Proserpine River Crocodile Safari

Dr. Pepe's students set off down the Proserpine River in search of saltwater crocodiles.

The term "Crocodile Safari" connotes for most Americans the jungle river ride at Disneyland which featured khaki clad river guides explaining the dangers of the river and shooting at attacking hippos. It was never my favorite because even at age 6 I knew it was a farce and that these river "guides" were leading us through a fetid canal lined by 10 yards of "forest" home to creatures no more exotic than pigeons and all set in a car ringed amusement park in a hideous Los Angeles suburb. The "guides" themselves were no more capable of fighting off an attacking crocodile than Mr. Bean. It was with these images in mind that I set off down the Proserpine River to search for the famous Australian estuarine crocodiles - the largest crocodiles in the world. Our guide Steve - good name that- was a typical Australian wildlife guide in that he was a fairly large, brash, confident guy that one actually could imagine attempting to fight off an attack with his bare hands. Steve was also typical in the numerous corny jokes about tourists being devoured or bitten by snakes, crocodiles, or enormous spiders, BUT, when answering questions or lecturing on Aussie wildlife made a point never to exaggerate the size or danger of these strange beasts. Our tour was conducted at low tide so that the exposed muddy banks of the river could be seen. These muddy shores are home numerous crocodiles sunning themselves to stay warm in the "cool" Australian winter. We saw perhaps 20 to 25 crocs ranging in size from 12' to 13' in length down to four juveniles roughly one foot in length. The four young ones were clustered on a log next to the river's edge as their mother sat a short distance away. Although independent of their mother by this age they are still capable of summoning her to their aid with a distress cry. Some crocs chose to slither down the banks into the safety of the water as we neared and then peered at us from just beneath the surface. A few of these more shy crocs actually slid down the muddy banks into the water backwards - tail first! - so as not to waste any time or energy actually turning around. This lent their efforts a most undignified air and made you almost forget they could bite you in half if they could. Other crocs were unperturbed by our presence and let Steve nose our boat to within a few feet of them. They would respond merely by adjusting their feet so that they could burst away from us if they had to. Crocodiles kill very few Aussies each year and those who are are usually drunk and/or in the water at night. Steve explained to us that more Aussies were killed last year by vending machines than crocodiles. The mangrove areas of the Proserpine River estuary, then, are not only important as fish nurseries and environmental filters, but as habitat and breeding areas for saltwater crocodiles.

In addition to our crocodile safari our guides treated us to a tour of a typical Australian eucalyptus forest. The Australian climate is divided into sharp rainy and dry seasons. In the rainy season, or "the wet", tropical winds bring rain that turns the forests green, brings abundant grass growth, and floods the land with numerous waterholes called billabongs. Most plants and animals are quite happy during this time and we spotted numerous birds - ibis, an eagle, kingfishers, rainbow bee-eaters, kites, herons, egrets - that would be quite hard to find during "the dry". The Australian dry season, like ours, is marked by brown vegetation and rampaging wildfire. The billabongs go dry and animals have to adjust by one mechanism or another. We were fortunate to see the forest in their wet green condition and were lucky to see a herd of wallabies grazing in a meadow. Our land guide Mark showed us numerous plants that the Australian aboriginals used to survive in this area centuries ago - including plants used as soap, as paper, and as wrapping for meat in the cookfire.

A real treat for us was the barbecue that took place between the land and river portions of our tour. While Mark was showing us the wonders of the eucalypt woodlands, Steve cooked us up a beautiful Ausie barby of steak, baramundi (fish), prawns, and sausages. It was a carnivores delight. Later Steve made "bush tea" for us before we headed for home. Bush tea is tea made in the bush - meaning way out in the middle of nowhere. It is made by boiling water and loose tea in a "billy" - a metal bucket with a handle - and then swinging the billy around and around like a softball pitcher until the tea is steeped. I can't decide wether I loved it because it was actually good or because it was made by an Aussie guy swinging around a can of boiling water. Whatver.