October 20, Saturday & October 21, Sunday

October 20, Saturday   &   October 21, Sunday

Saturday:  Today is my excursion by train up the Kuranda mountain range to a village called Kuranda. I was picked up at the hotel at 8:30 for a 9:30 departure, along with the rest of the group and taken to the train station where we would be riding on the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

 “In 1873 the cry of “gold” echoed through the mountains. In 1882 a devastating wet season brought misery to the supply routes, making them impassable.  In 1886 construction began on one of the most ambitious railway projects ever undertaken.  Up to 1500 men at a time endured terrible hardships and an unforgiving landscape.  Armed only with picks, shovels and dynamite, these men moved almost three million cubic metres of earth.  Impassable swamps, mysterious diseases, deadly creatures, dense jungle, deep ravines, raging waterfalls and sheer cliffs were to prove no obstacle.  The 37 kilometers of track from Cairns to Kuranda ascends 327 metres and includes 15 tunnels, 55 bridges and 98 curves. It took 5 years to complete.”

Map of our train ride (dark grey) and also showing the Cable car ride back down.

We travelled in authentic timber carriages.

 One of the railway bridges as we climb up into the mountains

 The view of the valley below and the ocean in the distant haze.

 Kuranda Scenic Railway
The train ride took 2 hours with one 10 minute stop along the way to view Barron Gorge and the Falls. 

“Carved by the mighty Barron River over 400 million years ago. The series of falls are 260 metres (853 feet) high.”

We arrived in Kuranda and I left the train station to make my way to the tourist information office on the other side of town.  Kuranda is a tourist town filled with shops and restaurants.  I wanted to head for the Rain ForeStation Nature Park for some of their excursions.  I located the tourist information office and found out that the bus stop to go to RFS was just across the road, and that the bus was just about to leave.  I ran across the road and caught the bus.  It was only about a 10 minute drive away and when I got there I made my way to their ticket office to purchase the Big Nature Package.  I told the lady at the ticket office that I needed to be at the Sky Rail terminal for 2:45 and she assured me that I had time to do the WWII vintage Army six wheel drive amphibious vehicles (Army Ducks), visit the Koala & Wildlife Park, have lunch and take in the Pamagirri Aboriginal Cultural performance.  It was noon and my first tour was starting:  I made my way to the “Army Ducks” that was close by.   Within 5 minutes we were taking off.

 WWII vintage Army six wheel drive amphibious vehicles (Army Ducks)

 Our trip down the back roads

 before we entered the waters of Lake Baramundi

A lizzard of some type, resting on a branch.  Looks like it does not mind the water.

45 minutes later we were back at the landing area.  I had about 45 minutes for lunch and made my way to their restaurant area. I opted for a sandwich, the salad bar and a beer.  I barely had time to finish and had to rush to the Wildlife Park for my 1:30 guided tour.

My camera is acting up again! The motor opens up the lens but then immediately closes it and tells me to shut down and try again. I’ve learned that when that happens, I have to just keep it shut for ½ an hour or more before trying again, and even then it may not work. Half way through the water ride portion it conked out on me. I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER !  So, no photos of the animals I saw: koalas, kangaroos, wombats, cockatoos, crocodiles, kookaburras, dingoes, cassowaries, etc.  I did film the animals however.

From there I made my way to the Pamagirri Aboriginal Dance Show.  Thankfully, my camera’s working again!

 Didgeridoo player with beautiful body art.

 It's a great show.

 The tall man at the back was the best dancer in the group.

 Great performance
I enjoyed the park very much. I would rather be doing this than shopping any day.
I was back at the entrance to the park in time to grab the 2:30 shuttle, walk through the town of Kuranda one more time and return to the train station.

As I walked through the town, I passed a store selling didgeridoos:  I found out during one of my excursions how these are made. For those of you who are familiar with them, you know that this is a big tube made of wood, but have you ever wondered how the aboriginal people made them? How do they hollow out the branches or tree trunks to make them? Well, they don’t ! They use trees that have already been hollowed out by termites. How ingenious.

 The sidewalk art throughout the town was also very interesting

 
This one had imbedded tools from the gold mining times.

 The Skyrail station was just next door to the train station.  Although I arrived a little later than planned, there were only about a dozen people in front of me.  Within 10 minutes, there were more than 30 people behind me in line.  Thankfully, there were lots of gondollas available (they can carry 6 people each) and within no time I embarked in one with a young couple. 

 The gondollas of the skyrail.   The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway covers a distance of 7.5 km from Kuranda, across the Barron River and over Red Peak Mountain and down to Caravonica Station in the valley leading to Cairns. The bus would be picking us up at the bottom of the mountain at 4:30, giving us time to stop at the two stations along the way.  



 First stop: Barron Falls where I took advantage of the nature path in the rainforest and views from the opposite side from the railway tracks.  At the top left hand side, you can just see a small part of the railway.

 At the top of the falls, using my zoom, I can see bathers taking advantage of the natural pools.

Better make sure that they don't fall out!
After walking out to the 3 lookouts at Barron Falls, I make my way back to the Skyrail Station and continue on my route. 

  I got a gondola all to myself. 

 Looking back towards Barron Gorge

 Looking ahead at all the towers going up to Red Peak

Beautiful views of the mountains in the distance.  We are actually skipping across the top of the mountains, above the tree canopy most of the way.

I got off again at Red Peak Station to do the nature walk was on an 175 meter elevated boardwalk through the rain forest.

 An ancient tree with an epiphyte growing on it.

Basket fern:, another epiphyte (lives on a host plant, but not a parasitic that strangles it)

When I got back to the station I was the first in line waiting for the next available car. This is when I noticed that the next portion of the ride was on a separate system. When you arrived from the top end you had to get off, whether or not you wanted to do the walk or not. By the time I got in the car, there were about 20 people behind me. For some reason, I still got a car to myself for the rest of the ride.

The descent from Red Peak Station was quite steep, but the views were spectacular.

 
 Yikes,  That's a long way down, but check out the view!

When I arrived at the bottom, I had about 45 minutes left before the shuttle bus would pick us up, so I decided to treat myself to coffee and dessert. 

Banana caramel cake and a nice latte.   (Murielle C: pas aussi bon que le gateau à OH SO GOOD.)

The bus picked us up on time and returned each of us to our respective hotels.   It had been a wonderfully busy day and I was really glad to be able to put my feet up for the evening.

Sunday:   “On the seventh day God rested”  ….   And so did I.  It is raining in any case so that’s probably a good thing.