We had heard, of course, about the Murray Falls reputation as prime cassowary habitat. The elusive cassowary! It felt somewhat akin to searching for the mythical drop bear, though we suspected the former was slightly more grounded in reality. It is a bird, after all.
Frankly, we were beginning to feel a little disheartened. The "Cassowary Coast" seemed to be teasing us, delivering scenic vistas but no sign of its namesake. We spent our days hiking, exploring, and generally enjoying the tranquillity of the rainforest. But the underlying desire to spot one of these prehistoric-looking birds lingered.
Our last day at Murray Falls dawned, and we resolved to take one last hike up to the top falls. The track was a bit steeper than anticipated, but the reward was worth it, even before what was to come. As we made our way up the hill, a large, male cassowary lumbered across our path in the bush.
We stopped dead in our tracks, hearts pounding. There it was: the bird we'd been seeking! A proper, honest-to-goodness cassowary. It regarded us with what we interpreted as mild curiosity (or perhaps indifference), then continued on its way, disappearing into the dense foliage. We watched it go, ecstatic. Finally, the Cassowary Coast had delivered! Perhaps now, we can sleep easily.
