Day 2: Rainforest and Wetlands

My second day in Australia began with a rude awakening... my first taste of Vegamite.

The first time I tasted Vegamite

The first time I want to throw up Vegamite

It tastes like a really bitter beer in a paste form spread over toast. It is SO SALTY!
Luckily the day got way better from that point and our next stop was Mossman Gorge. Phoebe, Liam, their roommate Karla and I went to Mossman Gorge to take a peak of a portion of the Daintree Rainforest!

The walkway through the Mossman Gorge is made out of recycled milk jugs!

It was pretty overcast and a perfect temperature.

Australian Berries

TOMS in Australia

dipping our feet in the water

Liam and I were the only ones brave enough to get in the freezing cold water

wild scrub turkey... these are the same turkeys that were in Phoebe's tree

These vines looked fake

huge rainforest tree

After the Mossman Gorge we decided to head to a completely different climate and see the Australian Wetlands. These are a little more inland and closer to the Outback so the terrain starts seeming a little more desert like.

We went to a small town called Mareeba that has a great restaurant/coffeehouse/shop called Coffee Works.

delicious chocolate with Chili powder in it

This is made of chocolate!

At Coffee Works Karla, Phoebe and I had lunch and the lady sitting next to us was from California, so we swapped notes on Australia and how we were enjoying it thus far.

this is a termite mound and is almost as tall as me

path to the wetlands

The Wetlands

 We wanted to talk one of the walking paths around, but it cost a lot of money just to gain access to it. I didn't want to do it that badly and none of us had brought hats for worn sunscreen, so we passed on it.
On our way back to the car we walked passed an emu in the wild. We figured it was pretty tame and was being somewhat cared for by the people in the Wetlands information center, but it was still "in the wild" in my mind.

Kingfisher

 On the way home we drove passed these on the side of the road, which confused me...

 And then a little ways up the road was this...

Crazy Australian roadside decorations. Another less photograph-able roadside decoration was a couple posts that had severed pigs feet on them.

We also stopped on the way home at a Mango Winery to try from Mango wine, champagne, and liqueur.

really quite delicious

this was along the side of the road as well. So beautiful!

Amazing view!

Phoebe and I and the awesome view of the coast

The drive there and back was pretty zig-zaggy so I was a little queasy, but the view was so spectacular!

When we got home, we ordered pizza from a gourmet pizza shop in town and then watched Two Weeks Notice. Jet Lag officially conquered!