A dream of a tour: Daintree Dreaming

By Bobbi Lee Hitchon // 12 May 2010 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories: aboriginal, adventure, cairns, daintree, Food, photography, rainforest, Review, Things to do, tour, walks, wild life

The best tours are ones that don't make people feel like tourists. Tours that lead people to local hangouts and places without plaques or pamphlets. These tours may include a bit of work, but guarantee a reward, which is better if it's food-based.

Adventure North Australia's Daintree Dreaming Tour in North Queensland is one of those rare tours. From fishing with the Aborigines in the morning to cooling off at the private Niau Falls in the afternoon, just about everything on the tour agenda will leave guests feeling like they really experienced something special about Australian culture.

The tour invites people to not just listen and look, but take part in different events. This isn't a tour for those afraid to get dirty, so get ready to walk through mud, climb over rocks and slap away mosquitos, because this is the real North Queensland.

My Daintree Dreaming eight-person tour departed from Calypso Inn Backpackers Resort in Cairns at 7:45 a.m. and traveled about 90 minutes to Cooya Beach, which is just north of Port Douglas. Roger, the Adventure North Australia guide leading my tour, pointed out beaches and talked about farming and culture in the area along the way.

At our first stop we met up with Brandon, one of the Kubirri Warra brothers of Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours, at his house across the street from Cooya Beach. Kuku Yalanji is the Aboriginal group around that area. Brandon, a hunter from Kuku Yalanji, told us about his culture and traditions. His Aboriginal name is Bujiburray, which means 'lazy man.'
12/5/2010-Brandon of Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours leads a hunting trip in Cooya Beach. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Not the name one would want for the person in charge of providing everyone else with food, but Brandon is extremely experienced and knowledgeable about his trade and the area.

He greeted the tour with spears he made out of bamboo sticks, nails and tar. We walked through mangroves to the beach, stopping along the way as Brandon pointed out different trees, flowers and nuts. At the beach Brandon gave us a quick lesson in spearing, then we entered the ocean with hungry eyes and high hopes.

Within the first five minutes three people in the tour group had speared three mud crabs. I guess those three crustaceans sent warning to the rest of the crab community before their capture, because I don't think anyone in the group even saw one after that.

We hunted on the beach for about 30 minutes. Every crab I thought I spotted turned out to be a tree leaf. But we all had more luck in the mangroves.

This muddy area is covered in trees with exposed and large roots. It's a great view and a fun walk. Walking through, the ground sunk more and more with each step I took. The smell in the area matched the look of the mud below. But none of that mattered to me cause I really wanted to fetch some food for the group.

Brandon showed us where and how to find mangrove mussels. Mussels are usually by mangrove tree roots and can be felt when stepping in the mud near them. Once you feel a curved shell beneath your foot, start digging. They're not hard to find and between the group, we left the mangrove with a large bucket of grub.
12/5/2010-Two members of the Daintree Dreaming tour hunt crabs at Cooya Beach. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

On the way back Brandon pointed out more edible, non-edible and medicinal plants. He gave me some wild passion fruit to try the seeds. Then he told us to pick up a few coconuts with water in them and he would show us how to husk them.

When we got to the house, his brother Linc started cooking our bounty and Brandon showed us a few remnants of things he had caught in the past, like the shell of a massive green turtle.

Once the food was ready, my group fell silent (and mannerless apparently) as we dug into the bowl of shells and crustaceans only stopping to squeeze lime and homemade chili sauce over the meat. Brandon cut up some fresh coconut for us all and Linc let us tryout the didjereedoo.

Yes. This was a tour.

The brothers were welcoming and kind. They didn't just meet us somewhere and regurgitate information. They invited us to their homes, sat with us on their porch and shared a piece of their lives.

I felt almost sad to leave them, but we had a tentative schedule and were running a little behind.

Next we headed to Daintree River Cruise Centre where we went on a one-hour, tropical rainforest boat-cruise. I was pretty tired from hunting that morning, so it was nice to go on a relaxing and scenic tour of the river. We saw a few snakes, birds and small crocodiles. But other than that, I thought the cruise wasn't a worthy stop and found the guide onboard to be a bit rude in his response to people's questions.

After the boat tour, Roger set up lunch for us, which included chicken legs, ham, salad, potato salad, watermelon and oranges. It was another fantastic tour lunch, which seems to be a recurring theme in all my day tours in Australia.
12/5/2010-Roger, of Adventure North Australia, holds a cassowary plum during a tour of the Wet Tropics Rainforest in Daintree, QLD. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Our final stop was a walk through the Wet Tropics Rainforest to Niau Falls. The driving route there included great views of the Daintree country-side and various waterways. This is a part of the Rainforest not everyone gets to see as it is privately owned.

Roger pointed out different trees and plants, like wait a whiles and king ferns, on our way to Niau Falls. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share. The walk was fairly easy and definitely rewarding as the Falls are breathtaking. We spent about 20 minutes just watching it gush.

Overall the Daintree Dreaming tour was by far the best tour I've been on in Australia and one of the best of all my travels. Hunting with Brandon showed me a natural side of Aboriginal culture and is an experience I plan to brag to my friends about. Having been on a few rainforest tours at this point, I thought this one was educational and relaxing.

People traveling to Australia should not leave without learning about its native people and resources. This trip allows visitors to not just learn about it, but experience it through exciting activities.

12/5/2010-A member of the Daintree Dreaming tour cools off under Niau Falls, the last stop of the day. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Daintree Dreaming
with Adventure North Australia
Tour departs Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Adults, $A189 and children (4-14), $A159 (all-inclusive)
http://www.adventurenorthaustralia.com
(07) 4040 7500

Wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty. Bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellant a towel and swimmers.