Day 3 & 4 - Cairns - ATV Riding & Kuranda

Day 3 we split up into very small groups and had a "Free Day" to do our pre-planned activity. I chose ATV riding in the rain forest and it was incredible! We had so much fun riding through the huge puddles of mud and down steep hills, over the creek and through the twists and turns of the rain forest. I was great! Too bad I couldn't bring my camera on the ATV because we saw the biggest termite nests ever. Auntie Maria if you think you've had termites, let me tell you! I would compare some of them to the size of Mom's lilac bush between the yards. It was disgusting, but awesome at the same time haha!

The next morning we all grouped back together as good samaritans and helped out the community at Kuranda Conservation. The endangered bird that I had mentioned before, the Cassowary, eats particular types of fruit that only grow in certain vegetation, so basically we were planting new bushes to help prolong the endangerment (and hopefully extinction) of this bird. Between 25 of us at a time, we dug holes, planted and watered 50+ trees in a half hour (see picture of field where we planted tiny baby bushes). This conservation does more than help the Cassowary bird, though. We learned how they recycle Koala poop in these holding containers and let worms turn the poop into compost that they use as soil for potting plants that they will later bring into the wild (see picture). The black bags are full of Koala poop, so we had to watch our step haha! Obviously the conservation is in the rain forest and has its own interesting vegetation of its own, including a green ant nest. Green ants will nest on mostly any tree and they come in what seems like thousands. It is tradition in Australia to have tourists lick the butt of a green ant to see what it tastes like and yes, of course I watched an Aussie do it first and then proceeded hahaha. Once you picked it off the nest you simply touched its butt to your tongue and it tastes like a citrus fruit! (see picture). The ant is killed by your crushing fingers, but his butt was tasty!

Stay tuned for more on the GBR (Great Barrier Reef) Day!