We had another warm night and once again, we decided to leave the air conditioning running for all the night.
The day started with cloud cover but that did little to reduce the temperature. He started to clear the backseat of the car so we could transport friends but partway through the process, we learnt that another couple were providing transport.
We left at 8:45am and drove to the Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures at Wangetti, about a 25-minute drive back towards Cairns. On the way we stopped at a couple of lookouts to photograph some of the wonderful scenery in this part of the country.
The following is taken from their website and best describes what the park is all about.
“The adventure begins with captivating presentations, including the Crocodile Attack Show, where guests can witness the powerful jaws of a crocodile in action. The park also offers an engaging Snake Show, and the Cassowary Feeding provides a valuable insight into these giant birds of the North Queensland rainforest.
The wildlife encounters continue with a serene boat cruise on Hartley’s Lagoon, offering a chance to spot crocodiles and local birdlife in their natural habitat. As visitors explore the park, they’ll encounter a variety of Australian wildlife, including wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, fruit bats and lizards.
The park’s facilities ensure a comfortable visit, with free parking, wheelchair accessibility, and a picturesque dining experience at Lilies Restaurant, overlooking the lagoon. Visitors can also explore themed areas like our new Hartley’s Croc Centre, Gallery of Living Art – reptile display and Gondwana Gateway.
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is a must-visit destination for wildlife enthusiasts and families looking for an engaging and educational day out. Whether it’s the thrill of observing a croc up close or the joy of discovering Australia’s diverse fauna, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures promises a memorable and adventurous day for all ages.”
We arrived just before 9:30am and after paying for our admission, we received tickets for a boat cruise leaving at 9:30am. The cruise allowed us to get close to a lagoon that housed 30 crocodiles. We saw crocodiles jumping for food and many just cruising around the lagoon. We then watched a snake show and then feeding of several crocodiles. We stopped for lunch before the final tour for us, a visit into the crocodile farm on the complex. This site is licensed to breed crocodiles for commercial purposes.
Leaving Hartley’s to return to our camp site, we were struck by a large rock which caused a very big chip in the windscreen. We drove through to O’Brien Glass in Mossman only to be told the chip was too big to repair. We needed a new windscreen. A phone call was made to O’Brien Glass and shortly after we had arranged for an insurance claim and the replacement of the windscreen. The booking was made for 8:00am in Cairns tomorrow. This blew us away as we did not expect a replacement that quickly.
We returned to the caravan park for happy hour and an invitation to join another couple to attend cane toad racing in Port Douglas. The plan was to watch the races and then have pizza for dinner.
The toad racing was a bit of fun, and the pizza was not all that bad.
We were back at the caravan by 8:00pm when we prepared the car for the replacement windscreen which required us to drive back to Cairns.
We had an early night due to the early start tomorrow.