Chapter 22: Daintree and Atherton

Wednesday Week 9

In the morning, after a quick breakfast, the three of them set off early to drive to the Daintree River crossing as they wanted to catch the 10:30am river train. For the next three hours it was a leisurely cruise on board a floating solar powered river train taking in the flora and fauna, while watching for crocodiles.

Their naturalist guide kept pointing out items of interest and they were able to spot four crocodiles, sleeping on the banks, or in one case on a log. The birdlife too, was very interesting. A very relaxing way of spending some time, Dave thought.

Morning tea was on a waterfront family property that had a boardwalk through the mangroves and rainforest, which made an enjoyable walk, looking at the different plant life.

Their guide told them what was so special about the Daintree. "Firstly, this tropical rainforest ecosystem is one of the most complex on earth, with plant diversity and structural complexity unrivalled on the Australian continent. Many millions of years ago Australia was warm and humid and rainfall was plentiful. As Australia became more arid, there were fewer and fewer places rainforests were able to survive.

"In the Daintree region, however the climate and topography were ideal, so the area became a last remaining refuge for rainforest. Within this refuge many species were able to live comfortably without reason to change and their descendants still living today retain many of their ancestors' primitive characteristics, some dating back 110 million years" he explained to them.

After leaving the river train there was time to have a late picnic lunch on the river bank. Their first stop on the way back to Cairns along the Captain Cook Highway, was at Mossman, where they walked alongside the Mossman River up the gorge and on to a rainforest circuit track, crossing the Rex Creek on the suspension bridge. Dave took great delight in bouncing on the bridge, causing the other two to almost loose their balance and have to quickly grab the rope on the sides, before they continued up to the Manjal Dimbi lookout, then returning through the forest.

Signs along the way provide information on rainforest plants and their uses by the Kuku Yalanji people for food, medicine and materials. Strangler fig trees and a variety of epiphytic plants formed the dense canopy with some huge Mahoganies, all prominent features of the rainforest. They looked for and saw fish and turtles as well as some bright butterflies, but were unable to find a Boyd's forest dragon, a large colourful lizard which the brochure said, clings to a tree trunk.

Driving a little further on to the Port Douglas turn off, they spent another hour wandering through the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. Walking through the rainforest aviary that housed over 70 species of birds, they were able to walk at different levels of the rainforest along 300 metres of elevated walkway. Fortunately there were lots of signs around informing the visitors about the habitat and the different birds. The Wet Tropics rainforest environments were represented with native species such as the Boyd's forest dragon, which they hadn't been able to spot in the Mossman Gorge, and the colourful Eclectus parrots. All of these they were able to view in a natural setting.

The Grasslands open-air exhibit portrayed both inland and coastal plains. Here they were able to interact with Queensland's largest range of kangaroos and wallabies from the statuesque Eastern Grey Kangaroo and endangered Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo to the petite Parma Wallaby. Getting up close and personal with Cassowary, Koalas, Waterbirds and Fruit Bats was unexpected and hand feeding the kangaroos and wallabies a real treat for them all. Jill, in particular, was excited as a little wallaby was eating from her hand.

Boardwalks at the Habitat also overlook lagoons and here they saw both Estuarine and Freshwater crocodiles, some lurking beneath murky waters while others were basking on the sunlit banks.

Their next stop was Port Douglas, where they toured the village, drove to Flagstaff Hill lookout, then walked along the pristine sands of Four Mile Beach. At the southern end of the beach, kite surfers and windsurfers were performing jumps and attempting tricks. All agreed that it made good watching, but only Peter thought he wouldn't mind trying it if the opportunity arose.

It had been a very full but worthwhile day. Jill and Peter expressed their thanks to Dave for taking them to all these places and in particular shouting what to them must have cost him a small fortune. From Dave's point of view their company and gratitude were more than enough reward for any money that he outlaid and he knew that he could easily afford it.

After a late dinner, there was time for them to enjoy a coffee and a night cap, before all agreed on an early night.

"Why don't you slip into bed with Dave, Jill, and give him what you gave me the past two nights?" Peter asked her, adding "and then you can come back and join me for the night."

"That's a god idea" she replied, taking her T-shirt off, but leaving her panties on as she climbed into the bunk with Dave who had already gone to bed.

Dave was more than happy to let her kiss him and then pay homage to his penis, before she eventually took it into her mouth, letting it slide all the way in until it was deep in her throat.

As she quickened the movements of his penis inside her mouth, she grasped and fondled his testicles with one hand, while teasing the entrance to his anus with the other.

All too soon, because of the incredibly lovely feelings he was receiving, Dave felt himself exploding into her throat, just as she pushed a finger just inside his anus.

When the last of his spasms had finished, Jill lifted her head and kissed him passionately, wished him good night and climbed down from the bunk to join Peter in the double bed.

"Would you like me to do the same to you, my darling?" she asked him, as she cuddled and then kissed him.

"Mmh, yes please, I am very aroused from listening to you two" he replied as she bent down and took him into her mouth, all the way until once more he was all the way into her throat, not relinquishing him until he too, had exploded into her and then it was only to move up to kiss him on the mouth.

It wasn't long before each of them was tucked up in bed, sound asleep, Dave dreaming of Jill coming to his bed again soon, while Peter and Jill just cuddled each other for the night.

Thursday Week 9

After doing his exercises, while Jill cooked them poached eggs on toast for breakfast, Dave suggested that today was a good day to do the Atherton drive, and with so much to see, the whole day would be needed.

Driving back down to Gordonvale, they turned west onto the Gilles Highway, heading to Atherton. First stop was at the Heales Lookout with its breath taking views.

Dave had read that, unlike most towns in tropical North Queensland, which grew as a result of the gold and tin mining, Atherton owes its existence to 'red gold'; the abundant red cedar trees that once covered the tablelands. On the way there, they had seen one of the few remaining giant red cedar trees near Gadgarra and were amazed at this magnificent offering from nature and wondered what this area must have looked like before the vast majority of these giants had been harvested.

They enjoyed the beauty of the twin crater lakes; Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham which are on either side of the giant red cedar. Both lakes are extinct volcanic crater lakes, full of cool, deep, crystal clear water, surrounded by rainforest. It was a welcome escape from the heat and humidity of the coast.

Malanda, their next stop, revealed to them a diverse array of agricultural activities, including macadamia nuts, avocados, tea, flowers, potatoes, timber, beef cattle, deer, pigs, poultry and redclaw crayfish. Most of this they found out at the Visitors Information Centre that included the very informative Malanda Environmental Centre. This Centre explains to visitors like them the story of the geological formation of the tablelands, the subsequent development of a cool wet climate and the resulting unique set of animals and plants that developed to cope with this new environment.

Alongside the Centre, they saw a swimming pool fed by the Malanda Falls, which cascaded over a wide basalt lip, and then the three of them went hand in hand, with Jill naturally in the middle, on an easy walk through rainforest, noting the diverse species of plant life, named and all very well signposted.

The Mount Hypipamee Crater walking track enabled them to see the Dinner Falls, which are on a mountain stream that tumbles over a series of waterfalls, ultimately becoming the mighty Baron River they had seen at Kuranda. They also saw the amazing Crater Falls, where water plunges 120 metres down sheer granite walls into a 70 metre deep pool of still water. The impressive information signs that were everywhere were so helpful. One of the signs told them that escaping gases blasted this vent hole clean through the solid granite back when the tablelands were being formed. There was even a wooden viewing platform that jutted out over the crater for them to enjoy the spectacle.

"This feels a bit scary" Jill said with trepidation as she realised that the platform was hanging over the crater far below.

After a lunch stop in Atherton, they drove up to Hallorans Hill lookout, which is actually another extinct volcano, to see the sweeping views across the rich farming country. Then an hour was spent experiencing the unique mineralogical world of the Crystal Caves. Here they were able to touch real fossils and see the colourful petrified tree stump and the impressive 525 kilogram boulder of rose quartz. Some of fossils were so delicate and even bizarre that they found it hard to believe them to be millions of years old.

Both Jill and Peter were amazed to see lots of yachts sailing on Lake Tinaroo, a scenic tropical lake with over 200 kilometres of shoreline. Around the dam wall there were silent reminders of pioneering days such as the frame for hauling the huge log sections to the local mills. Their brochure said that over forty bullocks were needed to haul the logs.

They marvelled at the size of the huge Cathedral Fig Tree at The Chimneys and walked among the early history of Danbulla, before calling in to enjoy the magnificent views from the Gilles Lookout. When they later looked at the photos taken that day, it was difficult for them to believe how insignificant the three of them looked standing in front of the multitude of roots of that Fig Tree.

Then it was time to return down the Gilles Highway and back to their RV for dinner, which Jill helped Dave throw together.

After dinner, Jill said sexily "We still have three nights left together, so we should make the most of it. I'm available and ready for action now, so who wants to be first," as she walked over to the bed she shared with Peter, stripped off and lay down.

Peter was quick to respond saying to Dave "why don't you help me ensure that she really is ready for us both. I think that I should be first to make love to her, then it will be my turn to watch you enjoy her favours" as he walked to the bed taking his clothes off as he went.

Dave didn't want him to have too much start, so, after a moment's pause, he too quickly shed his garments and joined the two of them on the bed. Both men started kissing her face, one on each cheek, then as Peter moved to kiss her lips, Dave moved to lick her ear and nibble on her earlobe, until it was time for them to reverse it. With two mouths paying so much attention to her face and neck, while each man also had a hand fondling a breast, Jill's breathing deepened and quickened.

"Time to see who can make her nipples hardest" cried Peter as they both trailed their lips and tongue to her breasts, each doing it slightly differently but each ensuring that every part of the breast that he had chosen received detailed attention and that her nipples received the most, with their fingers, lips and then teeth, twisting, sucking and biting until she was crying out mostly with the pleasure of it all, but also a little bit from the pain both were inflicting on her.

"Well who won?" asked Peter as they both took their mouths off her breasts.

"I don't know and I don't care. You are both so wonderful and it feels so good. You are not stopping now, though are you?" Jill panted anxiously.

"Well Dave can keep sucking your breasts, but I'm going further a field" Peter said as his tongue snaked down her tummy, went round and round her belly button, down through her sparse, blonde pubic hair until his tongue was licking her inner thighs then into her groin and along the lips of her vagina.

Jill groaned as Peter's tongue kept teasing her until he drove it inside her, then flicked her clitoris before he brought his teeth into play, gently scraping his teeth on her delicate nub. This really made Jill cry out, but the pain was so nice. His other hand was ticking the cleft of her bottom, teasing the entrance to her anus. By this stage, especially with Dave still giving his full attention to both her breasts, Jill could stand it no more and begged Peter to give her relief.

"I want you to put your penis inside me, make love to me, and I want it now, Peter please sweetheart" she cried.

He didn't disappoint her, thrusting himself into her and lying on top of her. As Dave pulled back from her breasts to give Peter room, Jill grabbed his hand and begged him to keep touching her. Soon she rolled Peter over so that she was lying on top of him and as she did so, she pulled Dave's hand that she had been holding onto her bottom. He didn't need to be told what she wanted; he fondled each cheek, slid his finger nail down her cleft and teased the entrance to her anus.