RAIN FOREST RUN

EXPLORING THE ANCIENT RAINFORESTS ALONG THE CREB TRACK IN FNQ

- DAN GREC

MAKING the decision to ford a large river is never an easy one. When pushing the limits I always slow down and try to use my brain so I don't become an internet meme, stranded on the roof of my rapidly sinking Jeep. Before charging in I assess the depth, the water flow and the riverbed. A crossing with a firm gravel bottom is an entirely different challenge than one with bottomless mud. Any large boulders or deep holes are also nice to know about.

The most straightforward way to be certain about all of this is simply to walk across the river before driving in, and if this was any ordinary river, that's exactly what I would do. While standing a respectable distance from the actual water, I'm very aware this is absolutely not any ordinary river.

We're in Far North Queensland, standing on the banks of the mighty Daintree River, infamous for its salty infestation. While I can't actually see any crocodiles from where I'm standing, I feel certain they must be lurking just under the waterline, waiting for their next meal to wander into the water.

Not only do we have to successfully cross this river, it would be nice not to get eaten by crocs while doing it.

THE CREB TRACK

CREATED as the service access track for the old Cairns Regional Electricity Board (CREB), the track mostly follows ancient aboriginal foot trails through dense rainforest. As well as providing spectacular scenery, the CREB is notorious as one of Australia's most challenging four-wheel drive adventures. With rain the track becomes extremely slippery and dangerous, and in recent months multiple vehicles have rolled on the slick clay and were left in the thick jungle for days. During that incident even a Unimog sent to help was no match for the steep climbs and became another victim.