Amongst peaceful doves and under the watchful eye of the resident nesting pair of Osprey, David Anderson and the team at Thala officially launched the newest addition to the host of natural wonders that can be experienced at Thala Beach Lodge.

The Bird Hide is nestled within native trees and shrubs with views across the coconut plantation and on to the majestic rainforest clad Macallister Range.  Here you can watch the Osprey feed their young while the other bird life (56 species to date in 2010 out of the total 181 sited in 2009) frolic around in the natural water bath.

The Bird Hide provides a fantastic opportunity to absorb the multitude of bird species that inhabit the property and delight in calling Thala Beach Lodge home.

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Coconut Chocolate Recipe

Now that I have your attention we’ll get to the chocolate in a moment.

Many people believe coconuts are bad because they contain saturated fat, personally I’ll never believe saturated fat is bad for anyone but that makes for another blog.

The saturated fat in coconuts is unique in that it contains medium chain fatty acids, ( MCFA’S) making it very easily digested travelling through the portal vein into the liver, thus converting to energy & speeding up metabolism. This can result in the lowering of body fat just by consuming coconut products, ie the meat, oil, cream, milk etc.

Information claiming that coconuts contain cholesterol is false as plants do not contain cholesterol & statements claiming that saturated fats are similar to trans- fats, are misleading, & for anyone familiar with basic chemistry knows this is bad science. MCFA’S contain only about 8-10 carbons, which are medium chains. The other fats are long chain fatty acids containing 18-20 carbons, making them harder to digest & adding to body fat.

Coconut oil is 50% lauric acid which forms monolaurin in the body, this creates the antiviral, antibacterial monoglyceride that will destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, influenza, various bacteria & so on.

So with benefits like this I and my partner Melanie eat a coconut every day. We cook with the oil, milk and cream, we use desiccated coconut for our desserts and I even drink the oil.  Mel is not fond of drinking oil so to get her oil she has come up with a delicious recipe for chocolate which may be the worlds first fat loss chocolate.

Ingredients are:
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of organic cocoa powder
2 eggs, separated
Stevia (to your own taste)
Desiccated coconut

In a mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until firm.
In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, cocoa powder & stevia. Blend until smooth,  then add the egg yolks 1 at a time, stirring continuously.
Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, in 2 batches.
Once combined, spoon into a small glass container (roughly 10cmX10cm), that has been lined with cling wrap.
Sprinkle with desiccated coconut, gently patting it into the chocolate with your fingers.
Refrigerate for 2 hours to set, then cut into bite size pieces!
Enjoy!

Carl

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Wishing a Merry Christmas + a Happy New Year to everyone!

We will be bringing you some great blog posts in 2010!

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It’s a pitch black night here at Thala. A strange repetitive sound  ‘zoop zoop zoop zoop’ softly resonates  through the rainforest. It is hard to tell which direction it is coming from: But it seems to be generally high up in the canopy. The sea breeze has died away and the still humid air hangs like a blanket over the forest.  ‘zoop zoop zoop’ it drones on.

Nocturnal birds, as mysterious as their call, Papuan Frogmouths are nesting overhead in a fork of a giant Paperbark tree at the edge of the thick forest.

Papuan frogmouth chick in nest.

Their flimsy nest, balanced 20 metres above the ground with a few sparse twigs, is  home to this magnificent chick. Piercing red eyes distinguish these birds from other species of frogmouths. While guests at the lodge are sleeping, his parents work hard throughout the night capturing moths, small reptiles and frogs to keep up with the chick’s voracious appetite. They usually sit motionless in a tree alert to every movement on the ground below; swooping down on stealthily quiet wings to grab small prey with their large wide beaks.

During the day parents and chick spend their time motionless often with their eyes closed to protect their sensitive retina from the harsh sunlight. Cryptic colours and feather patterns means that extremely keen eyes are needed to see them at all. Thala’s naturalists Brett and David first spotted this chick and for many weeks guests have enjoyed watching him with the aid of a powerful telescope.

Now at night  the forest feels alive and mysterious. Thick brooding air carries the zoop zoop zoop of the Papuan Frogmouths right along the beach. Waves cast phosphorescence  onto the eerily glowing sand. This is the wet season in all its natural glory, a remarkable celebration of life.

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The Flame Tree – Brachychiton acerifolius is in full flower at Thala and native to the East Coast of Australia.

The Flame Tree holds a commanding stature with its blazing red flowers conspicuous amongst the glossy green of the rainforest.

Flame Tree Flower

A Flame Tree at Thala Beach Lodge.

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Brachychiton Megaphyllus is related to the flame tree and very rare to Queensland. It’s a small tree with has large stiff leaves, normally found in the Northern Territory. It has taken us by surprise in that a Casuarina seed must have blown into the seed pot and germinated after the Brachychiton was planted.

From the photograph one notes that the Casuarina dwarfs the Brachychiton which at aprox. 21cm tall is flowering with a beautiful array of red/orange blossom.

If anybody could give us more information on the Brachychiton Megaphyllus it would be greatly appreciated!

A Brachychiton Megaphyllus and a Casuarina.

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Green Coconuts

Young green coconuts contain a liquid that’s often confused with coconut milk. Coconut milk comes from the flesh, unlike the water which is the endosperm. Young green coconut water is the most sterile liquid in nature. It has been proven to have the same electrolyte balance as the blood passing through our veins, which would be why during the First & Second World Wars it was intravenously fed to patients when glucose & plasma supplies were low.

Being high in calcium, magnesium & potassium, it’s a delicious rehydrating liquid. People say bananas are a great source of potassium, but 100mls of green coconut water has an amount of potassium equivalent to 15 bananas. Green coconut water also contains cytokinins, a more concentrated amount than any other food source. These are the cells D.N.A protective agents. Researchers believe that it is an anti-ageing tonic.

Coconut water contains a complex blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates, antioxidants, enzymes, health enhancing growth hormones & other important nutrients.

I feel very lucky that my path in life led me to working at Thala’s coconut plantation, giving me & guests on the tours, an unlimited supply of green coconuts. I’ve also noticed some supermarkets stocking green coconuts & some carry coconut water.

Coconut Kefir Recipe

This is a favourite drink of mine!

Fill a 1 litre, glass container with coconut water, add a little kefir culture & then seal the lid.

Let it sit for 24 hours on a bench, then 12 hours in the fridge.

It’s ready to drink! This fizzy, sour, champagne like drink has the bacteria that’s missing in our Western diet. It gives me the foundations to build my immune system & health!

Thanks for reading,

Carl!!

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Carl talking Coconuts

Carl Johanson is our resident Coconut guru + his Coconut Odyssey tour is proving to be a hit! There are many amazing benefits and myths surrounding Coconuts and Carl is on a mission to convert the world to Coconuts! A huge hit with guests, Carl has been included in NineMSN’s Australia’s most eccentric Tour Guides.

Carl shared some of his thoughts over a cooling Coconut…

Q. Where do coconuts come from…

A. Different cultures have claimed ownership of coconuts. Here in Australia people have been destroying coconut palms saying they are not native, but recent fossilized evidence off the coast of Australia points to the origins being between here and Papua New Guinea.

Q. What got me hooked…

A. I love the taste of coconuts. But I got hooked when I learnt that coconut does not make fat, but instead helps to burn it and as a result has given me a nice 6 pack. You gotta get hooked on that!

Q. Nutritional benefits…

A. There are too many to list them all, but the best would be-

- Speeds up metabolism
- Antiviral, Antibacterial & Antifungal properties
- Builds the immune system

And I believe the best quality food left on this planet! Just think the fruit is up high so no pests can affect it, therefore no Herbicides or Pesticides are required. They’ll grow in the sand, needing no fertilizer and don’t need to be genetically modified.

Q. Why you should take the tour…

A. It’s the only coconut tour in Australia. A great opportunity to learn amazing facts about coconuts, and dispel the myths suppressing this miracle food.

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This Comb Crested Jakana was spotted at Thala foraging in saltwater

The Comb Crested Jacana (Trediparra Gailinacea) is a new species added to the growing list of birds identified at Thala Beach Lodge in Tropical North Queensland.

The Jacana is normally found in fresh water wetlands where it is seen walking on water lily leaves looking for insects. Its weight is sufficient to push the leaf just under the surface of the water giving the impression that it is walking on water. Hence it is sometimes called the Jesus Bird.

The Brown Backed Honeyeater nest in close proximity to a Paper Wasp nest.

The strange thing about this sighting, as seen in the photograph, is the foraging amongst the mangroves in the sea just off Pebbly Beach. This is not only a first at Thala, but a first time a Jacana has been seen foraging in the salt water by all who witnessed it. Comments would be greatly appreciated.

The Brown Backed Honey Eater nest is a wonderful example of symbiosis between species. Notice the proximity of the bird nest to the Paper Wasp’s nest. The honey eater relies on the paper wasp to guard its nest from any marauding predators. If you have ever been stung by disturbing a paper wasps nest, you will understand how effective that can be!

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A painting at Thala has caused many questions as to its meaning. History writes that G.E Dalrymple was the first white man to land on the shores at Kewarra Beach, Tropical North Queensland, Australia. However this painting by Ray Crooke tells a different story.

This painting by Ray Crooke illustrates an interesting moment in the exploration of Far North Queensland, Australia.

At the beginning of September 1873, G. Elphinstone Dalrymple received orders from the Colonial Secretary to take command of The Queensland North East Coast Expedition; the purpose of which was to explore the unknown territory between Cardwell and Cooktown, to report on the resources of the region and its suitability for settlement.

On Monday 29 September, the expedition set sail Northwards from Cardwell. Dalrymple’s expedition landed at Kewarra Beach and noticed “ in every camp along the beach for two miles unmistakable evidence of wholesale habitual cannibalism: heaps of human bones and skulls were found in each camp, and in some, roasted and partially eaten bodies were discovered beside the fires at which they had been cooked. Lumps of half eaten human flesh were found in the gins dilly bags”.

There is a great irony in Dalrymple’s speculation on the possible fate of a “poor shipwrecked crew cast ashore from the Pacific Ocean” . Unbeknown to him there were already five wild white men living with the tribesmen in this area.

Robert Johnstone himself wrote in his own journal: “I may here remark that the following morning I ran the tracks of the blacks, and found they had removed the bodies of those shot, and had a cannibal feast on them, and had stripped the others of the flesh and carried it away; and while we were camped at a lagoon getting a drink one of my troops happened to go to the top of the ridge, and found a large mob stalking us. I gave orders to pretend not to know, and we went on getting lily roots, but with rifles loaded and at full cock waiting for developments. We had not long to do so, as shortly after I saw a black head peering over the crest of the ridge, and others showing up. We gave them a volley and they did not wait for more, but they evidently did not intend us to invade their country without fighting.  I regretted much they would not fraternize, as my leader’s orders were to use every endeavour to do so, and never to shoot unless compelled to do it in self defence; in fact, on several occasions I risked the safety of members of the party through carrying out his instructions too implicity. On one occasion our leader was so intent in examining the rocks in a creek near the camp that he would have been speared had not one of the troopers (who was yam hunting) been alert and shot the blackfellow within fifty yards of Mr Dalrymple, whom he was quietly stalking. There is no doubt he would have succeeded had it not been for the alertness of the trooper”.

In 1876 gold was discovered in the Hodgkinson region (inland from Kewarra). Access to the Hodgkinson was by a rough bush track over the range behind Kewarra Beach. After the discovery, the government spent 72 pounds upgrading the track, however, it later became impassable due to the presence of ‘poison bush’ which killed travelling stock.

The first bushmen to cut the track were amazed to see letters carved on trees, some of which had been freshly felled with axes; believing that they were the first white people into the area.

In September 1877, a bushman who had set up camp near the track awoke to find his horses had strayed in the night. While searching through the tall grass he disturbed and shot at a large black snake where upon to his utter surprise, the grass around him erupted with Indigenous Australians, all of whom ran off as fast as possible.

Amazingly a half caste boy jumped out of the grass and ran away. The bushman called out and pointed his rifle at the retreating figure at which point,  “ a naked, dirty, greased white man with a red beard stood up and politely asked him not to shoot”.
This man explained how he had four companions, one of whom was the Father of the teenage half caste boy, and that they had been living with the Aboriginals for 14 years. This indicates that white men arrived 10 years before Dalrymple’s men landed on the coast near Kewarra.

The mystery of who they were and where they came from was never solved. The only two clues to their identity were that they were carrying American made axes and there were the remains of a shipwreck at White Cliffs (where Thala Beach Lodge sits today) twenty kilometers north of Kewarra.

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A newly hatched Cairns Birdwing Butterfly.

When it comes to BIG butterflies you don’t get better than the Birdwing Butterfly (Omithoptera priamus) or the Cairns Birdwing. Yes, the people of Cairns have named this spectacular butterfly their very own! It is the largest species of butterfly found in Australia. The female has a wingspan of a whopping 15cm, even if she is a little duller, black and white with a touch of yellow, than the male with his showy green, gold and black. They are a little more laid back than the more frantic Ulysses with a slower, more relaxed flight.  Cairns Birdwing Butterfly can live for 4-5 weeks.

The males are pretty predatory when it comes to mating and patrol their territory in the early morning, searching for newly emerging females. It’s not all easy  – he then has to cope, rather precariously, with a great deal of competition from other patrolling males who have invaded his territory. The battle is worth winning with a coupling lasting for up to 36 hours.

The females, who are often mated as soon as they emerge from the cocoons, start early setting a territory around the vigorously leafed vine of the Aristolochia where they prefer to lay their eggs. The female is able to locate the correct plant by using chemical receptors in her forelegs to taste various leaves. She also uses sense organs at the end of her abdomen to find tender leaves that would be suitable for caterpillar food. Unfortunately the one plant that can fool her is Aristolochia elegans a similar introduced species that the larvae will also feed on, which is toxic, and this leads to the death of the larvae.

The newly emerged Cairns Birdwing Butterfly in the rainforest.

The leaves of the Aristolochia vine is poisonous and though nutritious for the Birdwing caterpillar, is deadly to many other caterpillars. For the Birdwing caterpillar it is not only nutrition but by storing the toxins in fleshy orange-red spines on their backs, it is also protection. Bright colours, in nature, such as orange, red and yellow sometimes act as warnings to other animals letting them know they are dangerous or inedible.

When the caterpillars of the birdwing butterfly are almost ready to pupate they ringbark the vines on which they are feeding. The leaves then droop due to water loss, but the flow of nutrients to leaves is the same – the large caterpillar gets more nutrition with less water before pupation!

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The Ulysses Butterfly

One of the great pleasures of living in Tropical North Queensland is sitting on a verandah gazing out at luxuriant rainforest. Then there is the jeweled affect of a flash of iridescent blue. Luminous in the sunshine the colour gleams against the lush greens of the rainforest like a gem on a velvet cushion. These swallowtailed butterflies dance a morse code delivered at the whim of their wings.
This is, of course, the Ulysses Butterfly (Papilio Ulysses) and there is nothing flirtatious about the dance – it is intended to confuse a predator. The better the dance the more likely they are to breed and live from two to four weeks, which is when their wings eventually tire.

Planting a garden that attracts these glorious butterflies is an investment in hours of joy. Native plants that attract them include Geijera species and Halfordia kendack. Exotic shrubs such as the Ixora are also successful. The Ulysses is attracted by red and pink and can often be seen feeding on the Ixora.

The male Ulysses has a passion for blue and in his eagerness to breed will try his luck by landing on any blue object in the hopes it is the girl of his dreams. The female Ulysses will lay her eggs on small trees, preferably over 2m high, nestled on soft regrowth leaves. Subspecies of the ulysses butterfly are also found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The food of the Ulysses larvae is Melicope Elleryana, still commonly known as Euodia – the Ulysses Butterfly’s favourite food plant. It is an attractive leafy tree with clusters of small pink flowers growing straight out of the branches. Caterpillars feed singly, usually one on each plant, and rest on a pad of silk on a leaf when not feeding – which is exactly how a jewel of the forest should begin.

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The Cape York Lily at Thala Beach Lodge.

Naturally distributed through the tropical areas of Australia The Cape York Lily (Curcuma Australasica) is also in full bloom with its striking electric pink colour. It’s considered good ‘bush tucker’ and is a native turmeric of the ginger family. It dies back in the drier Winter months before remerging from underground rhizomes with the onset of the wet season.

The onset of spring has seen the beautiful Cape York Lily emerging in the gardens of Thala Beach Lodge. The striking pink flower of The Cape York Lily is unmissable in full bloom, contrasted against it’s broad green leaves. The  flower stalks can grow up to 50cm in height, and often appear even before it’s leaves have fully unfurled.

A native tumeric plant in the ginger family, The Cape York Lily grows from a tuber which is not only edible, but quite palatable when roasted.

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A Cedar Bay Cherry at Thala.

A walk through the lush native forests surrounding Thala Beach Lodge at this time of year will yield visitors a view of the Cedar Bay Cherry fruiting.  This unique rainforest fruit tree bears bright red bulbous fruit that when ripe is deliciously sweet. It is historically known as a great source of ‘bush tucker’, and is also a favorite of nectar-loving native birds. Belonging to the Lilly Pilly family, the Cedar Bay Cherry grows in dry or lush coastal forested areas, and is just as likely to be found growing along dry creek beds and  rocky beach fronts as it is in lush rainforest.

The Cedar Bay Cherry derives it’s name from a very special place further north from Thala on the Queensland Coast, where the tree is prevalent. Cedar Bay is nestled in the heart of the Wet Tropics, between the small townships of Bloomfield and Rossville. Inaccessible by road and protected under the Wet Tropics listing by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, a permit must be obtained to venture into this virtually untouched paradise. Accessible on foot or by boat, those lucky enough to be able to explore this lush environment will find a rainforest that is centuries old, through which run freshwater streams that flow across the pristine white beach and feed into the sheltered blue waters of Cedar Bay.

Despite it’s namesake, the Cedar Bay Cherry can be found sporadically all along the Queensland coast, from as far south as Bundaberg, all the way to Cape York, and even throughout the Torres Strait and in some parts of Papua New Guinea. It more widely known as the Beach Cherry outside of Queensland, and is a close relative of the Brazilian Cherry, a South American native. that is used medicinally by South Americans to treat a wide range of ailments. Like the Cedar Bay Cherry, the Brazilian Cherry is delicious so is also used by South Americans to make various preserves and other traditional food stuffs.

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Now if you thought life was busy – you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a green ants  nest in full defense mode! They clamber all over the tree containing their nest and protect it from invaders with a fervour and ferocity only to be attributed to the Mongul hordes. These ants are often found in the fruiting trees of  Far North Queensland . When an unsuspecting forager tries to help themselves to some tasty fruit, they find themselves attacked by a formidable miniature army of slicing and slashing mandibles – and who could blame them! Their bite is not very painful but several ants attacking simultaneously can be a touch uncomfortable.

Green Ants in North Queensland, Australia

The nests are large and built by sticking the leaves at the end of branches together to create a sort of globular home. Most of the nest construction and weaving is conducted at night with major workers weaving towards the exterior of the nests and minor workers weaving within the interior. A mature colony of green tree ants can hold as many as 100,000 to 500,000 workers and may span as many as 12 trees and contain as many as 150 nests. Green ant colonies have one queen and a colony can live for up to eight years. Minor workers usually remain within the egg chambers of the nest tending the larvae, whereas major workers defend the colony territory, assist with the care of the queen and forage.

Now the numbers don’t always have it. There are sneaky spiders like the Salticid spiders, or jumping spiders, as they are sometimes referred to, which have excellent eyesight and are only active during daylight, weaving a protective silken cocoon to spend the night in. Interestingly, this spider does not look like green ants but instead the fiendish arthropod chemically mimics green tree ants, affectively disguised as an ant it sneaks into the green ants nest, bluffs it’s way into the nursery and feeds on their larvae. Green ants don’t have good vision and circumnavigate their surroundings by scent, smelling everything with their antennae. Consequently, the ants think the spider is another ant and ignore its presence within the nest.

Now is it any wonder green ants are pretty intolerant of any invasion into their territory.

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