Port Douglas via Hartley Crocodile Sanctuary hardly a sanctuary as it is a farm supplying high grade skins for bags and shoes and other sorts of fashion accessories. However you only see a little bit of this. Part of the tour they told us if the croc had any sense it would fight and get all battered as there was a greater chance of it remaining at the sanctuary to breed from than ending up as a Louis Vitton handbag.

There is a lagoon with a boat ride they show you how dangerous a croc can be. They place a piece of chicken on a stick and dangle it 4 feet above the water until the croc launches itself out to grab what it can. Amazing. The snapping sound of its jaws as it tries to grab the chicken makes you shiver.  

At last we got to see a Cassowary, described by the keeper as an Emu in drag, its a pity we never saw it in the wild but they are becoming more scarce

The place is a farm however they are trying to educate people to understand why they must treat these animals with respectful caution. The attack show at the end of the day showed why. 2 keepers explain with demonstrations how a croc can jump for food or attack on a bank side. Then once it attacks how it kills its prey this is normally by drowning. They told numerous stories of the unlucky locals. One man was never found after his wife heard what she thought was a scream, following him trying to retrieve a snagged fishing line and why running makes no difference. Makes you shudder I for one will not be going near a creek. 
The croc who got him was black with a white head the locals called him Michael Jackson and were really sad he had to be killed.

Lovely ride to Port Douglas the road winds again through rain forest and then sugar cane fields till eventually you turn of the main road. The town lies on a sort of peninsular not very big 2 streets one along the palm tree lined white sand 4 mile beach and the other to the marina with all the restaurants pubs shops etc. our hotel / apartment is at the far end. Great place the managers of the place were bike riders and could not be more accommodating had loads of info about the place. We decide straight away to stay another night.

Walked into town for dinner only 7.30pm not a soul around so quiet. Having walked the length of the town we went back to the first place we found Zinc opposite our apartment. Good food and a little bandicoot came to visit. Tom thought was a rat but it appeared to be living in the bushes which were part of the restaurant.