Far North Queensland Tales - Crocs, coconuts, boats, and bears.
Last May we were on our yearly trip to Port Douglas, well, when I say
yearly, I went there last year, and since we went again that qualifies as an
annual event. I guess?
Anyway, on this visit the wife and I decided to take a river cruise to
see if we could scope some infamous North end crocodiles. Fun fact: It has been estimated that worldwide about 1,000 people
are killed by crocodilians each year,
Australia has a large population of crocodiles, but the research has
shown, there are only an average of less than two attacks a year. Coincidently while we were there, the local newspaper’s front
page headline revealed human remains were found
inside two crocodiles and was believed to be those of a missing fisherman. So technically, our chances of not
becoming reptilian munchies had vastly improved.
We took off from Port Douglas Marina under a noonday sun and a strong
breeze that had finally sprung up to take the bite out of the humidity.
The boat took us down Packers Creek an estuary that doubles as a parking area for passing yachts, it is also the designated area for all small and larger sea vessels during a cyclone. It is said when that does happen the whole waterway can turn into a game of tetras. This time of year, cyclones aren’t much of a problem and many yachts come here not just to moor but to hang out for months at a time. It’s kind of like a homeless shelter for yachts. Considering some of these crafts can cost over $50,000 it’s quite a shock to see them looking like something from the streets of Los Angeles. Apparently, they are also illegally overstaying, but since the water police don’t come here often, they just hang around until they want to leave. It was in stark contrast to the multimillion-dollar super yachts all lined up and sparkling in the sun in the Marina proper.
Along the banks are signs warning visitors of the dangers of crocodiles
in the area, but on all signs just below the big red warning is a
dark ACHTUNG! The reason
was - so our captain told us- that it was due to 40% of those involved in croc attacks being German tourists, and
the local authorities thought they better take some kind of action to lower
that number. He also recalled how recently another tourist with a broad accent
stuck his head in the cabin and said: ” It’s the same back home in Canada, of all bear attacks, 45% of them are also
German tourists”
Something to ponder.
Crocodiles were thin in the water this trip as it was perfect weather for them not to sun themselves on the mud flats. But luck was on our side when our eagle-eyed guide saw a three metre specimen resting on the bank a hundred metres or so up the waterway. He cut the engines and we drifted up and got nice and close, and we got lots of photos.
On our return trip about fifteen minutes later he was gone. I made a mental note not to dangle my hands or feet in the water. I do have to stress however as we moved down the river, the grey of the mud flats, the bright green of the mangroves, and the brilliant blue sky made the tropics experience complete. All I needed now was a winged-backed cane chair and a daiquiri.
Before we knew it, we were back at the marina and as we disembarked the
captain asked what we were doing for the rest of the day. I said we were going
for a walk down on the beach, it’s so peaceful with all the palm trees lining
the sand. He told us to be careful because the wind was picking up, and that
can be a concern as falling coconuts take out more people than Sharks and Crocs
combined. I assured him we would. As I left, I couldn’t help but start
thinking. What percentage of those knocked on the head by coconuts were German
tourists?
originally in the BBCN issue 326 Oct 2023
