Book: Naked in Eden

Daintree Rainforest

Daintree River Ferry

Excerpt: "Naked in Eden"

The Daintree River Car Ferry - mid 1980s

Darkness Swallowed Me
“Arrrr, arrrrssssstt, arrrrrooooon.” Croc sounds suddenly rose loud and wild between the river and me. I knew they weren't as close as they sounded. They were probably several hundred yards or more away. At least I hoped they were. I still wasn't sure how close I was to the river. Their rumbling growls evoked primitive fear, wild and haunting.

I was shocked when I heard the swish and crawl of big bodies, probably two crocs. Although I suspected they weren't close, my thumb flicked on the flashlight to check the road ahead for huge log-like reptiles. The dim yellow circle vibrated on the dirt track. My hand trembled. The light flickered off and on, and blinked out. The batteries were dead. Darkness devoured me and left me alone with the growls of crocs.

~ (Excerpt: Naked in Eden)

Saltwater Crocodile
(Crocodylus porosus)

Crocodiles and Perfection:
Every cell of organism Earth has its function.
Every being plays its part in the unfolding of life.
Each one of us, human or mosquito, pine needle
or rock, is unique and contributes to the other.
Even the estuarine crocodile that on extremely
rare occasion eats a human being is millions of
years of perfection in the making.

~ (Excerpt: Naked in Eden)

Heading Into The Daintree Rainforest

This dirt track (now tarred) leads all the way to Cape Tribulation, one of the world's oldest tropical rainforests. This sign went up in the mid 1980s after a lady was taken by a crocodile. It says . . . WARNING: Estuarine crocodiles inhabit most rivers, swamps, and lagoons throughout Cape York Peninsula.

The Daintree River Car Ferry will take you across the infamous Daintree River so that you can explore the Daintree Rainforest beyond. The ramp in the right bottom corner is attached to the ferry. The ferry is pulled on cables across the river. The ferry crossing is the only route into the forest other than by boat. This is a much better ferry than the one that hauled my truck across the river in 1979. They all work much the same. The ramp lowers to the bank, the vehicles drive on and are hauled across the stunning Daintree River. I hope this majestic waterway is never "bridged". The ride on the ferry is an opportunity to slow down and take in some of the world's most magnificent scenery. If you are lucky you might spot a crocodile along the shore with his mouth open to keep cool.

CROCODILE ART
(Courtesy of Martin, 6 years old.)
Martine captures the essence of the crocodile – teeth
that grip but cannot chew, latent power and speed, and
the peace and confidence that an adult croc must
feel at the top of the food chain (as long as he is not
hunted by humans). And dig that tail!

As I awoke to full consciousness I began to grasp my place in the scheme
of things, and a realization of the equality of all life was born. ~ Robin Easton

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