Travelling Worm

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Mossman Gorge is part of the Daintree rainforest, a region in Far North Queensland on the north east coast of Australia. Me, the TC, and two other family members walked the Mossman Gorge circuit trail a couple of weeks ago (mid May).

The book I’m in

Bloody Genius, by John Sandford. A quiet tale of murder and mayhem. I’ll be happy if the TC deposits me in more of this author’s books.

Travel tips

The Daintree is in tropical Far North Queensland. Be prepared for the climate. Even though we were there in the cooler, dry time of year, it was still warm and humid. Take plenty of drinking water. Walk at a reasonable pace that suits you. Don’t plan to do too much in one day. Even for multi-legged folks like yours truly, it pays to take things easy.

The photos

Me at a clear forest pool in the Daintree rainforest:

Report has it that the Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world. It’s more ancient than the Amazon forest, by tens of millions of years. The Daintree survived the ice age by shrinking into small pockets which then expanded when the warmth came back. So, some of the plant species here were around when the dinosaurs called this area home.

Me, dwarfed by a tall tree covered in vines:

Speaking of dinosaurs, look who’s looking down from above!

That particular descendant of the dinosaurs is a King Parrot, one of the 430 species of birds found in this region.

The Mossman Gorge circuit track offers a lovely way to experience the rainforest. The track is well maintained, and fine to do without a guide. This map of the area shows the car park on the right. From the car park, we caught the shuttle bus to the start of the trail:

A note from a cautious caterpillar: Heed the warnings! We saw one person being taken out by ambulance after slipping on the rocks, and another person requesting help from the paramedics.

Warnings aside, being in the Daintree forest is a beautiful, restful experience. This photo captures the timeless atmosphere. Shafts of light filtered by greenery. Tall forest giants. Leaves and vines intertwined in huge variety.

I did get a crick in my neck from all that looking up at giants. Down at my level, though, there’s a lot going on too. Mmmm mushrooms. I wonder… which side of the mushroom should I nibble on?

Back at the car park, Skull-face the Spider awaited us:

Yes, the spider really was that big. It’s a Giant Golden Orb Weaver. If the TC walked into this spider’s web, the spider would cover her entire face! Still, it’s relatively harmless to humans. Yours truly, however, kept well away.

Zooming in with the camera to take a closer look. The little spiders on the web weren’t actually all that little, until seen next to Skull-face:

That’s all for today, folks.