"Slow down, cassowaries crossing" the sign said as we climbed a small rise on the road. Strange, we thought. A kilometre or so further along there was another sign - "Are you speeding?" - this time with a picture of a big bird and a crumpled car. Passing patches of thick rainforest beside the road, we peered into the dark shadows hoping to see a cassowary, but no luck. Thankfully it wasn't going to be us to hit the next gigantic prehistoric bird on this busy stretch of road.
We encountered these signs only in the last few kilometres before Mission Beach. We quickly came to realise cassowaries are a big part of Mission Beach - one of the last few easily accessed strongholds of these big, scary birds left in Australia. They still lurk around Cape Tribulation and the Daintree to the north and there are a few up on the Atherton Tablelands behind Cairns. In fact, we had a close encounter with one up there a few years ago. We even have a hasty, blurred, close-up shot of the bird's face to prove it. But we were intrigued that they still choose to stay near a place as busy as Mission Beach.
That is because Mission Beach is a settled area. It's not glitzy or Hollywood like Port Douglas, it's much more down to earth and friendly. It's also a lot quieter, the cafes are low-key, the shopping (what shopping?) is affordable and the nightlife, at best, is a walk along the beach in the moonlight before an early night. But that's Mission Beach's charm; it is what Port Douglas was like 15 years ago, or more. We rented a little house on the sea front at Wongaling Beach, just one section of Mission Beach's many kilometres of white-sand beaches. Mornings were hectic as we ambled through breakfast on the veranda, already seeking shade as the temperature climbed. Then a walk along the beach as the daily trade wind came up to cool things a bit. Back for a quiet coffee, before lighting the barbie for lunch. Then it was down to the beach again to sit under the swishing casuarina trees awhile, read a book, maybe take another short walk. Hectic, I tell you.
After years of dashing around while travelling, catching boats, climbing hills, diving reefs and riding 4WDs through dry dusty places, it's nice to go somewhere and do nothing. Where we were staying there was really no need to go any further than across the road to the beach. Dunk Island sat lazily in the water directly opposite, just a few kilometres offshore. Several evenings we drove around to the main village and had pizza and too much Italian wine for dinner. This is where Mission Beach differs from Port Douglas; its cuisine options are rather limited. Fish and chips are big, the pizzas are good and there's a pub serving bistro-style meals, but it's not open every night. All the more reason to stay home and light the barbie again.
But the thought of those big chunky cassowaries tip-toeing through the bush just a few kilometres away kept eating at us. Oh, to see another one up close and personal in the bush. Our chance came just south of Mission Beach, on the road heading back towards Tully, where signs point out the Licuala Walkway - just "a quick loop track through stunning licuala palm forest", they said.
