Australia Contiki Tour Ends!!

Today is the day we are making our way back to Cairns.  As we make our way back our bus driver is giving us a guided tour through the Cape Tribulation Rainforest.

Warning signs for people not to go in the water because of deadly jelly fish

Helpful Australian Map of the area

What do you think of the view? I seem to like it

My new Australian and Canadian friends, we picked them up in Cairns

Hiding in the oldest most twisted tree in the rainforest

On our way back to Cairns, we stopped in Port Douglas there were lots of shops to walk around as well as restaurants and cute little cafes.  Walked around and did some window shopping.  We had about 1.5 hours to kill until the bus was headed back to Cairns.

Once we headed back to Cairns everyone went their separate ways.  For dinner I walked down to the nightmarkets. After that, time to go to sleep gotta wake up at 3 am to go to the airport.

Time to Say Good Bye To Australia, I will miss you! Hopefully I will see you in the future.

Zip Line In Cape Tribulation

Took the plunge and decided to go zip lining a.k.a canopy surf.  Some of us from the group were picked up by a small bus that took us up a mountain through the rainforest.  When we arrived, several instructors were waiting for us.  They helped us put our equipment on.  We were allowed to choose our helmets.  I chose Princess Leia since people on the tour called me a "princess."  After we put our equipment on we walked up a trail that led us to the first zipline.

Once we arrived they hooked each one of us up to ropes that were attached to a line that goes across to the next stop.  Each stop there were different obstacles you could do, some rope lines were shorter and slower, others were longer and faster.

Did a canon ball across on this obstacle, check it out!!

The story behind this last video is, the instructor told me my harness was too loose but he still sent me across anyways.  It was a total setup, when I got to the middle the instructors stopped me.  Everyone started screaming and yelling because they were trying to scare me by making me think I was going to fall. I was so scared and pissed at the same time lol.

Cape Tribulation

When we were picked up at the hotel to head up to Cape Tribulation it was a smaller bus.  Our Contiki group was combined with another Contiki group that was just starting. We will be making several stops before we make our way to Cape Tribulation.  First stop we made was the top view of the ocean, where we all did a group shot.

We then stopped in a place for lunch that had a strip mall of shops, it is the town of the Aborigine people.  I walked around the area. In the streets I noticed the Aborigine people very dark skinned, the men have long grayish beards.  I took a walk over to where the park was where I went behind and there happened to be a small skate park area.  I sat on the bleachers and watched two boys riding their bicycles up and down the ramps.

We went to an area where we met an Aborigine tour guide who would take us to a place that is off the normal path for tourists.  The tour guide brought us through the rainforest and showed us some of their oldest customs.  There was a small area where they had tree bark put together and a fire was going.  The smoke that was coming from the area was a symbol of their culture to worship the wildlife, and appreciate peace? 

We continued on the path where we were taken to an area where we could take a dip in the river.  There were rapids coming down and lots of large rocks surrounding the rapids.

The tour guide was making paint using the rainforest tree pushes, rocks, and dirt.  He was painting people's faces.  This is an Aborigine symbol of their culture, known as war paint.

After the tour through the rainforest, we headed to a place that makes homemade ice-cream.  In one cup of ice cream you get four scoops which you can choose different flavors.  The tour guide told us, there are many unique flavors made on a daily basis.  When flavors run out, all new flavors are made on the spot.

There was very much vegetation and wildlife in the vicinity as I walked around. 

I walked down the road a little bit and discovered these amazing trees.  Take a look below at what they were.

Banana Trees