Original subtitles

You know, I always thought of Australia to be flat, dry and hot.

But as I'm finding out, this country has such a diverse ecosystem.

And have a look at this.

It's lush, green and very wet.

The views are utterly spectacular.

So the Daintree is sort of widely recognised

as being the oldest rainforest in the world.

I am so excited that I get to see it.

There's a guy called Kane who's going to pick me up.

He's very kindly agreed to sort of show me around.

It's his home.

There has been a cyclone threatening to hit.

So I think we're gonna have to roll with the weather.

But, yeah, listen, I'm so excited.

Want to get away from it all?

I mean, really get away from it all.

This is bonkers.

SHE SCREAMS

Where the people think a little differently...

The most dangerous thing on a beach in North Queensland

isn't the crocodiles.

It's a coconut, because that could fall on you.

...and life isn't exactly lived in the slow lane.

Ooh!

More like no lane at all.

Never in my life did I think that I would be

steering a chopper over the Australian desert.

You have to get yourself to Australia.

This is the most wholesome thing I have ever seen in my entire life.

I revelled in the rugged and the glorious landscapes.

Push in. Oh... Now.

Let's do it differently.

SHE SCREAMS

CHEERING I love you, Australia!

This is Australia as few get to see her.

Come with me.

Stacey Dooley's Australia Off The Beaten Track.

We're headed deep into the ancient Daintree Rainforest,

where many within their community live completely off-grid,

cut off from the modern world,

and I'm told they beautifully co-exist

with all the creatures, great and small.

I'm lost for words, actually. That is so, so beautiful.

I want to see what it takes to not just survive, but thrive

in this incredibly remote part of Australia.

That's crazy, no?

Stunning. What a treat.

Oh, mate. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

What? So grateful.

Look at this.

What's this one? Little quiche.

Bon appetit.

Today's one of those days

where you think, "How did I get this gig?"

But very happy to be here.

The train takes us from Cairns to Kuranda.

Then we'll travel further up the coast to Cape Tribulation,

or Kulki, the name given by the traditional owners.

The only place on the planet

where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet,

where the oldest rainforest crashes into the Great Barrier Reef.

It's remote and utterly secluded.

It's where people come to start again or run away.

This morning is going suspiciously well.

I'm having the time of my life.

However, I've been told over and over again...

...that this cyclone is threatening to make life very difficult.

So let's just see.

I'm going to be in the present, and do you know what?

If in five hours' time, I'm up to here in water,

then so be it.

I've literally no idea what to expect.

This is my guy.

This is Kane.

As a rainforest local,

he is perfectly placed to give me an insight into his world.

Hiya. Hey, kiddo!

Kane, how are you? You must be Stacey.

Yeah, hello. It's so nice to meet you! How's things? Nice to meet you.

Kane, where are your shoes?

Shoes? Oh! These are the ones my mother gave me.

I love it. Well, listen, I've got a similar pair.

That's so kind. Thank you.

You're not bothered about being under here, are you?

No, I'm OK, mate. You're OK. I've been in the rain a lot lately.

I would say so, yeah.

Apparently, we need to travel

a further three hours to get to our destination.

You know, it feels like there's not a single place in this country

that doesn't take hours to get to.

Kane has spent most of his life here,

and has turned his passion and knowledge of this place into his job.

For my teenage years to adult life,

I was showing people around the forest,

from 13 years old.

So you adore this place?

I more than adore it. It's my heart.

I'm privileged.

I like to teach people about it. Sure.

Yeah. I think this week is going to be pretty bonkers

because there was that cyclone, wasn't there?

We've got very lucky, Stacey. Woo! It's moved this morning.

Oh, it has? It's been sitting off the coast for two days,

like, right off Cape Tribulation.

It came ashore this morning and it's just moved south of Cairns.

We're in the remnants of it. Well, that's great news.

Kane, I'm your lucky charm. Let's hope so.

We're headed to a place so remote,

this is our opportunity to grab a few supplies.

Right.

Papaya. Two papayas. Yep.

Great. These should be the nice pink ones.

That looks good for me. Yes, mate. Yeah. Excellent.

We're gonna put a dragon fruit in. Yes. They're from here.

Magic. They're great.

Anything else you're interested in?

Do you know, I'm pretty chill, actually.

I can eat most things.

That's good, because you're going to be feeding on coconuts

if we get stuck there. I love coconuts.

That sounds good to me. I'll ask you that in four days' time.

Yeah, when I'm all coconutted out. I think I'm good.

Hi! Hi, girls.

How are you? Good. How are you?

I'm good. We're going to the Daintree.

Oh, exciting. I'm off to spend a week in the rainforest.

How about that? That's so exciting, hey?

Yeah, you're gonna have the best time. I think so.

You are the last humans we may see.

Maybe. Maybe that's a bit dramatic.

Yeah, I think you might have gone over the top there.

We're travelling even further north to Cape Tribulation.

It's the main access point to the rainforest,

and this ferry is the only way to cross the river.

When we cross the river, there's no power line.

You are entering the last part of Australia with off-grid.

We are leaving it all behind.

I like to tell people this is like coming on to an island.

Well, yeah, because, you know, I know we're still on the mainland,

but we are having to, like, cross a body of water.

Not just any body of water.

We are crossing a body of water with a huge amount of crocodiles in it.

Some of the biggest in Australia.

I did suspect this. This is the Daintree River.

It's also the only way out.

Let's hope it doesn't flood.

Very recently, for the first time in the last 40 years, the cable...

You notice we're on a pulley? Yeah.

So that snapped five weeks ago.

The rain come up, the water level went higher than the trees,

and that means that every person north of the river...

You're stranded. ...was stuck in there. Yeah.

Have a good one, guys. Mate, thank you so much.

No worries. Thank you.

See you on my way back. Maybe.

God willing.

He said maybe!

Yeah, if she's lucky, I might bring her back.

Oh, my God.

OK.

Right. Here we go.

Where I live, there is no traffic lights

and no mains electricity for 70km.

Is that right? So, what, have you got a generator?

I've got solar.

Would you describe yourself as being off-grid?

Yes. Yeah.

So here we are.

This rainforest is home to tens of thousands of animal species -

birds, insects, mammals, and, of course, crocodiles.

Kane. Look at this, eh?

It's a very remote beach, isn't it?

It's very remote. No-one else here. Me and you.

And you can see, as a way to the beach,

the locals have put up a few signs of their own

instead of national park signs.

Crocodiles aren't just dangerous. It's their home.

Er, in terms of crocodiles, what's your sort of generic advice?

Well, there's one...

No, that's not a crocodile. No, that's not a croc.

No-one panic. That's not a croc. But go on.

Because, I mean, there are loads of crocs. My genuine advice?

If you see a crocodile, take a photo.

No. Enjoy the experience

and don't go anywhere that you're not comfortable with.

If you can't see through the water, don't go near the water.

All good. No chances of that happening.

What's your favourite thing about living here?

Being able to connect with nature,

being away from the mainstream hub.

You probably realise I'm more relaxed now

than when I picked you up in Kuranda.

I'm away from the traffic lights. It's great.

So the most dangerous thing on a beach in North Queensland

isn't the crocodiles.

Maybe Kane's been out here too long.

What could be more dangerous than a crocodile?

Come around the corner. It's a coconut tree.

Smack me on the head?

That's probably the most dangerous thing about walking to the beach,

is that could fall on you. Not the crocodile.

And probably getting from the cars, even worse.

I wouldn't want to be taken out by a coconut.

When's the last time you had a fresh coconut?

A while ago.

Hey, so welcome down.

This is one of our local Daintree beaches.

Kane! Let me take this in.

Wow.

So have you heard the saying, where the rainforest meets the reef?

Yes, yes, yes. That's here, and Queensland takes the title of

two World Heritage areas overlapping.

Happens nowhere else on Earth.

There's old coral dried underneath.

As the tide drops, you can actually see

the edge of the coral extending all the way along.

And when you turn around behind us,

look at that.

You wouldn't even know there's a road in there.

There's a rainforest falling right in.

Pretty breathtaking, isn't it? This is...

It's absolutely outstanding.

It's one of the most beautiful places I think I've been -

and I've been to a lot of beautiful places.

Something everyone up here has is a machete.

Yep. It's not a weapon. It's a tool.

It's the easiest way to get into a coconut.

And you're always careful.

What have we got?

So coconuts come in different colours...

Right. ..because they're different ripeness. Mm-hm.

We've got our overripe coconut. We're gonna have a drink.

The best electrolyte.

And what I love is people come up here,

they walk along the beach, they leave the coconuts,

and then they go to the shop

and pay $5 for a can of coconut that comes from another country.

Me. Ah! I'm an imbecile.

Well, let's do a nice fresh one. I'm a fool.

I am a British fool.

I come over here and do exactly that.

Well, we'll leave you with that. Not today.

I'm not going to give you a hard time about it. Not today.

What a treat this is.

Here we go. Yeah, this is perfect.

What more do we want?

Do you know, if I got stranded, you are teaching me a core skill.

You might be saving my life right now.

Stunning. Cheers. Cheers, mate.

Mm!

Stunning.

The Daintree Rainforest is something of a magnet

for people enticed here by the idea of escaping normality,

reimagining life.

And, you know, the heat can get to you.

I've heard this term here - going troppo.

Case in point - someone's actually built a castle here.

Hello, mate. Hi.

How are you? I'm all right. How are you?

Good to see you, Winter. Good to see you too.

I'm Stacey. Hi, Stacey. How's things? It's very nice to meet you.

It's lovely to meet you too. Nice shirt.

Thank you ever so much. Yeah, you can't see me, can you?

Yeah, I can. My camo shirt. Yes, you can.

Look at this, eh? It's cute, eh?

This is Kane's mate, Winter.

19 years ago, he left the rat race of Sydney

to build this home in the rainforest.

You live in a castle.

Yeah. Yeah.

Did you build this yourself? Yes.

I can't wait to see what it's like inside.

A lot of people talk about building recycled houses,

but this thing is an act of mindfulness, let's call it.

So, Winter, what's your story? You're not from here?

No, I've been here for 20... 19 years.

So it's home? Yeah, it is home.

So you've got tenants. How many people live on-site?

Yeah, so four of us. OK. Five of us.

And it's just a peaceful, Zen, kind environment.

Well, the only thing we worry about is power and water,

and the only reason we have power is basically to refrigerate food.

If you don't eat and you don't drink, you will die.

That's true. And that's all that really matters.

So you've stripped it right back,

like, just to the basic fundamentals. Yeah.

Make sure we've got enough food, make sure there's water,

make sure we're kind. Yeah, that's it.

I mean, it's a great plan.

It's a plan that lots of us would like to adhere to,

but very few of us give it all up to live in the rainforest.

It's not an easy decision to live out here.

There's no ambulances, no police

and no windows.

If you've an emergency, you've kind of got to deal with it yourself.

Would you describe yourself as a hippie?

I think... Well, maybe a little bit.

Generally, I think in this environment, you've got

hippies and ferals.

Now, your hippies are the ones...

So I'd probably be more on the hippie side of things,

where you take care of things, you actually care about things,

and, yeah, and try and do the best you can.

Ferals try and do not too much.

Don't wash too much.

I think I'm feral.

Listen, I have been around the world, and I've seen so many houses.

I have never seen anything like this.

Oh, cute. Thanks. Yeah.

Yay! This is truly unique.

It really is.

So the exit's different to the entrance.

It's all about OHS, Stacey.

Spiral staircases are dangerous.

People always fall down them.

It shouldn't surprise me that the way out is via this slide.

Well, let's go. Let's go.

I'm a good sport.

There is nothing average about this place.

Nothing.

Are you OK?

I'm fine. Yeah, course you are.

Right. I'm coming!

I'm good at soft plays because I've got a toddler.

Whoa.

SHE SCREAMS

Amazing! Perfect.

This property actually has more than one home on it.

Winter's created a little micro-community here.

Knock, knock. Hiya, love. Cece!

Hello! Can we come in? Hello! Am I allowed to come in?

Please, come in. Will I take my shoes off? This is Stacey.

I'll take my shoes off. OK. Yeah, they're a bit muddy.

Come in, please. Cece, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too. My name's Stacey.

Welcome, Stacey.

Look at your home! Welcome to my little pad.

And what a pad it is. How's things?

Hi. Nice to see you. Nice to see you too.

Please, have a seat. Babe, how long have you been here?

I've been here for a year and a bit.

And do you love it? I love it so much.

How did you find out about this place?

How did you two meet? How did you meet Winter?

So I arrived here, I think it was in 2022.

And I came here for a festival that was happening just up the road,

up the Bloomfield Track.

And, yeah, by chance, I came here.

I was born in the Philippines in an island called Palawan.

Yeah, I grew up there in a little farming and fishing town,

but now it's become very touristic.

The attachment to the place when you've grown there

and you've, like, as a little kid,

been in the rice paddocks that were just so pristine.

And then you form an attachment to that.

This little river that used to be full of fish is now just houses

and people and growth, and it just becomes overwhelming.

So I kind of, like, escaped that to find peace and this...

This, you know? What this place offers

and the peace and the...

You can hear the crickets.

There, it's not that any more.

It used to be, but, yeah, it's painful to be there.

So I'm here instead and I'm loving life.

So you were craving...

...sort of isolation, nature, sort of being...

I don't want to say being at one, but do you know what I mean?

Like, that's really important to you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This place helps me so much.

Have you ever had any sort of hairy moments where,

I don't know, you've been face-to-face with a croc

or you've had a snake in the house or there's been a sp...?

Like...

There's a huge skink that lives under the refrigerator.

It comes out and... A what?

A skink. Skink? It's like a big lizard.

It's really shiny and... Oh. And it would just...

Oh, fine.

There's a skink under the sink? Yes. OK.

Under the fridge. Under the fridge.

Under the fridge. Nice and warm under the fridge.

We've got a monitor lizard,

big lizard like this that comes around.

Sometimes I see him around my bin, or he would go around.

If you want to know exactly what Cece is talking about,

by all means, look it up.

I love spiders.

People are spooked out by spiders. I love them.

We've got the big golden orb. Sometimes it just appears here.

One morning you wake up and you're like, "Whoa!"

SHE LAUGHS

It's right in your face.

I also have a microbat in my shower,

So it hangs in the top of my shower

and makes its little droppings there.

OK. You're never alone, Cece.

No. It's not a lonely life! You've always got company.

Babe, you're so relaxed.

Do you know what? I am so highly strung.

I am so highly strung, and I need to just chill the hell out.

I really, really need to be more Cece.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm... Yeah.

I'm probably not into rats, in all honesty.

That would probably be a bit problematic for me.

We get some pretty big rats. Really?

We get rats the size of cats.

No, you don't. Oh, yeah! Yeah, we do. White-tailed rats.

Look, I can see the appeal,

but a home without walls, sharing with the rainforest creatures...

This is sounding less and less like the place for me.

Do you know what? I commend you. I really, really do.

Because I think, you know,

we all think that we're going to do what we want to do,

and we're going to prioritise our own happiness.

But, actually, so many of us fall into this routine,

this rigid routine.

And so I think it's cool when people go,

"Actually, no, I'm up for this and I'm sort of going to...

"I'm going to follow, you know, follow my dreams."

But, you know, like, follow what is appealing right now.

You just need to get a little bit more down to earth.

Wilder, you know?

Babe, I couldn't get any wilder.

I am sat here in the middle of the Daintree amongst pythons, rats.

You've just got to not worry about it.

No. Don't worry. OK, fine.

That's my new top line.

Don't worry. What would Cece do?

I guess one of the things about living out here

is that you'd be eating pretty healthy.

Mostly fruit and veg,

whatever you can find or are allowed to grow

in this safely guarded ecosystem.

We're going to cook a curry.

We've been stuck in here for three lockdowns.

And if it falls apart, and the ferry breaks and it floods,

I don't need to go to a shop.

And I'm going to prepare a meal that everything here tonight,

except for the rice and the oil, is all grown from the forest.

So here's kaffir lime.

Have a squeeze of that. I love kaffir lime.

Yeah. I'm going to cut a few up fine, just to fry them off. Mm.

Do you know what these are? Tell me.

Green pepper. Oh, yes, like peppercorn sauce. Proper peppercorns.

Picked today, so proper little peppercorns.

We'll put them there. Turmeric root.

You are never going to get ill eating this.

Living off the land sounds very wholesome.

If you're this remote, you've got to make it work.

OK, Miss Rain.

Oh, and this is ideal. Welcome to the rainforest.

Look at this - window open, you're cooking,

and you can feel the nature right in the background.

I feel like... Tou asked me why I live here.

This is why. It's...

I don't feel comfortable anywhere else.

This is the way of life that I live for.

I'm gonna put these breadfruit in straight away,

so they can start cooking up.

Kane, you're so animated when you're talking about where you live.

I love it. And I've found a way. I get paid to do it at work.

But it's refreshing to hear you talk this way

because I feel like so many of us moan about where we live.

I think we live in a day and age that every human

has the opportunity to live where they like.

Find what you want to do and do it.

If you don't like what you're doing, change it.

STACEY SCREAMS

My absolute nightmare scenario has just played out.

There's a rat. A rat.

Oh, my God.

I don't mess with rats.

Honest to God, it ran across my foot.

Welcome to the oneness! Babe.

THEY LAUGH Can I say something?

Kane, get me on that ferry!

Did you see how big that was?

Yeah, I thought it was smaller than this piece of ginger, but...

THEY LAUGH

It's in here still, I think.

Everyone has a fear of something, and my fear is rodents.

I know these guys live amongst the critters like it's normal,

but I am absolutely shook.

It honestly went across my foot, Kane.

So they come into our houses. They're not your normal...

They're not Rattus rattus. They're native.

Yeah. They're actually a native.

Melomys is one of the smallest natives on the planet.

It's got these little round ears and these beautiful black eyes.

Really? Yeah.

I think, because it was scurrying across the floor at great speed,

I thought it was a rat.

I really need to find the Zen because, honestly,

anything scurrying on the floor...

...is terrifying.

I am sat in Winter's home.

Great vibes.

Kane's making a curry.

Cece's up, facilitating.

Everyone's having a grand time.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, this monster of an animal

that looks... The size of a large thumb.

STACEY LAUGHS

That looks just like a rodent,

crawls over my foot and scurries.

That is what happens.

Can I say something? I don't want to be the British cliche.

I want to be chill, but that's a lot.

Wait, no, it's there again!

I'm serious! I'm so sorry.

No, it's OK. I'm sorry, but you're gonna... Honestly...

Careful of the window. So sorry.

I honestly can't. I am not good with rodents.

This might be the time... I'm serious.

...to come on with them. Now's not the time to face my fear.

Honest to God. I think it might be. Where is it?

It's just under there. I need to...

I think I need to vacate the premises.

No, that's where it lives.

I nearly jumped out that window.

I could have broken both my legs.

Can I tell you something?

I've been travelling extensively for the past 20 years.

I am mortified that that was my reaction.

But can I tell you something? I don't like rodents.

I just absolutely hate rodents.

And it was enormous.

That was a lot. And I'm embarrassed, actually.

You wanted immersive?

You've got immersive.

This is immersive film-making at its best/worst.

SHE LAUGHS

Starting the morning deep in the Daintree Rainforest

is something special, you know?

Just listen - all you can hear.

The wildlife, the nature.

It feels an absolute world away

and the perfect way to deal with the trauma of last night's rat incident.

Kane suggested we give this sound bath a go.

I'm just going to open up this space,

so everyone can just get comfortable.

I'd like to be sitting in a seated position.

We're going to put our hands to our prayer position.

And if we could please lower our heads.

Firstly, I'd like to thank the traditional landowners,

the Kuku Yalanji, past, present and emerging.

Jess runs this sound bath

and it feels exactly like what one should be doing

when in the world's oldest rainforest.

And as you're breathing in,

you allow your body to completely soften...

...and to relax.

There's a very good chance that I'll fall asleep.

This is the most relaxed I've felt in ages.

And I definitely feel lighter, calmer and more connected to myself.

Thanks, Jess.

That was amazing.

How was it for you, Kane? Oh, amazing.

That's my first experience here. That was good.

Oh, you've never done a sound bath before?

No, it was my first sound bath. That was great.

I totally subscribe to the idea of, like,

you know, just, like, the fundamentals.

Like, respecting the land, respecting your pals,

prioritising love. I get it, actually.

Yeah. I'm totally on board. Yeah.

Kane, are you going for a nap?

THEY LAUGH

I'm opening my heart here in the Daintree Rainforest,

and Kane's gone to sleep!

That was amazing, but there's no time for naps.

We have a huge rainforest to explore.

Hey, Stace? Yes, Kane?

We're gonna go spend the rest of the day in the rainforest,

and I'm going to show you a bit more of the rainforest,

but we have to stop, and I'm going to meet my...

We're going to introduce you to my family.

Yes. Yeah. A bit different than you're expecting.

Just over here, this is Penny and Laura.

They go everywhere I can.

I don't think you're ready for that, were you?

I hope you don't mind. Who's who? This one's Laura.

That's Laura. She was found in Cape York,

injured on the side of the road with a dislocated wing. Oh, Laura!

And I've had her for four years since she could fly.

But she likes to stay near me

because I protect her, and her best friend...

Atcha, up! Hi, baby. Big one, here, and very friendly,

this is Penny. Penny! Come here. Come say hello.

I love dogs. Come and say hello.

They're going to sit in the car with us,

and we're gonna take them up and we're gonna go check out

an amazing tree I'd like to show you in the middle of the rainforest.

I can't wait, Kane. Ah! This should be a treat, hey!

The Daintree rainforest is 180 million years old.

This place actually outlived the dinosaurs.

It's the most ancient living ecosystem in the world.

This is the land of the eastern Kuku Yalanji people,

and it's home to over 3,000 different types of plants.

I'm going to show you one of my greatest things I can.

We're going to jump out. OK.

Oh... We're going to go... ..Kane. This is a Strangler Fig.

A Strangler Fig. The story goes that

a tree grew underneath and it grew up,

and then the birds landed up the top,

dropped its guano or done a bird poo.

Inside the poop was a fig seed.

A tiny little seed the size of a pinhead grew a tree up the top.

And that tree has grown down,

and its roots have gone around it and encompassed it.

The tree on the outside is meant to be roughly 400 to 500 years old.

We have to speculate.

That means there's a 200-300 tree inside,

which means this tree has been growing here

before the first fleet came to Australia.

That is amazing. That is amazing.

These trees are older than colonial Australia.

It's so handsome, isn't it? It's a beautiful tree.

It's actually hollow.

There's a chance you come back here in a few hundred years

and there'll be someone like Yoda living inside.

It will outlive all of us.

Wow. No, it is beautiful.

And it's not... Actually, to me, it's not a tree either.

It's like an ecosystem.

There's life on life. You can walk right in.

Wow. Yeah. This is stunning.

You can walk in as much as you like. Oh, look, we used to come here.

You can see as a child growing up... I bet.

...what a playground it is. I bet.

Uh, this is home. How high can you get?

I'll just keep going if you let me, but,

um, I just wanted to show you. Yeah. So it's a spectacular...

Look at all the nooks and crannies, and it's a great tree.

I feel really lucky.

I'm actually made up you showed me this because it's beautiful, Kane.

Incredible.

The Daintree by day is stunning

and at night this place comes alive.

You never know what's lurking around the corner.

Right. You're in charge, Kane.

Oh, there's something there. Where?

It might have been your foot.

Right. Listen, we need to be careful, because there might be crocodiles.

We want to find a crocodile! Kane, I don't want to find a crocodile.

I've got a bright light.

I'm not sure about the crocodiles. Huh?

No. They're OK. Kane...

You do know that I've lived here my whole life and I'm still alive.

I understand that, but I don't know what to do if I see a crocodile.

I'll get you to take a photo.

LOW CROAKING

That's a Barred Frog. A what?

So, that's a Northern Barred Frog.

See how there's water everywhere there?

Under the leaf litter? Hopefully we find here a few more.

They're extremely hard to find. Can I say..?

CROAKING CONTINUES There is nothing dangerous...

I want you to know there's no dangerous

animals out here if we stay on the track.

But there's no really dangerous things here.

You do get crocodiles in the water.

But we're not going swimming, are we? Not tonight, Kane.

Kane? I'll tell you. I have a slight concern.

Every time I go on a hostile environment course,

I'm told not to venture out in the dark because we might get lost.

Do you know the way back? I know my way back.

OK. I'm trusting you.

Now I want to show you as well.

Have a look at where we are. Look at our canopy.

You've walked under a dark canopy of beautiful fan palms.

Wow. It's spectacular, isn't it? They block it out like a natural...

Like nature's natural cathedral.

It is beautiful. The frogs have gone.

There they are again. Very hard to find.

What noise do they make, Kane? Whop, whop.

So they're called Northern Barred Frogs,

but all us local kids, and remember, I am a child from the forest,

we call them Whop Whop Frogs.

Whop, whop, whop. Wow!

RESPONSIVE CROAK

Whop, whop.

FROGS CROAK BACK

Whop, whop, whop.

FROGS RESPOND

And they'll keep singing back. Isn't it...?

It's great, isn't it? Whop, whop.

I'll see if I can find you one.

Whop, whop, whop.

Somewhere over here.

I found it!

There's a Northern Barred Frog! Oh, we got one! Right there.

Oh, you beauty? It is brown. This is our local native.

Oh. So that... Us... us locals call them Whop Whop frogs.

It's gorgeous.

I quite like frogs. You can see its throat moving. Yeah, I can. Yeah.

It's actually really exciting to spot these creatures,

especially because they're so tiny and tucked away.

So why don't I show you over here?

We're going to go up here. Have you noticed with our torches,

everything's looking green? Yes.

I'm going to show you the forest with a different light.

Green leaves on earth use chlorophyll for sunlight,

don't they? Yes.

What if chlorophyll is seen differently to other animals?

Us humans, we see leaves as green. Yes.

But when you shine an ultraviolet light,

bees, butterflies and other insects can see them differently.

Keep your torch down a little bit.

I'm going to shine my green light on there

and watch what happens when I use an ultraviolet light.

Oh, so that's what they see?

Supposedly insects, birds and other animals

can see the world in these bright colours.

Kane! I'll hold it there. It's green,

and then I shine this and I transfer it off,

and you get a beautiful transition into the red light.

Kane! It's mind-blowing, isn't it?

Yeah. And there's patterns hidden everywhere in this forest,

and we're only just starting to learn.

Sure. We found a scorpion! Ooh! Oh, yes.

Look at this. See that bright blue thing

in there with the ultraviolet light?

We've got one.

You see it. So in over here

with the ultraviolet light, can you see that?

I can. I can, Kane. Yeah.

With a normal light it's brown and camouflaged.

Like, you cannot see it.

And then you go, "Hello." Yeah. That's incredible.

Tell me a bit about scorpions. This is a marbled scorpion.

What does that mean? That's... that's its name.

So it's got marbled colour. What traits does it have?

A tail that it stings with,

and it bloody hurts if you get bitten by it.

So I've never actually experienced

that more than once and I don't recommend it.

So there are dangerous animals here. But unless you're like me,

running around playing in the jungle barefoot,

you're not going to get stung.

It's hard not to be swept up in the pureness of it all,

but Kane's in his happy place.

Wild, remote, pristine.

It's his playground.

And, you know, I think I could be going a little troppo myself.

I just need to take this opportunity to hug this tree because I think...

I think you should! Listen, it's good juju.

Don't you think? It's great that you've picked this tree

and I didn't point it out to you?

I stop here quite often because I have the memories of

when I was four actually climbing this specific tree.

Right.

Can I tell you something? If I lived out here,

I think I would go a bit woo woo because everything's so beautiful.

I might already be there. I think you might be there.

Mm. Do you know what? I don't find it weird, though.

Whatever any other humans think, it's the way to be.

This is actually meant to be really good for you.

How do you feel?

Very calm. You're in the middle of the Daintree rainforest,

hugging an old tree.

Yeah, that is cool, isn't it? I'm just going to say a prayer.

Listen, it's been ace.

I'm quietly relieved that we didn't find a croc.

Kane was game. He was like, "I'll look after you.

"I can find you a croc."

But I just think playing about near crocs of an evening...

Probably not the brightest idea!

Right. I'm going to turn this lantern off

so you can see for yourself how dark it is.

It's pitch-black.

You can't see your hands in front of your face.

One. Two. Three.

Where is she? Where's Kane, actually.

I'm yet to see a crocodile and today is apparently the day

my luck comes in...

...or runs out, depending on how things go.

Hey. How're you going, Stacey? I'm Ernie.

How's things? Very well, thank you. Lovely to meet you.

Me and you. That's it. Just the two of us.

Who knew? Lovely. Yeah. I'm very excited about this, Ernie.

Well, it's good that you're excited.

Cos I've heard so much about the crocodiles,

but I'm yet to see one. Wow. Don't let me disappoint you!

Today could be the day. Look at this.

I've heard so much about these crocs,

but I'm yet to see the croc.

So...

...yeah, I've got everything crossed.

Also from the safety of a boat.

You know what I mean? With Ernie,

who's been doing this for over 30 years.

We're headed deep into the mangroves,

and I'm told that this area

of the Daintree is completely untouched.

And considering the rainforest is so old, we're in for an absolute treat.

So a little creek, this, called Coopers Creek.

So it starts up there at Thornton Peak

and finishes in the Coral Sea.

So all protected National Park.

As we go on, we'll have a look for crocodiles.

They're a bit hard this time of year.

We're still in the end of summer,

but I just got one on the last trip and if we find her,

she'll be employee of the month, won't she?

So, on your right, looking for the crocodiles.

So look in the water here. It's still summer,

and they're still feeding because they're cold-blooded.

So while the water's still warm, they're, um, more active

and they're digesting it quicker and growing as well. Yeah.

How big are the bigger ones, Ernie?

Um, in this part of Queensland, a lot of the crocodiles

were shot out over the years, and it's only

in the '70s they started to protect them.

Rightio. So a big male in this neck of the woods

might be somewhere in his 60s.

It might be 4.5m, or it could be bigger.

And the females in here are around about three metres,

45, 47 years old and, um, very territorial.

As we meander down the river, it's not lost on me

that this rainforest is literally ancient.

It's so humbling, really.

And it doesn't look like it right now,

but these mangroves are full of life.

Crabs, you get here. All those holes in the banks are the crabs,

and a really big one can be two kilos.

And the main food for the crocodiles here are fish

and birds and crabs and dogs and pigs,

wallabies, all those things.

They eat pigs, do they?

In the rainforest, the pigs are uncontrolled

and the crocs go right up here, further in the rainforest.

And it's probably one of their greatest foods

is pigs, you know,

and pigs really smell, so they can smell them about.

And when they pass through the water,

they can smell it as well.

So they have to cross the water up here in the rainforest,

and the crocs are just waiting for them there.

And Ernie, you'll have to forgive my ignorance.

Can Crocs..? They... they can take themselves out of the water

and walk about on land?

Yeah, they can do,

but their greatest strength is to attack at the water's edge.

So once they've got you,

the easiest way for them to dispatch you is to drown you.

So it just means they're using less energy.

And the thing Crocs can have

a problem with is a build-up of lactic acid.

So if they have to struggle

too much, they have to let you go.

So if they can drown you quickly, you're on the menu. Yeah.

This is a good little channel for crocs.

Noted. All limbs in the boat at all times.

I am going to find us one. Just look for a head.

You have mild superpowers, do you?

Listen, I can sense when something is about to happen.

I can feel that about you. Yeah. It's that red glow!

Yeah.

Ernie...

...I'm a woman on a mission.

And just like that, we spot one! Oh, my God!

She's a female. Look, she's on the...

...bank. Mud bank. The mud bank. That's it.

What a view!

So she's a female around about 45,

47 years old and around three metres. Yeah.

Ernie! This is right in her area. Wow.

Gosh, it's huge, isn't she? We have finally spotted a classic

saltwater croc and she's a beauty.

I've never seen a croc this close up and it is a glorious experience.

And look at her tail, Ernie. It's half the body length.

So four metres can jump three metres out of the water on their tail,

and then get over the first 25m doing 60-70km an hour.

I am gobsmacked we've seen her. She is stunning.

Oh, Ernie, I'm made up. I'm so happy that we found her.

Look, this is magnificent. This is such a privilege.

Like, it's such a treat to be this close.

And she ain't moved, has she, Ernie? Nah.

She's just sat there posing for us.

SHE GASPS

Oh, wow. I wish you could see.

I wish you could see her through these.

Oh, Ernie.

I've been invited to a party.

Winter, Kane, CC, all my new friends will be there.

And it's just a lovely way to celebrate

the end of a really beautiful time here in the Daintree.

But like everything I've experienced,

this isn't the sort of party I'm used to.

I've got some new skills to learn. How long have you been performing?

Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't say performing.

We just, you know, come and have fun,

and, yeah, it's just sort of part of the fun in Cape Trib.

So it's a hobby? Yeah. Nina's a local

and she's pretty handy with these flaming sticks.

So, in front, behind.

She's agreed to teach me how to fire twirl.

When did you start? Oh, yeah. Like, a kid.

Like. Yeah. So I remember, like, being bored at home

and you'd just get, like, a broomstick and start, like,

you know, twirling broomstick just for fun.

But, yeah, like a good beginner's one is,

um, sort of like you're rowing a boat.

Oh, yes. From side to side of your body.

Yep, yep, yep. And it's, like, in the wrist action.

OK, Winter.

There's a good chance of me leaving the rainforest without eyebrows.

Wheeeee! Go girl.

Whew.

Actually, Winter, you take over.

I just wanted a little play.

Oh, my...

Listen, the secret is to know your strengths.

There's a couple of things I'm not good at.

If I just take off my shoes. I think I'd totally blends in.

This is the most random off-the-grid scene I could have imagined.

I mean, the house is a literal castle.

We've got wood-fired pizza and fire twirling,

and at this point I'm just going with it.

I have had a brilliant time here in the rainforest.

It has been chaotic and surprising and brilliant.

We got lucky. We swerved the cyclone,

met some fascinating people. I mean, Kane is such a character.

Shout out to Laura the parrot. It's been wonderful.

It's been bonkers.

And it's totally true to say that myself,

I never would have come here. So I'm made up that I've been able

to experience this, this way of life.

It's...

It's wild.

Next time...

I've never done anything like this before.

How did I get this gig?

Go down and you'll feel a little baby in there.

You feel that? Oh, my God. How's that?

This is my favourite thing I've done so far.

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