Cairns and Cape Tribulation

So, on April 9th, I packed my things and boarded the plane with mixed feelings. It took me and Nico to Cairns. Cairns is located in the northern part of the east coast and is known for snorkeling and diving tours at the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, we also wanted to do one of the many snorkeling tours. Originally, we wanted to go scuba diving. This involves a brief introduction to diving and being accompanied underwater by the diving instructor. However, due to the need for equalization of pressure, we were not allowed to fly 24 hours before or after, which was the case for us. So we had to limit ourselves to snorkeling. We thought we could simply book a tour for the next day on site. However, we didn't consider that it was Easter break and almost all tours were fully booked. Fortunately, we got lucky and managed to secure spots on the 'Reefquest' ship, which visited two reefs. However, the snorkeling experience was very disappointing! Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is already quite dead due to coral bleaching. So we saw more brown dead corals instead of the beautiful colorful ones we expected. We also didn't see any sea turtles, reef sharks, or clownfish, which were promised on board. By the time we arrived at the second reef and had spent 1.5 hours there, I didn't feel like getting into the water anymore. We decided to take a nap in the sun on the ship first and then go into the water for a short time. However, we almost overslept and wanted to quickly get in the water, but someone had already collected our snorkeling equipment, so we couldn't go in anymore. We probably didn't miss much there. Back on land, we picked up our rental car and set off for Cape Tribulation, which was about a 3-hour drive away. The drive there was really exciting, and I wasn't sure if we would make it to our destination in one piece. We had an absolute piece of junk car that looked like it was about to fall apart. We had to drive in the evening in the dark, which made me even more scared. The car's headlights hardly illuminated the road, and we could only see with the high beam on. Moreover, car rental companies advise against driving in the dark. The risk of having an accident with a kangaroo is very high. That's why many car rental companies don't cover animal accidents. Our car was also not insured. The drive became particularly interesting when we came across a river where there was only a ferry instead of a bridge. The width of the river was so small that the ferry took about 1 minute to cross from one bank to the other. I have no idea why they don't just build a bridge there. But of course, they can make good money with a ferry. We paid over 20 dollars for the round trip. Eventually, we arrived safely at our accommodation, 'Daintree Crocodylus', in the midst of the world's oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest. For the first time since I arrived in Australia, I was terrified of spiders. Right at the reception, I discovered a huge spider when we arrived, and from then on, fear of spiders was my constant companion. The property had cottages with two rooms each scattered around. The shared bathroom was a little distance away from each cottage. In the dark, I would run like crazy with my head down to the bathroom and back to the cottage to avoid a spider lowering onto me ;-D. Apart from the spiders, the accommodation was really quaint, cozy, and something completely different. If you're looking to get away from civilization and city life and just want to relax (and without internet access), this is the perfect place. In Cape Tribulation, there isn't much to do in general. The place is mainly rainforest and beach. However, you must not go into the sea here, as there are saltwater crocodiles. Nevertheless, you can take a nice walk along the beach. The sea is framed by the beach and the rainforest, which is a truly beautiful backdrop. We also visited a river, which was also beautiful. We could have gone swimming there, but the water was too cold for us. In the Ice Factory in the middle of the rainforest, we treated ourselves to homemade ice cream. The ice cream is made there according to tradition by an old lady who also happily waves from her small ice factory as you pass by. There is also a vanilla ice cream made from vanilla pods directly from the Daintree Rainforest. Allegedly, the vanilla pods from this rainforest have the most intense flavor. And we can confirm that.