Douglas-Smith tracks loop (with critters)

Yesterday I ventured out for an ambitious walk: From the Speewah campground, following the Douglas Track to Glacier Rock and down to Kamerunga, then back up Smith's Track to the carpark.

My route: 13-5-4-3-2-1-11-10-9-8-4-5-13

By my calculations it was a little over 18 km with over 1000 m vertical ascent and took 6.5 hrs including lunch and snack stops. I was knackered by the end of it, but it does mark another challenge ticked off my Mareeba bucket list!

And it also turned out to be butterfly central, only some of which I had seen before. Here are some of the flora and fauna that I came across:

Orange fungus of some kind (thankfully not fire coral fungus)

Cairns Birdwing butterfly in flight
(first time I've seen this in the wild!)

Tiny trumpet flowers in various colours
(I've since been informed this is a noxious weed...)

The obligatory photo from Glacier Rock
- the weather was better than forecast

Female cruiser butterfly, wingspan approx 10 cm

St Andrews Cross spider
(second one I've seen)

The not-so great view from Toby's Lookout

Common tree snake

Union Jack butterfly (wingspan approx 5 cm)

Male Jezebel butterfly

 I also caught a glimpse of a brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly (too far away to photograph).

And about 500 m from the carpark I met another person on the track coming towards me who said that there was a cassowary with a chick further up ahead. We ventured on slowly and cautiously; they had moved a little way off the track and as they walked behind some trees we made our way past them. I had seen 8 or 9 cassowary 'deposits' on the track during the day, and had seen some in captivity before, but this was my first time encountering one in the wild. I didn't get a photo as they were only 5 metres or so away - a little too close for comfort when there's no fence between us!