SURPRISE!!

During our visit to Daintree National Park (in far north Queensland, Australia), we stayed at a great little B&B called Epiphyte.  Having learned from our host that the best time to walk the nearby Jindalba Boardwalk was at night, we set off at around 9:30 pm.  The boardwalk meanders through the rainforest along its path built into the hillside over several creeks.  The moon provided a little light, but flashlights were very necessary, as the boardwalk maintains the environment the way the critters like it: unlit.  There wasn’t another soul around.  We were still on a quest to spot a cassowary, but we’d certainly also settle for an echidna, platypus or bandicoot! We tried to be quiet, stopping for a half-an-hour at a time and waiting for a flash of eyes or a rustle of leaves. We heard plenty of rainforest noises, but the only life we spotted was some sort of a fan-tailed dragon (Pretty cool little guy, actually).   It was eerie out there in the darkness, and, in the end, we shook off the damp and returned to the B&B around midnight.

It was silent in the house, as we were the only guests at the time. (It was low season.)  Trying not to wake the host, we crept into the kitchen to brew up a warming cup of tea.  Taking out the mugs near the sink (on the far side of the stove in the photo above) I took little notice of the bright green kitchen brush-stand. . .until it came to life and hopped over the stove, coming to rest just where you see it in the photo.  SURPRISE!  We had a laugh when the initial shock wore off. Apparently in the Daintree you don’t need to traipse around the rainforest to spot wildlife. Just head to the kitchen at midnight for a cup of tea.

Be sure to see our original post about our visit to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation in Australia.