A post dedicated to our “local” beach at Cape Tribulation, Myall Beach. Mainly because I took so many photos of it but also because it’s a very fine beach indeed. Backed by the towering presence of Mount Sorrow and palm trees waving in the breeze it’s picture perfect and practically deserted, save a few students and hippies playing guitars. No sun loungers, no concession stalls, just natural wonder
It was only a short 10 minute stroll through the forest and mangroves to reach it, so every spare minute we took our leave and wandered along its length.
Like the rest of the holiday I was always up early to see it at sunrise. Sometimes on my own
Sometimes with TBF
We strolled on it during the day with the junior sherpas and funsters
And we strolled on it at the end of the day
We strolled while watching the Ocean Rafting snorkelling boat trip come in
I promised you another croc story so here it is. At the far northern end of Myall beach is a creek which you have to cross to get to the headland.
Like most creeks in north Queensland it’s home to a resident croc and until recently it was a decent sized one
In winter it’s barely a trickle and you can pretty much step over it. However in summer it’s more substantial. The general guidance is to stay near the sea and stay well away from the creek. Sound advice when large dinosaurs that can eat you live up there. One Belgian tourist decided that he wanted to go looking for a close encounter and find the croc he did, lazing on a bank. This wasn’t quite exciting enough so the fellow started making some noise in an effort to stir the croc into a more animated display. Still nothing. Undeterred, he moved in closer and started slapping the water with a large stick (can you feel the hairs rising on the back of your neck). He moved closer and closer, until, you guessed it, the croc decided to take a bite out of him. Luckily the croc had probably already eaten (hence its languid posing earlier) and the guy survived (sorry, did I say “guy”, what I meant to call him was, well, you can fill in your own word for someone who willfully provokes a crocodile with a stick!). The croc now with a taste for human flesh was moved on to somewhere more remote and replaced (yes “replaced”) with a smaller one that still lives in this creek. It is their natural home and not ours lets remember
An interesting story to reflect on as you stroll along this beach and paddle through the end of the creek.
On our final afternoon we walked over from Cape Tribulation beach, across the headland and all the way to its far southern end. A majestic stroll under a setting sun with dark stormy clouds hugging the mountains behind. Having to return to get the car gave me the chance to cross our croc creek twice more π
As the UK enters a cold snap, here’s hoping some shots of a tropical beach in the sun shines a little warmth into your life
surfnslide 
Still a bit freaked out by the prospect of sharing the beach with a croc. A particularly big crab is more than enough excitement for me.
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They are very rare on the beach. You just need to be a little wary where the creeks run out onto the beach. I wasn’t worried at any point but TBF was a little paranoid – unsurprisingly.
You have to share the sand with thousands of tiny crabs a few mm across. All the beaches are pocked with holes and littered with little balls of sand. the crabs eat the sand extract the nutrients and then poop out the little balls. They completely cover some parts of the beach – very weird
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