Day 2 - 10 June 2011 - Habitat

One of the most enjoyable features of our stay were the breakfasts. The motel had a large pool area with catering facilities. It provided a 'free' breakfast... and because of the price, attracted 100% attendance. This gave a coordinated start to each day and provided an opportunity to 're-cap' on the activities of the previous day.



Pool envy at the Sea Temple Resort!

The prime activity for Friday (10 June) was a trip to Wildlife Habitat located near the highway intersection at Port Douglas.

Before arriving there, we drove to the beautiful Sea Temple Resort so that the golfers in the group could book time on the golf course and some of the ladies could check out the massage facilities. The place was luxurious...

Habitat is organised around three areas.

We joined a guide who gave details on rainforest birds

First, we walked through the Rainforest area that offered a lush, tranquil environment where native species such as the endemic Boyd’s Forest Dragon, Eclectus Parrots and the endangered Southern Cassowary can be viewed in a natural setting. A meandering walkway allows the visitor to experience different levels of the rainforest and the varied microenvironments encapsulated within. At ground level displays of fish and amphibians are illuminated providing a glimpse of these cryptic creatures whilst high in the canopy exquisitely coloured pigeons and parrots perch amongst the foliage and fruits. If you want to update your collection of close-up snaps of colourful rainforest birds... this is the place to go. Try and get good photos of rare species in the wild and you need a lot of luck. At the Habitat, you can take your time and be guaranteed a perfect picture. Many of the birds are so used to people, you can shove your camera in their face and they ignore your rudeness. There was a wide variety from which to choose. 

In the second area of Wetlands there was an array of wading birds can be viewed foraging for fish and crustaceans in waterways that wind beneath boardwalks and beside pathways.
The Wetlands exhibit was special because it allowed a glimpse of a significant ecosystem to unfold.  This area depicts the amazing diversity of our natural wetlands that are important fringing areas and provide a link to many ecosystems. Here a host of macropods, fruit bats, black necked storks and a multitude of bird species can be found. This bird sanctuary seems to rate pretty highly with the bird life. There seemed to be more 'free' birds from the wild trying to get into the netted area than there were birds trying to get out. 

Demanding Emu chases food bags

Finally, the Grasslands is an open-air exhibit that portrays both inland and coastal plains.  Here guests are enticed to interact with a range of macropods from the statuesque Eastern Grey Kangaroo to the petite Parma Wallaby.  The billabong is home to turtles, frogs and a range of waterfowl while also attracting a host of native bird varieties. Over forty species have been recorded utilising the exhibit as a refuge for breeding. Boardwalks overlook lagoons where both Estuarine and Freshwater crocodiles lurk beneath the murky waters or bask on the sunlit banks. A feature to this area is the Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, a rare tree-climbing kangaroo found only in the rainforests of The Wet Tropics.

We were amused by a Japanese girl who had purchased a bag of food to feed the animals. The Emu identified the bag and kept chasing the poor girl, trying to snatch the bag. The girl kept dropping food pieces as she ran in an attempt to slow the emu... but it picked up the pieces at a pace that still had the girl fearing for her life. She finally figured out that if she hid the bag of food, the emu would stop harassing her.
Joan, on the other hand, had polite and patient beneficiaries to feed... very genteel.

Well mannered feeders

That evening we visited a harbour-side restaurant to see if 'George' the giant groper fish would grace us with an appearance. Drinkers at the bar are encouraged to buy buckets of prawns and throw prawn shells into the water to attract smaller fish. George makes his appearance at 5.30 PM... a stickler for time. the crowd built with the excitement of anticipation. A roar went up from the crowd as someone thought they could see George lurking deep in the water. There were a couple of false alarms, but finally a giant dark shadow crossed the water. 

Joye watching out for George

Patiently waiting for George

At first I thought it was too big to be a fish. Its width for a start appeared to be 250 centimetres. We were told the Queensland groper can grow to  2.7 m in length and over 400 kg and George looked to be pushing that limit. At 5:25 PM restaurant staff produced a rope and tied the head of a tuna to the end. The rope was thrown into deeper water and we waited for George to collect his treat. There were several castings in the hope that the splashing would excite old George. But George was of an age that was beyond excitement. He had a bit of a nibble, gave the rope a few pulls but could not work up the energy to lift his 400 kg out of the water. Finally the attendant threw the tuna head and skeleton into the shallower water. The smaller fish fed with a frenzy. After a while George made another circuit, collected the skeleton and dragged it off for eating in the privacy of his own lair. In may ways, George enhanced his menacing reputation by remaining partly hidden. Giants should not be at the beck-and-call of pampered tourists.

Everyone in Port Douglas knows who George is!