Elusive Cassowary




Feral Piglets by the boardwalk!

We drove north to Daintree Rainforest.  Here we could take walks along the beach, through mangrove swamps and through rainforests. The walkways are on elevated paths. 

I was happy we were on these elevated board walks when we came across a group of baby feral pigs. I was worried that the mother was close by!

 

We were told that we would be lucky to see a Cassowary. Well Alan and I pulled up at one of the Discovery Tour parks and thought about going in when a Cassowary came out of the rainforest about ten feet from me.  Alan spotted it first and I turned to watch it cross the road and walk along the trees!

After it disappeared we went into the park building to check it out.  We mentioned

our sighting and they all left the building in hopes to see it!  They didn't!  We decided not to pay $32 dollars each in hopes of seeing a Cassowary in their private park.  On we went, drove out the lane when the Cassowary appeared again. This time Alan took a video! What luck!

This is a female Cassowary, standing about 3 1/2 feet tall.  A male is much bigger.  The chicks are striped black and white.  The male looks after hatching and raising the chicks.  Apparently they can be quite aggressive while looking after their brood.

Heading north to Cape Tribulation we came across another Cassowary. Then we were beginning to think they were not so elusive.  However, everyone we spoke to that day had never seen one!  Grant, back at our suit, told us we were very luck as many locals had never seen one.




Crab art!

The beaches were covered in beautiful patterns made by the crabs.  It reminds me of the aboriginal artwork. They were tiny balls of sand with a little hole, near the edge of the shore.  As you walked away from the water the holes were bigger and balls of sand were also bigger. I loved the patterns, but it was so hot on the beach, we just had a short stroll.