Daintree Rainforest

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.”

- Lord Byron

I spent a week in Cairns one afternoon. To borrow a line from What’s Rangoon to you is Grafton to me.   I woke up in Carnarvon Gorge about twenty five years ago.  It had been a strange day the previous day. Was my birthday and I had spent the day sitting in a waterhole escaping the heat.  A large boar walked through camp followed an hour later by a couple of dogs and a man with a gun.

He was part of the national park team removing the pigs.  But nether the less I found it highly disturbing.  When I woke up the next day I had this incredible urge to go to Cairns.   

So I got up and packed up camp.  Walked 15 kms back to the car, and had another camp to pack up.  Then start driving.  Two full days of driving later I was there.  I had no idea how far it was going to be.   

Over that week, I wandered and photographed.  Came away with five or six nice photographs.  That was using film and large format.  A fruitful trip.  Yet one I wish to revisit soon, but in winter or in the wet season.  Visit Ron and Judy, and really explore Daintree.

I must dive into the Carnarvon Gorge transparencies.  See what’s there.  Do you know I have a fridge full of exposed 4 x 5 inch film still to be processed.  

Canarvon Gorge needs a revisit too.  I can see a road trip in Queensland in my future.

Cyan and I are near Narooma now.  Wandering slowly. Reading lots.  Enjoying each day.   

Ferns at Daintree Rainforest, near Cairns.  Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2019