The Tour Specialists Blog

Breakfast with the Birds - Rainforest Habitat Port Douglas

My day at the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary in Port Douglas was so much fun. We woke up early Sunday morning to allow plenty of time for the hour-long drive to Port Douglas from Cairns. The weather was perfect (as usual in Tropical North Queensland) and my family and I enjoyed the scenic costal drive. The Coral Sea looked spectacular in the morning, with the warm sun glittering off the smooth sapphire surface of the Ocean and the palm trees gently swaying in the cool breeze.

On arrival at the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary we were greeted by happy, friendly staff and were given our complimentary map of the wildlife park. We were all very hungry after our early morning drive, so we made our way immediately to the Wetlands Restaurant to enjoy our Breakfast with the Birds.

At the Restaurant we were greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne (although I was driving so I opted for the fresh orange juice). After being seated at a large comfortable table by friendly restaurant staff, we made our way to the large bay-mares. The buffet breakfast was divine. My partner (who is a big eater) especially enjoyed the all-you-can-eat gourmet breakfast and had bacon, eggs, sausages, beans, hash browns and freshly toasted bread. Being vegetarian, buffet meals can be somewhat problematic for me, but this was just perfect! I enjoyed a huge array of fresh (and dried) seasonal tropical fruits, muesli (with soy milk!), fresh locally baked bread and a great selection of fresh juices. At the end of breakfast we sat in the tranquil surrounds (while enjoying a hot herbal tea) and enjoyed the vast array of birds. My favourites were the noisy black cockatoo’s and the ducks in the pond nearby!

The Rainforest Habitat has three distinct sections: the Grasslands, Rainforest and Wetlands. In the Grasslands we saw wallabies, kangaroos (which we got to pet and hand feed), endangered tree kangaroos, emus and crocodiles. At the Wetlands my partner held a baby crocodile! We saw cuddly Koala bears, a plethora of tropical birds and an endangered Southern Cassowary. My favourite section was the Rainforest environment. It was simply breathtaking experiencing the rainforest from the dense forest floor to the top of the lush green canopy. We watched turtles and eels frolic in the crystal clear waters, and an amazing array of tropical rainforest birds soar overhead. There were plenty of seats and viewing platforms which allowed us to rest in the temperate milieu and experience the rainforest creatures in their natural environment.

At the end of the day we sat at the open air Curlew Café (which is fully licensed) and enjoyed a cold drink and ice-cream. One of the most impressive things about the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary is its commitment to eco-tourism which is evident by its Advanced Eco-Certification. The passion of the staff to principles of education and preservation was obvious, and although we missed the formal presentations, we did meet the enthusiastic staff as we were wandering around the wildlife park who were happy to answer our questions and have a chat.

I highly recommend the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary to anyone who wants to have a unique and intimate experience with native Australian flora and fauna! We all had a fantastic time, and enjoyed our trip back to Cairns as dusk fell over the crystal clear Coral ocean and tropical rainforest around us!

Amy Jennings - The Tour Specialists Clifton Beach

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 10:34 am by Tammy and is filed under Family, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Breakfast with the Birds - Rainforest Habitat Port Douglas

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