Farewell from Queensland

One last post from Queensland. Here we are in our "stinger suits" ready to snorkel.

Left: Stopping for a drink. We're back home now. For more Queensland pics, I've started a new blog and am progressively posting to it: Tropical North Queensland October 2008

Here's one for Jilly in Menton

Trinity Beach, just north of Cairns. There's no swimming on this part of the beach between November and May because that's "stinger season". The main two to worry about are the Box Jellyfish and the Irukandji Jellyfish.

The Box Jellyfish can administer a sting that inflicts searing pain and leaves prominent scares, and if severe enough can be fatal.

The Irukandji are much smaller than box jellyfish, and inhabit a large sea area that includes the Great Barrier Reef and beaches.

The sting is only moderately painful and scarring is minimal, but approximately 30 minutes after the sting the patient develops severe back and abdominal pain, limb or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, sweating and agitation. It too can be fatal.

Many of the popular beaches have "stinger nets" enclosures designed to keep them out and where swimming should be safe. When we snorkelled on the reef we wore lycra top to toe stinger suits. They even have coverings for your hands and head.

Many beaches in northern Queensland have bottles of vinegar on hand in order to provide first aid treatment. Here's what wikipedia says about vinegar treatment:

Following a sting, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30 seconds. Acetic acid, found in vinegar, disables the box jelly's nematocysts that have not yet discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the pain). Vinegar may also be applied to adherent tentacles, which should then be removed immediately; this should be done with the use of a towel or glove to avoid bringing the tentacles into further contact with the skin. These tentacles will still sting if separate from the bell, or if the creature is dead. Removing the tentacles without first applying vinegar may cause unfired nematocysts to come into contact with the skin and fire, resulting in a greater degree of envenomation. Vinegar has helped save dozens of lives on Australian beaches.

Kuku Yalanji bama - The Land of the Yalanji people

Above: Cameron, our Yalanji guide shows us the use of the Karrandal (Latin Alphitonia philippinensis; English - Soap Tree) - by crushing it a lather is produced. The soap also has antiseptic qualities. It smells of linament - nature's Dencorub!)

Before Captain Cook foundered on a reef off Cooktown, before the cane-growers and dairymen, and tourists arrived in the land from Mossman to Cooktown, there lived the Yalanji bama (Yalanji people), taking care of the land and having the land take care of them.

At Mossman Gorge you can take a guided walk through the rainforest with the traditional owners and custodians of this land. The wonderful Cameron taught and showed us things we never would have learned or seen otherwise. It was fabulous to have someone so enthusiastically share aspects of his traditional culture with us.

Below: Ochres mixed with water were used for body decoration. The dots represent raindrops, the stripes the rivers.

Finding Nemo

If you come to far north Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, it helps to bring big wads of cash, because so many of the activities are very expensive. It is also reasonably hard to sift through what's available and decide what's best for you. There is no official tourist information bureau north of Cairns to help get unbiased information, so you are at the mercy of word-of-mouth and the overtures of the commercial operators.

We chose a day trip on the Reef to the Low Islands. Many of the reef trips are for keen snorkellers and divers. Our group had one enthusiastic snorkeller (me), one non-snorkeller and one keen to gove it a go. The trip we chose turned out to be perfect for all of us.

And yes, we snorkellers saw all of the critters above, which are - top left "Nemo" - a clown anenome fish, top right - sea turtle, bottom left - giant clam, bottom right - Regl Angel Fish. My favourite was the angel fish - we saw some very large ones in a large group, all hungrily feeding amongst the coral. I also have to confess that I did NOT take these photos - they were available on a CD. I didn't have an underwater camera (but they can be hired at a pretty high cost).

Below: The coral island we visited.

Pool

Pool (that's the name of a resort), Port Douglas.

Forget swim-up bars, it's swim-up apartments now!

Warning! Achtung! There are Crocs!

At Cape Tribulation, I saw the warning, and then, on the beach, I saw the Crocs (true! I didn't put them there!)

A little bit of Sydney in Cairns

An old Manly ferry, brought to Cairns.

I'm currently sitting in the car on a headland/lookout in the middle of the Daintree rainforest north of Cairns updating this blog....there's very little signal anywhere else. So, I'm not responding or interacting with anyone at the moment! It's a bit disconcerting being without mobile, computer and anything else for so long at a time!

Spot the croc

The boys did a cruise along Trinity Inlet and a tour of Australia's largest crocodile farm. Mainly the crocs are farmed for their skins (they have contracts with companies like Louis Vuitton). They are fed chickens, and many of the crocs which are sold for meat end up on local restaurant plates, and as the classic saying goes "taste like chicken".

This is a croc along the bank of the inlet in its natural habitat, a saltwater estuarine, not from the farm.


Its mouth is open because that is how they keep cool, by expelling hot air.

I'm not in Sydney...

....but where am I?


I'm attending a conference in Cairns in tropical north Queensland. Cairns is the "gateway" to the Great Barrier Reef. It's situated on Trinity Bay, part of the Coral Sea. There's no beach to speak of, as the "beachfront" is a tidal mudflat - not what tourists are generally looking for! (though apparently it was orginally a sandy beach, but dredging the shipping channel covered the sand with mud. Cairns has traditionally been seen as a convenient base for trips into World Heritage Rainforest and the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef.

In recent times, the Esplanade area has been completely made over, and as well as boardwalks, kids' playgrounds, large swathes of grass and shade trees, barbecues, there is this massive free swimming lagoon, complete with sand beach. It covers 4 hecctares, and is open daily between 6am and 10pm, and patrolled by security guards outside those times to prevent damage.

The water in the lagoon is sea water, but cleaned and filtered every few hours. No marine 'stingers' can enter the water, so it's safe for swimming all year round (you don't go in coastal water in northern Qld between November and April unless wearing a "stinger suit" to protect against deadly jellyfish). And the beaches and estuaries are crocodile territory as well.

So far I've swum here both days we've been here.

For a whole heap of my pictures of the Cairns lagoon, click here.

Theme Day October 2008 - Lines

Children's climbing equipment in a local park

City Daily Photo Bloggers are participating in this Theme Day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

or, click on individual cities below:

Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Auckland, New Zealand by Baruch, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Eki Akhwan, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Bandung, Indonesia by Bunyamin, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Ilse, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by JSB, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Chateaubriant, France by trieulet, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edwardsville (IL), USA by Mdflores, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Franschhoek, South Africa by JSB, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Honningsvag, Norway by J., Hyde, UK by Gerald, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Islip (NY), USA by Bettye, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Karwar, India by Yogesh, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, La Antigua, Guatemala by Rudy, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Madrid, Spain by Tr3nta, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Hilda, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Manila, Philippines by Anthony, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Middletown (MD), USA by Bernie, Milton, New Zealand by Milton Daily Photo, Milwaukee (WI), USA by karl, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Scott, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Molfetta, Italy by saretta, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Muizenberg, South Africa by Pentaxjunkie, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New York City (NY), USA by Kitty, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Elsa, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pensacola (FL), USA by P J, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Philadelphia (PA), USA by Andrew Foderaro, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Sharon, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Prague, Czech Republic by kakna, Quezon City, Philippines by ann pablo, Quincy (MA), USA by slim, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Roanoke (VA), USA by Tanya, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by Burd Zel Krai, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Schenectady (NY), USA by Buck, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Eponabri, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Zannnie, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, South Pasadena (CA), USA by Laurie, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Telluride (CO), USA by mtsrool, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,