Those who dream are resourceful and those who are resourceful make their dreams a reality

Tuesday 17 March 2015

The Misfits

Road trip to Draintree Forest From left to right: Catti Jimenez (Sweden) Alex Prikhodko (Washington, D.C.) Peter Ma (San Francisco, CA) Kelly Hellman (Sweden) Hendrik Bandholz (Germany) Pontus Karlsson (Sweden) and me (Los Angeles, CA).
"It's that F***ing Bird!"

December 16, 2014

Pro Dive Cairns connected me with people from around the world living one life. One of passion for diving, travel and adventure.

I had met Pontus during my first day on the boat. His fiery red hair and freckles made him stand out like a Labrador among Poodle Terriers. I was intrigued by his "Swedish" ways and his expertise in diving. Naturally, we became close friends and diving buddies. From there I met the rest of the crew on the boat and off for some drinks - nothing like a cold beer after a dive - in Cairns.

On a whim, we decided, "Why not rent a car, go on a day road trip and experience all Australia has to offer?"

And that's exactly what we did.

The crazy bunch. Alex drove while I helped with navigation in the front. 
Just two hours from Cairns, Daintree Rainforest is a site to see. It stretches 1,2000 square kilometers and is the longest continuous rainforest on the Australian continent. With luscious green trees, cool flowing water and small critters; this sanctuary of rejuvenation is a prime example of mother nature's finest.

It is home to the colorful Cassowary, an endangered bird species vital to the Daintree forest's survival.

"The cassowary is vital to the wet tropics region throughout Far North Queensland because it provides a role of seed disperser for over 100 species of rainforest plants with large fruits. Without the cassowary, these plants would be concentrated around a parent plant and would not spread throughout the rainforest ecosystem."

As of 1993, there were only 54 cassowary birds left in the Daintree forest. Although the species is starting to repopulate, it is still listed to be at risk of extinction.

After learning about the endangered bird, Peter and Alex decided they had to see it.

We were a rare group after all, why not add one more unusual sight to the experience?

The Daintree Rainforest : A view stretching past the green and into sea blue
With only a day to spare, we chose a path and treaded lightly. We worked all of our senses, enjoyed the power of being (with each other) and lived deeply with no regrets.

Finding our own path and following it with confidence and peace of mind
With the day coming to a close and a van running out of gas, we decided to see one more natural beauty. Recommended by the locals and situated at the very edge of the forest, Emmagen Beach became our destination and conquer. The only problem was - we couldn't find the darn beach.

From high to low, left to right, we searched for the famous (but ridiculously hidden) Emmagen beach. We were lost and frustrated but we never lost hope. We were a determined bunch with a fascination in discovering the unknown. It was our mission and we wouldn't leave until seeing it with our own eyes.

Locals and tourists could see our frustration and gooberish ways as we searched for path openings/markers along the road. A couple of locals had us follow them back the way we came, claiming they knew where the beach was. These people took us for fools, oh the trickery and deception. We stopped, turned around, and headed back the way we came.

Dusk was falling and mosquitoes were biting. The humidity was scorching and our crave for accomplishment and reflection in nature was deranged. A little ironic but when has life ever made sense?

Two frustrated German girls stood stranded by their broken down car. We stopped. Hey! We had a German mechanic after all. We left Hendrik with the German girls to work on the car and told him to stay put as we explored the forest on either side of the road.

We had seen beautiful beaches through out the day:

A quick stop along our road trip
but still, no Emmagen.

We almost lost hope until...

By Golly!!!! We found the path. We pulled back the shrubbery hiding the narrow trail and leaped forward. We couldn't believe our very eyes. In a half-walk, half-jog , I let the green leaves and vines smack my legs and face as I stepped forward, eager - craving a sight as delicious as cheesecake, The forest cleared and...

Was that it?

A narrow stretch of white golden sand lay facing a calm grey ocean.

I stood there, perplexed. How could this be? We traveled all this way, had gotten bitten by thousands of mosquitoes and led astray by the locals. For what?

That's when it hit me. This beach, this simple and plain beach was exactly how it needed to look all along. It wasn't the destination that I was meant to find solace in but the journey. I had grown. I had changed. Australia gave me a reason to be adventurous, to travel with complete strangers and to learn how to live every experience as a life lesson granted upon me by my own thirst for challenge.

We quickly walked back to the van as dusk enveloped the small beach behind us and the forest stretching ahead.

Where was the broken down car? The German girls? Most importantly - WHERE WAS HENDRIK -

Oh dear friend, please be alive.

We searched and searched and searched until we drove. We drove back the way we came, praying to pass him on the way. Our prayers were answered.

Hendrik and the German girls came rolling forward in the now-working sedan. Relief spread across Alex and my face as we spoke about our discovery of the mission-almost-impossible beach.

Our cars were idle and our spirits high....

"It's that F****** bird!" Alex screamed.

For a mere second we caught a glimpse of the rare species walk in front of our van and disappear into the thick forest.

Dreamlike.

We bolted out of the van and ran to the outskirts of the forest. We searched, squinting our eyes, trying to see between the trees. But it was too late. We had our moment. And just like that, the moment was gone but forever etched in our hearts and line of vision.

We did it. We saw the bird. We saw Emmagen Beach. We saw Daintree Rainforest.

Most importantly, we saw ourselves.

The endangered Cassowary Bird in the Daintree Rainforest