We spend our last day abroad renting a car and heading up the coastline to Port Douglas from Scuba Capital - Cairns! Our mission: AMATEUR CROCODILE HUNTING. Meat pies. murky water. gorgeous coast. tropical mountains. Although we don't find any saltwater crocs, we have a tremendous day out in the wilderness during the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. What a time to be alive!
About Us A Texan and Marylander join forces in travel and exploration to form: PEREGRINATION TRAVEL! We are Zach and Leah, a couple most recently residing in Texas who decided to quit everything and go on an adventure around the world. Our goal is to reach all 7 continents. That's right. ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS. Join us on this crazy adventure, and hopefully, you'll be inspired to start your own unique journey! Go peregrinate!
I'm ready to see a croc, mate.
What's up, P-Nation? Today we're in Cairns, Australia, and we are in Queensland.
It's beautiful outside. This laid-back lifestyle is really, like,
getting to us because we woke up two hours late to go on our trip to
Fort Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest.
It's going to be awesome. We're going to try and see some crocs,
maybe see some platypuses. I think she might eat some crocodile today.
I don't even know what's going to happen. There's just so many things that are possible.
Let's get on the road.
And we made it to the side of the road, and we're looking at mangroves,
and it's just crazy to think that crocodiles are all out here.
And just like that, an hour later, we have made it to Fort Douglas.
This town is beautiful. The drive here was amazing. There's so much wildlife.
I want to show you guys on the way back. There's, like, ant hills.
I think I saw a crocodile, which, by the way,
crocodiles and alligators are two different things.
Crocodiles are seawater. Alligators are freshwater.
Now we're here at Mucca's Pie Shop, and we're going to try some either crocodile or kangaroo.
Okay, so just to give you a little bit of backstory,
we have tried meat pies before, and we're pretty much a big fan
because usually they're, like, kind of like a regular, like,
steak and onion or steak and mashed potato with peas on top type of deal.
And it's just, like, really good comfort food.
So this place is pretty famous here in Fort Douglas,
and we got a mini crocodile pie.
And I have had crocodile before, and I'm pretty sure, like,
from what I can remember, it tasted like chicken.
So let us try this.
It's so cute and tiny. I'm very excited.
It smells like a chicken pot pie.
Honestly, it tastes just like chicken pot pie.
Crocodile kind of tastes like chicken.
Just kind of, like, takes on whatever flavors are around.
Not bad. It's pretty tender.
And honestly, it just tastes a lot like carrots and onions and broth.
It tastes really, really good.
So I'll tell ya, I'm a big fan.
I do love the meat pie.
It's like a pot roast and a pie crust.
It's like a quiche and a pot roast together.
It's delicious.
And I have discovered that I really like pea vinaigrette on top, too.
They don't have that option here.
But it's really good. It's like a full meal in a little pie.
It's adorable and tasty.
Okay, we've never used one of these self-cleaning toilets before.
Do you press the button?
Nope, no button.
Do you pull the lever?
Cronk.
Nope, no lever.
Here we go.
Cool.
My turn.
She's gone.
There was elevator music.
This whole thing is censored.
But I don't...
Oh, there's water.
There's soap.
Nope.
Soap.
No soap.
Water.
Soap.
Okay, never mind.
No soap.
That was an experience.
Thanks for hanging out with us.
Best public bathroom experience I think we've ever had.
Port Douglas is so nice.
Ugh, I've only been here for like 15 minutes, but I already want to move to Port Douglas.
And Port Douglas started as a fishing community,
and it still has a lot of boats that are docked right over there.
There's a couple parasailing guides, and also people glide here.
It's a big spot for gliding.
I don't know why, because you're above the ocean filled with sharks and crocodiles
and jellyfish that could kill you.
But it sounds fun, so maybe that's why.
That sounds awful.
As we were saying before, there's crocodile, sharks, and jellyfish in here.
There's actually a jellyfish called the box jellyfish that the sting can kill 300 sheep,
and of course the human.
Basically what we learned in New Zealand is that everything in Australia is trying to kill you.
They have snakes, and crocodiles, and even sometimes kangaroos are known to punch you in the face.
So everything's just like out to kill you.
So when we go into the jungle, we're like kind of nervous,
because we have no idea what to expect.
When you swim in Australia, you even have to swim with a jellyfish net up most of the season,
because the jellyfish are trying to sting you all the time.
And these mountains you're looking at are the Daintree Rainforest Mountains,
and they are breathtaking.
Pulled over to have a snack, and I just want to tell you guys,
me and Leah are completely different, because this is what I'm addicted to in Australia.
Chocolate hot cross buns from Kohl's are just, I can't stop eating them.
But she always gets juice.
Like how different?
Because I'm bougie now.
I don't know.
He's, we probably bought 10 packages easily over the past four weeks.
It's so big.
Yep.
So big.
Hot cross buns, we never had them until we came to New Zealand and Australia.
But the chocolate ones, oh my gosh.
And it's crazy.
We've just been driving through sugarcane fields with sugarcane that's like two, three meters high.
It's like nine feet high.
That is crazy.
And these train tracks right here are still used.
They put sugarcane in a little carriage, and then they put on these train tracks.
The train tracks go all the way through Port Douglas to the port.
That's just crazy that they still use this technology,
and that they're still growing sugarcane.
Oh no, it's closed.
We didn't even know.
Because of the coronavirus, they decided to close the gorge.
Oh well, it's been a beautiful drive up this way.
I don't regret driving here.
It's gorgeous.
I had no idea there was like tropical mountains on the northern side of Australia.
That was brand new to me.
So the Daintree Rainforest is well known for its saltwater crocodiles.
And we're not technically going into the Daintree Rainforest today
because you have to like cross over this river,
and there's a ferry you have to take, and it costs a lot.
And so we were just like not going through all that today.
Plus we're leaving tomorrow.
Anyway, but every time we go across like a like a little pond or very murky looking water,
I'm always like,
Zap! Crocodiles!
Where are they?
And we found our friends the bats.
They're hanging out, fluffing themselves, getting ready for tonight,
even though it's only 2 p.m.
I don't even know if they really sleep because...
Oh, he's moving branches.
Oh my gosh, what in the...
Yeah, I don't know if they really sleep because they're always awake.
I'm wondering if a snake's gonna fall out of a tree,
or if we're actually gonna see a croc,
or we're in swamplands now.
We pulled off the side of the road.
I'm ready to see a croc!
What are y'all doing?
Don't you know you're gonna get eaten?
So no crocodiles were seen today,
but we did eat some crocodile, which was a first,
because technically I think I've actually eaten an alligator,
which is much different than a crocodile,
but it tastes the same.
It tastes the same.
We're getting bit by mosquitoes.
We're gonna leave the swamp and on to the beach.
Big little sand balls.
They're like little Dippin' Dots, but made of sand.
Today was amazing.
We didn't find any alligators, so we did eat some.
Crocodiles, you mean.
Crocodiles have the teeth on the outside,
so that's what you can tell.
And they can swim in salt water too.
Up to 50 kilometers out into the sea.
So where we were scuba diving, they could have totally been there.
Yeah, we did ask the captain of our ship,
would it be possible to see one out here,
and he was like, I guess it could be possible,
but I never have.
We've been taking people out to the reef for like 30 some years.
Yeah.
So we felt pretty confident.
Yeah, but today was awesome.
Daintree Rainforest is amazing.
If you're ever in the north of Queensland, it's awesome.
But, basically...