2 Tree Kangaroos in back yard!!!

Hi,
 what is that? I am wondering walking between our houses this morning.
Very long bushy tail otherwise maybe a pademelon.
Noooo, IT IS a Tree Kangaroo. Which was a little surprised as well and considered climbing on a tree but then chose the bush.
Brian heard two of them before making rather wild noises in the between the trees; is this called mating maybe...
We have never before seen one of these guys here. Very excited. Then, maybe we are the honeymoon destination for them, so later on, they go home where they usually live.
You know...people do a similar thing....
I try to get a photo next time.
 

PM supports power!!!

This is on Daintreehour.com website Hoorraay!   6:29pm Nov 23 Energy and energy efficiency was firmly placed on the agenda at the G20 in Brisbane last week. Tony Abbott made the following statement: I was really pleased today that the climate discussion was in the context of a session devoted to energy efficiency because there are 1.3 billion people around our globe – one fifth of the world’s population that don’t have access to electricity. Now, how can these people lead a decent life? How can those people live the kind of life that people in Germany and Australia take for granted, without access to power? So, we do have to expand access to power and the only way to make power more available, to make electricity more available and at the same time address the emissions issue is if we tackle energy efficiency. I am not making this up, read it on the PM's website, last paragraph down the bottom; https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-11-17/joint-press-conference-chancellor-merkel

Support finally

Hi,
this is brand new NEWS

http://douglas.qld.gov.au/council-calls-action-daintree-electricity/

I will let you when we are connected.......on this property....
Marion

On a more cheerful note, Dad Cassowary marched through with his tiny, tiny chick yesterday afternoon. The chick is so small, that I had to zoom it in, by that stage Dad was already in the forest.
They were in a hurry....
Have a great day.
M

Air Conditioned? Yes !

Hi,
 just to let everyone know, we are the only B&B accommodation north of the Daintree River with air conditioners in the bed rooms!!!
These are brand new and efficient, and very quiet. Available from November to April/May.
We still are not on mains power---this is another story and out of our hands----,
so the old rule applies: if you don't use it or need it: lights, fans, air cons, please turn it off. The batteries can only supply so much.
And yes: we so have some vacancies; check availability here
www.cowbayhomestay.com
and book your visit.

New Destination Daintree Website

Hi,
 check it out
www.destinationdaintree.com
brand new website, all done with volunteer work by our cooperative: Daintree Marketing Cooperative and of course a specialist from Cairns.
Please comment!

Our Driveway- please enter!

Hi,
 recently guests became scared about our driveway.
When you arrive the first time, it is a little unusual already to have driven all the way from Cairns, to take the Daintree River Ferry and then to experience for the first time this magnificent part of FNQ = Far North Queensland.
Lush forest, enormous trees, vines everywhere.
From the turn off in Cow Bay, Buchanan Creek Road, it takes ca 5 km to Wattle Close on the right Drive into Wattle Close, 2 minutes, and our sign, " Cow Bay Homestay B&B " is on the left. You will see that you can go into the driveway behind the sign.
NOW:
First gear, take it easy, follow the path/driveway and over the bridge, yes!,  and then up the other side. Now that wasn't so bad, right !!! Most cars are front-wheel-drive, and this driveway is just what they are very good at.
Beep the car horn, please.
A lot of the new hire cars are so quiet, that I can't hear your arrival even just in the backyard,...I do use the waiting for a spot of gardening...
So, there.
Shall I make a cup of coffee or tea for you, or a glass of our fantastic water? Then I'll tell you a little what you can do while visiting us here in the Daintree rainforest.
Have a great day. Marion

Milestone at the Daintree River Ferry

Hi,
 from today you can use your credit/debit card at the ferry!!! Prior you had to have cash money, which in the year 2014 is not always in everyone's wallet.
Great change for this area.

Cassowary close ups

Good morning there,
 well, we have a number of Cassowaries doing the rounds on the garden of Cow Bay Homestay B&B and being pretty cheeky about it too. Yesterday I was given passionfruit by a neighbour, which then disappeared from a box I had put them on before taking them into the kitchen. Then early this morning a Cassowary was right next to this box, checking if more were placed there? We do have the feeling, this one is being fed by someone in the area, and I wish they wouldn't do this. Meanwhile I am trying to keep count of papayas and passionfruit on vines, but so far I am loosing out. One of the guest sprinted across the lawn this morning trying to take a photo of a Cassowary and just managed. They are a bit shy, which is good, but then also just 'pop' up out of nowhere.

 

Butterflies in photos and ATE 2014

Good morning,
 now I finally have some photos of the Ulysee, blue, and Cairns Birdwing Butterflies, green; this is a 'hard' job, as they move constantly.

After a lovely dry spell we now have a bit more rain. ATE -Australian Tourism Exchange in Cairns has finished and I had hoped the weather would improve for all the visitors, but... some delegates were here before ATE started and enjoyed the sun and wind. Thank you for your visit and hopefully sending us lovely visitors.

 

Ulysses and Cairns Birdwing Butterflies

Hi,
 well,....for the last 2 weeks we have had big numbers of Ulysee, the bright blue, butterflies and Cairns Birdwing, black and red for the girls, bright green for the boys, butterflies absolutely everywhere. It is an amazing sights seeing both buzzing around flowering bushes and plants. One even took a detour through the lounge area in the Garden House the other day. As a result, I suppose, we have now found their lava on a kaffir lime tree on the back deck of the B&B, both types, ..had to Google them to determine who is who....
A 'little' more rain and our guests are coping very well, as they say: " It is a rainforest! "
Yesterday a nearly dry day, with sun and wind. Today I hope we have the same, I have lots to do in the garden. Wishing everyone a great day.

Cyclone Ita

Hi,
 on Friday night, Cyclone Ita gave us all a big scare with category 5 and 300km/h winds on the forecast, but then it was not so bad at all. Some places had fallen trees and damage from that. Some roads and bridges are closed, all temporary and hopefully the Daintree Ferry will be back in action this morning. So, the North is ready for our Easter visitors !
But such a cyclone makes everyone tidy up and lock up the houses and we  fitted shutters  to our Garden House. The veranda has to be cleared: where to with all the plants, pots, BBQ, chairs, benches? We live more out- than indoors, so there is a lot to be moved. Then after the cyclone is gone, rearrange everything again. We are very happy though, how it all went and now we can go into the dry season!

 

New tours in the area

Hi,
 here are links to new tours, one Sky Rail from Cairns to Kuranda
http://www.skyrail.com.au/experience/canopy-glider
and this one for 'foodies' and only for adults
http://www.kurandatours.com.au/australia_outback_tasting_tour.htm
I hope this gives you more ideas of things to do up here in the North; is may mean you have to exstend your visit!!!
Enjoy.
 

Air Cons are in !!!

Hello,
 right-- after some delays the guest rooms are now air conditioned. YES.
This is a huge thing for us, as we run on solar and generator power and had to make some changes to our system. The government is promising us to 'look into' mains power to this area. It seems we are too small, too remote and even though we are the Tourism Icon: Daintree Rainforest somehow not in line. They also have no money.... We decided to set ourselves up for the future and when the mains power arrives here we can connect anyway, but waiting 18 years takes its toll.
So:::: guest can now choose to turn the air conditioners on in the wet season. The first guests who tried it out, loved it. It is very quiet and fast. They had promptly not had it on the next night, as it was quiet cool, 23 C and the fan was enough. The air con will be great though on those hot, humid, still days when one gets out of the shower, to dry off  and is wet immediately. Maybe go to sleep with is on for another hour and then have it turned off automatically. I am sure people get the idea.
Meanwhile we have had some rain!
There are 2 cyclones in FNQ right now. One off to our west, one off to our south and we seem to have a 'convergence', which had brought us non-stop heavy rain  last night. Result: 390 mm in Cow Bay. That is even called rain here. There is a bit more to come we are told, well we'll see...
But it is 29 C during the day, all very relaxed.
Check the website for vacant rooms and come to stay to see/feel/experience it all.