Boomerangs, Skybuckets, and Marsupials

We have been enjoying some Australian tv for the last hour or so I our hotel room as we relax from another busy day and prepare for another early morning and full-on day.

This morning we were the first pick-up on the route for the Skyrail tour we were taking today. After driving around and making pick-ups around the city, we headed twenty minutes north of Cairns to the Skyrail station at Caravonic Terminal where we picked up our tickets for our various activities of the day.  We walked next door to the Aboriginal Cultural Center of Tjapukai (Jah-pu-ki) – the indigenous populations of the rainforest regions of north Queensland to spend the morning.

Our experience started with an introduction to the didgeridoo, how it is made, and how it is used.  From there we went to ‘The Creation Theatre’ to learn the tale of the earth’s creation from the eyes of the Tjapukai (similar to many of the other 600 distinct tribes across Australia).  The next stop was an outdoor theatre where we learned about the dances of the Tjapukai – Rebecca really enjoyed it.  When the performance ended, we wandered over to a smaller outdoor area to learn about traditional medicines and foods of the indigenous people in the region, followed by a presentation on the hunting techniques and weapons.  Finally, it was our chance to try out some of the weapons first hand.

We went to a large field and, after a brief explanation, were allowed out of a small holding pen two by two to attempt to throw boomerangs.  We held back a bit and watched others who had various successes.  Out of our group, I went first, and got my first throw pretty far, but it barely turned around to come back to me.  My second go was not much better, but it was a neat experience.  I was a bit vindicated when Rebecca and Jason finally had a go, as Rebecca had similar success and Jason met with a bit of trouble.  From there we went over to throw some spears and met with similar results.   Overall, none of us were at the bottom of ability level, but likely would go hungry pretty quickly if we had to use our skills to catch food.  Nonetheless, we had a good time, and were quite happy as we hightailed it back to the skyrail station for the trip up and over the mountains to Kuranda.

The skyrail, built in the mid-1990s, is a skybucket system over 8km long stretching from the suburbs of Cairns up to the village of Kuranda, nestled in the middle of the rainforest high in the mountains along the Barron River Gorge.

Around 11:45 we boarded our gondola for the first trip, 10 minutes up to the highest point on the system, Red Peak.  Sailing over the rainforest was incredible, and the trip up the mountainside flew by.  We got out at Red Peak and wandered around a short circuit cutting through the Daintree rainforest, a World Heritage Site.  We then proceeded onto the next stop, a 20 minute ride with breathtaking views of the Barron River Gorge and the spectacular Barron Falls – a waterfall over 260 meters (850 feet in height).  To say we were in awe is an understatement.  We scurried out of the gondola at the Barron Falls station and rushed to the three observation platforms looking out over the falls.  None of the platforms offered unobscured views of the falls, so that was a bit of a bummer, but there were good pictures to be had, and there was a lot of interesting history to read about the hydroelectric dam that was built in the 1930s across the gorge.

After we had our fill of the falls (for now) we climbed back aboard the gondola for the last segment of the journey up to Kuranda.  From Barron Falls it was a straight shot over a bit more of the rainforest, a glide over the Barron River, and finally a rattle into the terminal of the cableway at Kuranda.  We emerged from the station and made the five minute trek up the hill into town.  By this point it was 1:00 and we were a bit hungry from the morning activities.  We found a café and all indulged in the Australian classic (borrowed from the motherland, of course) of meat pies.  I had a beef and bacon, Jason a steak, and Rebecca got adventurous with a kangaroo.  We all enjoyed our lunches and were happy to be out of the sudden rain storm (the forest lived up to its name).

After the rain subsided, we continued our walk up the main drag of Kuranda (there isn’t much to this tiny town) and perused some of the markets before walking to the Kuranda Koala Gardens.  One of the few places in Australia where you can hold a koala, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a visit.  We walked into the park and got to see a huge habitat of crocodiles followed by many lizards and a monitor.  From there we made our way to the main attraction where we got to see a few koalas right away (though they were all asleep, as they tend to do).  We ventured along further to where the koala holding happens, and Rebecca popped for the experience; I am happy to report that Jason and I both got to pet the koala (Harry) that Rebecca held and even got a picture with all of us (though Harry threw off our usual order).  Coming off of that excitement, we got to see two awake koalas, one happily munching on eucalyptus and snap many wonderful photos to share!

The excitement of animal interaction did not stop there, however.  From the koalas, we made our way into the kangaroo and wallaby pen where we got to feed, pet, and pose with the marsupials.  We had a great time, and they were quite docile and happy to hang out with us for a bit.  On the way out we got to see some wombats and snakes (one was out of its enclosure and sitting in the footpath within the reptile house) and read about the history of Kuranda.  With a bit of time left before we had to catch the train back down the mountain, we walked back through the town center and went down to the Barron Riverbanks.  We then boarded the train as it began to rain, and settled in for the almost two hour journey down.

The rail line, opened in 1891 to service the gold-mining towns in the mountains outside of Cairns, is an incredible feat of engineering.  Carved into the edge of the mountains, there are 15 tunnels, sheer drops, sweeping curves offering panoramic vistas, and massive bridges spanning gaps in the gorge.  While constructed in response to the gold rush, the line quickly became much more successful as a tourist railway.  With a brief stint during WWII serving military posts throughout the mountains, the role of the railway has been primarily scenic.

The train makes one stop as it travels from Kuranda to Freshwater Station (where we would get off to meet our bus to take us back to our hotel) – Barron Falls Station.  Situated on the opposite side of the gorge from the skyrail, we finally got the unobstructed views we were after.  It was breathtaking, to say the least, and it was hard to pry ourselves away from the railing, even in the mist, to re-board the train.  The rest of the hour and a half journey was full of magnificent views of the gorge, including a portion where a tightly curving bridge (an engineering masterpiece all its own) passes the train up against a waterfall – the pictures do it no justice.  Back at ground level, some 370 meters below Kuranda, we got off the train and met up with the Skyrail bus to take us back to the Balinese.  We then proceeded to find some dinner on the Esplanade.  We decided on a Mediterranean restaurant and got to sit on the second floor balcony overlooking the ocean.  Jason and I shared a magnificent mixed grill, and we had a nice meal as the sea breeze blew in to offset the humidity a bit. 

Our mixed grill.

After dinner we went to Woolworths to pick up some dessert, and then made our way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we will spend the day at the Great Barrier Reef – this is turning out to be a trip of diverse, incredible natural landscapes.