Into The Rainforest

Arriving at a new destination is always exciting, but especially so for helpx stays, as although you can get some idea from reading the host's profile, you never really know what to expect or even where you're going. This time round, I knew I was going to stay somewhere in or close to the rainforest, but that was about it.

On Friday morning I awoke excited for my first foray into the rainforest and boarded a bus in Cairns that took me 27km to the small town of Kuranda, where I was met by my new host. I didn't know where I was going from here, unsure whether they lived in the town or not. As it turned out, we drove for around twenty minutes, then took a left off the bitumen road onto a track that led into the trees. A minute or two later we arrived at the house. It was amazing! Nestled right in the heart of the rainforest, I could see nothing but trees in every direction.  Most brilliant of all was the kitchen - I walked in to find that it opened straight out into the rainforest and looking out the window for the first time I saw a black tree snake slither by. That night, when I entered the bathroom  to brush my teeth, I was greeted by a large spider and a strange white lizard just chilling on the wall.

My hosts are an 80 year old British couple who emigrated in 1971 after deciding that England was "just too crowded". Before settling down in Northern Queensland they spent time living in Kenya, Turkey, and New Zealand, and have travelled all over the world, including to Antarctica, so it has been fascinating talking with them. My jobs have all been in the beautiful gardening, mostly lawn mowing and weeding. Today is the last of my four days here and living a relaxed, slow paced life amongst the creatures, sounds, and rich greenery of the rainforest has been simply wonderful.

On Saturday, after completing my tasks in the garden, I set off for a walk in a nearby national park. I hoped to get good and lost in the rainforest, well not actually lost, but I wanted to really immerse myself in the jungle. Therefore I quickly decided to abandoned my planned route as it was going to be way too short and instead headed for a place named Glacier Rock. It was labelled as a viewpoint on the map I had photographed, yet I had no idea what I would be able to see from there, given the impenetrability of the forest. You may not think of walking as exhilarating, but this quest certainly was, as I never knew what was going to be around the next corner: a fallen tree I would have to step over or duck under, a creek I would have to cross, a prickly hanging plant that would pierce holes in my shirt or pinch the hat off my head, or even a snake - at one point I had to pump the breaks as a thin, black, deadly (?), snake lay across my path, then upon hearing my footsteps it darted to the side and creeped off into the bush. Powerwalking through thick rainforest, covered in sweat and completely alone, I didn't  feel like a hiker, a tourist, a backpacker...I felt like an explorer.

After 90 minutes of high octane  walking I made the final ascent to Glacier Rock, still in dense vegetation. What would be at the top? The answer, was a mesmerising view that stretched out to the sea, Cairns, and the mountains beyond. It was another one of those places that was so much more special because of the nature of my journey there. Panting and sweating, I felt like the first person to discover the spot, despite the presence of a wooden "Glacier Rock" sign. On the way back to civilization my legs reached a point of 'maximum bitten' where the skin between my socks and shorts couldn't have been bitten anymore, simply because there was no more space. I didn't see a single other person for the duration of my 8km trek through the rainforest.

View from the kitchen.