Cairns, Australia - October 28, 2023

 Our next stop was Cairns (pronounced Cans). This was another tender port. The seas were a bit rough in the morning, but the tender boats did take passengers ashore. The return trip was much rougher, and quite a few people were sick. Luckily, I had taken my seasick pills that morning, so I was fine. It was definitely the roughest tender trip we have ever been on. The captain made an announcement once everyone was back on board apologizing for the rough conditions, stating the forecast had not called for such strong winds and high waves.

Tender boats waiting to take us ashore

I'm so glad we were able to visit Cairns. We saw so many more amazing Australian sites.

We started out the day with a gondola ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to the village of Kuranda. The skyrail is located in a tropical rainforest in the Barron Gorge National Park. It was opened in 1995, and it was the longest gondola cableway at the time of completion. This rainforest is the world's oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest.

Along the way, there were two platforms to get off at and view the scenery of the tropical rainforest. 

This Queensland Kauri tree is over 400 years old. These trees grow tall and fast, punching through the rainforest canopy where it spreads out like an umbrella and blocks the sunlight from reaching the plants below. Also, the bark is very smooth which prevents vines from growing up it and competing for light.

We saw the Barron Falls and the Barron River from the gondola. These falls have much more water during the rainy season.

At our next stop we were very lucky to see a Cassowary with her babies. These birds are on the endangered list with an estimated 4,000 remaining in the wild. We saw some commotion ahead of us on the path, so went to investigate. Some people were looking at the birds in the bushes. As we watched, she came out of the bushes and crossed a path. We saw them for maybe 15 seconds before they were back in the undergrowth. How amazing is that!!!

There were many interesting plants to see in the rainforest. I recognized the Bird of Paradise, but don't know what the other plant is. The eastern coast of Australia has a tropical climate, and many of the trees and flowers reminded me of Hawaii.

At the top of the gondola is the village of Kuranda. It's a quaint village with an outdoor market and lots of bars and restaurants. For many years, the village was a farming area.

In the late 1800s a railway was built to deliver supplies to mines in the area. The railway was cut through the mountains and rainforest by hand, including 15 tunnels. Now, the railroad is used to transport tourists to Kuranda. The scenery along the way was breathtaking.

Here's a view of the vintage railcars from the gondola.

As we were waiting to get underway, I saw these birds sitting on the track next to our train. If you look closely, (click on the picture to enlarge it) you can see two eggs beneath the first one. I think the second one is the male. I did some research, and I think they are Little Bronze-Cuckoo birds.

Here's a view of the train from inside the carriage.

This is Stoney Creek Falls. The bridge here is the most outstanding feature of the railway line. When it was completed, a table was set up with a special luncheon for the governor. No speeches were made because the roar of the waterfall was too loud.

Our visit to Cairns was interesting and educational with lots of beautiful scenery. Even though the tender ride back was rough, I'm very glad we got to stop there.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!