Video and photos from our day in Port Douglass
On our way to Port Douglas from Cairns airport
View of area surrounding Cairns
Sugar cane foreground, rainforest in the background
Location of Sheraton Mirage resort in Port Douglas
Entrance to Sheraton Mirage Resort
Our room 5214 – has a great shower!
The great shower and bath
Sandra in civies before we go to Mossman Gorge
Most of our group in transport to the gorge
Sugar cane fields on the way to Mossman Gorge
Us at the Mission Gorge Cultural Center
Our aboriginal guide through the rainforest at Mossman Gorge
Orientation before we begin our trek in the forest
Feeling the bark of the wood used for our smoking ceremony (ceremony of welcome)
Inhaling the smoke for the smoking ceremony
Starting down the trail
Australian bush turkey
Our guide showing us the first of three dangerous plants to avoid along the way
Close up of the barbs on the first dangerous plant
Close up of the “socket” the plant uses to attach to other plants
How the second plant hides itself in disguise
Gympie-Gympie, or Dendrocnide moroides is plant number three – one of the most venomous in the world
Guide explaining the pain caused by plant number three
Close up of the leaf
Walking further into the forest
Talking about the tree from which the sword is made
Tree and sword
Talking about medicines from the trees
Explaining the sword
How the tree drives away snakes
Fungus causing hallucination
Tree with strangulation vine on it
Another view of the fungus
Sacred area used for aboriginal ceremonies – initiation, wedding, death
Explaining aboriginal life
Stream near the ceremonial area
Stream near the ceremonial area
Stream near the ceremonial area
Video of stream near the ceremonial area
Flowers on tree growing near the stream
Talking about a tree that is very old but grows up not out
Pod holding fruit used as medicine
Fruit inside the pod
Explaining the fruit
Holding seed not to be touched – harmful to humans – OK for Cassowary birds
Showing what is used for body painting by aboriginies
Jan exiting the forest
Blowing a didgeridoo
Blowing a didgeridoo
Bush stone-curlew bird
A pair of bush stone-curlew birds