Things to do in Port Douglas
5-Get Up Close And Personal To The Native Wildlife of Australia
Whether you see them on a wild day tour to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation or up close in a local wildlife sanctuary, being around these rare and amazing animals that inhabit this area is an amazing experience.
Meet a wild crocodile, a cassowary and a tree kangaroo, feed a kangaroo and cuddle a koala. There are various tours and places to visit in Port Douglas where you can do this.
Take your own boat out or take a boat tour along the dense mangrove swamps from the Reef Marina in Port Douglas.
At low tide the resident crocodiles lie like discarded luggage (croc skin of course) on the banks of the mangroves to bask in the sun. Nothing quite prepares you for seeing the size and magnificence of these prehistoric animals in their natural habitat. The rivulets are fringed by the fortress-like scrubby mangrove trees (of which there are over twenty species). Amazingly, their leaves act as desalinators, removing the salt from the water so that they can thrive in these adverse conditions. Along the banks you can see water birds like herons and egrets elegantly balancing on their pin thin legs as they forage for their next morsel.
For close encounters of the animal kind pay a visit to the local wildlife centres. Come forehead to forehead with a 6ft high Cassowary, find out what a quoll and a tree kangaroo looks like. You can even breakfast with the birds or lunch with the Lorikeets and have some feathered friends accompany you and the family whilst you chow down on your morning cornflakes or fly over your BBQ’d sausages!
One centre puts on a crocodile feeding show. There’s nothing quite amazing as the sight of a crocodile’s wide open mouth with its row of white gleaming sharp teeth coming in to grab some food.
The wildlife centres have an emphasis on informing and educating people about the local animals that are native to the area of Far North Queensland, The Daintree Rainforest and the Melaleuca Wetlands.
For specialised tours there are operators that can customise your tour if you are interested in concentrating on birds, insects or reptiles.
If you have a special interest in the wildlife and nature of Australia book a private charter four wheel drive tour with an eco guide and they will take you to those special places that others rarely get to see and experience.
