at about half 9, I met a possum, which was pretty much tame and still bit me. Silly possum. (It didn't hurt, except my feelings.)

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Comments

Tropics

[(Anonymous)]

More rain hey? Well it is the tropics...at least you are just getting on with it. Bit like the UK - have to do things regardless of the weather.

So how is/was Magnetic Island? Ladies night would've been fun.

Take care and keep smiling.

Cheers, Ruthy. Torchwood Aust.

[bk_forever]

Wow! More native wildlife to admire! Sounds like you're getting to see everything, what a fantastic trip =)