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On November 14, 2012 (Cairns time) a solar eclipse will be visible in Northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. Very few people have the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse as the shadow only covers a very small area of the Earth and you must be in a limited zone to see the moon cover the entire face of the sun.

Seeing a total eclipse is perhaps one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomenons that you will ever see. Being in the right spot is essential on November 14, 2012.

Port Douglas will be the best viewing for the 2012 Solar Eclipse.

Sun Palm Transport are taking all bookings for airport transfers, luxury sedans, stretch limousines and private transfers.

Make sure you make your booking soon to secure your transport.

This past week, has seen a lot of cassowaries around especially with new chicks.  These cassowaries have been seen regularly.  Also there are crocodiles been active on the river as it is coming into there breeding season.

Sun Palm Transport welcomes a new addition to our luxury fleet.  A 53 Seater Coach featuring the latest in safety, technology & engineering. Fully air conditioned, lush leather seats, seatbelts, DVD and CD player.

Arriving at the airport or your accommodation has never been as easy and reliable as it is with Sun Palm Transport, your corporate and conference bus charter experts. Sun Palm Transport will provide your group or organisation with a coach charter service that is professional, uniformed and qualified drivers.

At Sun Palm transport, we also believe that having someone there to meet you upon your arrival is equally important. Sun Palm Transport Group is the only licensed transport operator authorized at Cairns international and Domestic Airport. With a strong emphasis on customer service Sun Palm Transport Group provides 24 hour, 7 days a week, meet and greet service at Cairns Airport (including delayed flights).

So whether its a general airport transfer, stretch limousines, luxury sedan or a luxury coach transfer for your VIP Guests, Incentive Programs, Weddings, Tour Groups, Events - We'll take you there.

Even though Cairns and surrounding areas have received some heavy rain, it is nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year which is coming up to the start of the wet season.  Yesterday on our Daintree Cape Tribulation tour we had a few showers then it cleared as we got up into the Cape Tribulation area, despite being the wettest place in Australia with an average rainfall of 5 - 6 meters.  On the river cruise we saw 4 crocodiles out and about foraging for their breakfast, a few green tree snakes and a Great Billed Heron which is a usually very shy rare bird to see on the river, alot of the trees are in fruit, so this is providing ample food for the many different species of birds and wildlife.

On our board walk at Jindalba we saw a female cassowary and also spotted the Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfisher which is a rare migratory bird from Papua New Guinea.  These amazing birds wait for the start of the wet to then start their migration to this area to nest and rare their young before heading back to New Guinea on their epic journey.  So don't let a little bit of rain bother you come and see the amazing wildlife and all the waterfalls that are running.  Billy Tea Safaris also have high clearance 4WD vehicles to allow us to get to these areas despite the weather.  The forecast is the weather is clearing by Friday.

This male cassowary was out and about foraging for food, and we were lucky enough to see it yesterday. There have been several sighting in the past few weeks.

The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius Casuarius) is the largest flightless bird in Australia and is on the endangered list, as numbers have depleted dramatically in the past 10 years through Natural Diasters and Ferral animals.  The male also takes on the role of raising the chicks, once the female has laid the clutch of eggs, the female leaves and has nothing todo with the eggs or chicks once they are hatch.  The male will sit on the eggs for a period of 47 - 54 days before they hatch, he will then care for the chicks until they are about 2 years of age before leaving them to fend for themselves.

This past week as the temperature warms up the Crocodiles on the Daintree River are becoming more active in searching for a mate as it is coming up to their breeding season, and regular sightings of many crocodiles both large and small have been seen.

Our passengers have been treated to a regular sighting of a large male cassowary with two chicks, this is a spectacular sight.

Want to know more than take a look at the latest You Tube Video.

We are delighted to announce that the Tablelands branch of Hire For Baby will open on Monday!  Juanita Hunter (nee Paronella) is a born and bred Tablelander and is looking forward to assisting with all your baby equipment requirements!

Phone 4091 1047 or email  tablelands@hireforbaby.com

We are delighted to announce that the Tablelands branch of HIRE FOR BABY will open on 1st August 2011.

This is a fantastic opportunity for people living in or visiting Atherton, Mareeba and the surrounding areas to take advantage of HIRE FOR BABY's fantastic products, fantastic prices and fantastic reputation! 

Contact cairns@hireforbaby.com for more information!

20th June 2011

It's always worth repeating that 4x4 travellers can cross over the Bloomfield River. Work continues, of course, but it is proceeding well, and there have been absolutely minimal delays to traffic.

The concrete slab decking has been fully installed. Drilling to anchor the 1 metre blocks has been in progress for over a week now. Importantly, the drillers' work still allows plenty of room for vehicles to pass safely.

The Track from Cape Trib to Wujal Wujal, however, is still pretty awful with small boulders at Collins and Thompsons Creeks slowing down 4x4 travellers to a crawl. Just keep gritting your mouthgards, book the physio and hope that Cairns Regional Council is able to start maintenance work soon.

Cairns Council informs us that the CREB Track is also now open, so this provides a serious 4X4 option for people travelling from Daintree village.

At the top end of the Track, the Cook Shire has gone all out to make sure the road between Cooktown and Wujal Wujal is presentable to traffic, and it was in pretty good condition last weekend. They are also working hard on the road out to Archer Point, so it is becoming less harsh on tyres!

This week's happy travellers along the Track are Russell and Roseanne Wolfe from Christchurch.

Russell pointed out " the scenery is reminiscent of the West Coast of the South Island, which we love, but the green, lush growth along the Bloomfield Track, and the leafy tunnel-like avenues are breathtaking.

"Then the contrast and diversity as you get up towards Cooktown is brilliant. Suddenly, you're travelling on red, dusty roads among eucalyptus trees.

"The Black Mountain is awesome. It looks like a big coal dump left over as a legacy from the Maggie Thatcher era in the UK".

Well, I hope that Maggie isn't offended by the comparison! We certainly aren't, Russell. But then again, the Iron Lady always gave her opponents that big crocodile smile!

Around here, winter also brings out the best in our local crocs, as they look for sunny river banks and even rocks to warm themselves...and smile.

The Bloomfield River is undoubtedly the best spot in the whole region for the passing motorist to see crocs in their natural state. There are at least three vantage points, including;

• On the sandy bank at low tide at the river lookout on the Bloomfield Track from Cape Trib
• From the embankments or the Boat ramp on the Bloomfield River drive from Wujal Wujal towards Ayton
• Lying on a warming rock on the other side of the river about 60 metres down from the Wujal Wujal waterfall, during the day or even late in the afternoon - rocks keep their heat for a long time!

So, take your cameras, but don't even think about swimming in the Bloomfield River.

Always plan your travel with a tide chart. This weekend and the next week will see low tides in the middle of the day, which will give great colourful scenery and beach access.

Communities on both sides of Cooper Creek - north of the Daintree River - will join together in celebration as Cairns Regional Council officially open a long-awaited new crossing.
The $2 million crossing, completed in February, will minimise flood events at what has been a treacherous creek crossing point - often accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles.
"This is very good news for residents and businesses that have been forced to deal with extended closures during the wet season," Mayor Val Schier said.

 "I've had people telling me they're going to dance with me on the bridge when it's finished. I think it's going to be quite a party this weekend."

The new crossing has triggered memories among locals, with a Facebook page - "Cooper Creek Chronicals" - having been established to share photos and stories of stranded vehicles, helicopter supply drops and unexpected guests, as residents took in visitors who had been caught out by the rising creek.

"While some people are seeing this as the end of an era, this new structure opens up the road to all vehicles, inviting more people to visit the area," Division 10 Councillor Julia Leu said.

"The causeway has been a deterrent for many visitors in the past and it has been difficult for people to hire cars to come up to the Daintree.

"We now have safe, year-round access to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation and that really is a reason to celebrate."

A community celebration will be held at the causeway (about 16km north of the Daintree River ferry crossing) this Saturday, May 14, from 5pm. All residents, businesspeople and users of the road are invited to attend.

Included will be a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, a tug-o-war between residents north and south of the crossing and a cavalcade of Smart Cars, decorated bicycles, rollerskates and billycarts.

"All children are invited to participate in the cavalcade and there will be a prize for the best decorated bicycle, rollerskates or billycart," Cr Schier said.

A group photo will be taken on the crossing to capture this historic event.

Refreshments will follow at Lync-Haven Rainforest Retreat.

Construction on the causeway started in May 2010 and is one of three recently-completed river crossing upgrades worth $4.3 million.

8 April 2011

Free ferry trips across the Daintree River will be offered during the Easter holidays, encouraging locals to take advantage of the attractions that exist right on their doorstep.

Thanks to Cairns Regional Council, the ferry service will waive all crossing fees for the duration of the holidays, as part of an economic stimulus package to get local tourism moving.

Council has recently completed significant works to improve access north of the Daintree, including upgrades to the Cooper Creek and Mason Creek river crossings – both designed to cope with a one-in-five-year rain event – and Melelee Bridge.

In addition, a $360,000 upgrade was last year carried out on The Switchback area on the Bloomfield end of the Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Road. This work included laying reinforced concrete to assist with traction and to quickly disperse rainfall run-off.

“This is an opportunity for Cairns residents to get out and explore their own backyard,” Mayor Val Schier said.

 “Council has put a lot of work into improvements north of the river and we would love for people to see first hand what we’ve done to make the experience more enjoyable.

“We live in one of the most spectacular regions in the world – why not load the family into the car and see our stunning rainforests, beaches and attractions?

“We also hope tourists will take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy what the northern parts of our region have to offer.”

Division 10 Councillor Julia Leu, who welcomed the good news, said she hoped people would visit the Daintree and think about what they would like to see next time.

“I’m pleased that Council has agreed with this request,” Cr Leu said.

“We are currently in the process of developing a Daintree Gateway Master Plan and we are looking for public input.

“This is the perfect opportunity to visit this truly amazing part of our region, which contains world heritage-listed rainforest, and have some input into its future.”

The free ferry service will run from 6am on Saturday, April 16, to midnight on Monday, May 2. Tickets will still need to be obtained from the ticket booth.

Existing concession card holders will have access to a priority lane to avoid delays.

Billy Tea Safaris Cape Tribulation one day tour ventures up to Emmagen Creek daily, which is 14km up the 4WD Bloomfield Track. 

Guests enjoy a swimming in the beautiful pristine crystal clear waters of Emmagen Creek, in the Heart of World Heritage Rainforest. This is a secret jewel in the rainforest that even most locals don't know about. While there, enjoy a demonstration of boiling traditional Billy Tea, washed down with home cooked Australian damper, and locally grown exotic tropical fruits. A real Aussie Experience. 

It is not uncommon to see Cassowaries and Boyd's Forest Dragon throughout the day as well as the popular Salt Water Crocodiles on the Daintree River Cruise. 

I am really pleased to announce that the finishing touches are now being applied to the first lane of the Cooper Creek Causeway on Cape Tribulation Road. This causeway has long been a trouble spot on the road, often flooding after moderate rainfall. The opening on the first lane of the new high level causeway will all but eliminate flooding on the road. The new Cooper Creek Causeway has been designed to Q5, meaning it should be good for all but a once in five year event.

Mason Creek causeway is also now high level, giving all weather access to Cape Tribulation.

Hi Everyone,

Trek North Safaris is delighted to let you know that Daintree River Salt Water crocodile sightings are a big highlight of our fantastic tour at this time of the year. The cooler weather means these amazing cold blooded animals are regularly out of the water on the river banks in the warm sun. Our lucky passengers are getting close up looks at these huge and wonderful creatures in their natural habitat - no fences out there! Have your cameras ready!

Trek North Safaris has released its fantastic new brochure for 2010-2011. It is viewable and downloadable from our website or click http://www.treknorth.com.au/Trek%20Nth%20Kuranda%206PP%20A4.pdf for your very own copy!

Crocodile Express has just released it's new brochure for 2010. The brochure now features maps of all the free National Parks boardwalks. Brochures are currently being delivered to all hotels and tour desks or you can download a copy from the downloads section by following the following link....

http://www.daintreerainforest.com/listingDownloads.html?listingId=1046 

Elevation guides and maps for Mt. Sorrow and Devil's Thumb walks can also be picked up from Daintree Tourist Information Centre in the heart of Daintree Village.

Come on out to the Daintree and join our tree planting celebrations. Help Rainforest Rescue plant 1000 trees and create a rainforest. An activity suitable for all ages. Bring the family. Help restore the natural environment.

Where: At Lots 21 & 28 Ironbark Rd, Diwan (off Cape Tribulation Road)

When: Tuesday to Friday 22-26 February 2010

Time: 9.00am - 12 noon

Cost: FREE

The Daintree Rainforest is the most significant tropical rainforest in Australia and sustains a unique range of flora and fauna. over the past 100 years parts of the Daintree hve been cleared to create land for farms that are no longer in operation. Replanting these cleared areas with rainfroest trees provides important habitat for the endangered Cassowary and 100 other rare and threatened species found in the Daintree.

Rainforest Rescue is a not for profit organisation commited to protecting our rainforests forever. For further information, please visit rainforestrescue.org.au or phone 1300 763 611 or email info@rainforestrescue.org.au 

Mason's Cafe is closed for the 'Green Season', Boardwalk Cafe, Cassowary Cafe and Cafe on Sea are still operating. 

After crossing the Daintree Ferry you travel through lowland and tropical rainforest passing road junctions for Cape Kimberley and Cow Bay.

The Daintree River Ferry operates from 6am to midnight each day.

The Daintree Ferry will be operating from 7.30am - 10.30 am and 2.30pm - 5.30pm on Christmas Day 2009.