Reef, Rivers and Rainforests – September/October 2018 - Day 12 - Kuranda train and Skyrail

[BONZO]

Day 12 – Wednesday 3rd October 2018 – Cairns and Kuranda

Reef, Rivers and Rainforests – September/October 2018

Link to trip report index – including pre trip report:
Here


We had a blissful sleep overnight, probably one of the best night’s sleep of the trip so far. After opening the curtains it was a beautiful view over the harbour with all the large private and cruise yachts. We sat on the balcony for a while and just drunk in the view.

We went along the corridor and had some breakfast in lounge which was ok, nothing exceptional and to be honest I was really expecting something much better for a Shangri-La hotel. Goodness, I’ve become very discerning in my old age!

Today we had the Kuranda train and Skyrail booked as a package, something we’d pre-arranged before we left the UK. Just didn’t want to leave things to chance and turn up on spec only to be disappointed.

We waited a short while in the lobby and watched a number of other tour operators come and go before ours turned up and then we were on our way to Freshwater station. It was interesting to see some of the wider Cairns area and surrounds as we went along.

We made our way to the ticket office with our online reservations where the ladies behind the counter “oohed and ahhed” in a comical fashion when they saw our Gold Class tickets.
So, what do we get extra?

Well, their explanation from the website:

• Welcome drinks served on board the train, 20 minutes prior to departure, when boarding at Kuranda Station in the afternoon

• Dedicated host service
• Individual seating, lounge-style chairs
• Ambient, historical décor, including timber look flooring, historical photographs and cedar interior
• Kuranda Scenic Railway gift pack including Kuranda Scenic Railway badge, pen and postcard
• Souvenir trip guide
• Optional exclusive tour of the Heritage-Listed Signal Cabin at Kuranda station
• Morning or Afternoon Tea featuring a selection of Queensland and local Tablelands produce such as Gallo Dairyland Cheese, Skybury Coffee, Wondaree Macadamias, Mango to Go (100% pure mango treat), freshly baked muffins, Sirromet wines and Great Northern Brewing Company Super Crisp Lager
• Welcome tropical mocktails served in the pavilion area, 20 minutes prior to the arrival of the train when boarding at Freshwater Station in the morning

Prior to the train arriving an announcement was made to ask all the Gold Class people to make their way to the reserved area

where we were checked in and given a mocktail each prior to boarding.

Once on board the seating was really nice, plush individual chairs as a window seat or a clear view out of a window and our carriages own toilet – very important for the likes of me! The carriage had been sympathetically restored giving an air of grandeur.

At the end of our carriage was a small kitchen / bar area and shortly after the train started to move the carriage attendants came out and gave us food and drink menus from which we chose

– all very civilised I have to say. The only interesting part was when they’d dished out bacon muffins to a group of Muslim tourists! – How bizarre but they soon rectified the error without any fuss from either side.

As we went along there was a good running commentary, pointing out pieces of interest as the scenery rushed past and a brief history of the railway, why it had come into being and the engineering feats overcome in its construction.

Along the way there were a couple of stops where we all got out and took some photographs of the wide sweeping landscape down to the sea and a number of waterfalls that would be particularly impressive in the wet season.

Our final stop was Kuranda village, a 1000ft above Cairns and nestled in the World Heritage Rainforest here. According to the leaflet, we were invited to browse through the quaint village shops for vibrant had crafted silk and cotton clothing, exclusive jewellery, locally made Aboriginal artwork, gifts and more. Then stop for a coffee or lunch at one of Kuranda’s many restaurants and cafes, where outdoor dining is one of the joys of our cooler mountain climate. Kuranda is a delightful mix of quirky surprises, colourful characters and natural beauty, perched at the top of a rainforest clad mountain.

As we approached there were a couple of indigenous people, playing didgeridoos and other instruments, hawking for small change. The authorities here don’t mind and give them hassle free access as its own tribal lands. I have to say that I did feel somewhat sad for them to find themselves in this situation.

Anyway, Kuranda Village lived up to its billing, individual crafts shops, opal jewellery and tourist knick knacks vied for the tourist dollar amongst the various cafes. Not my cup of tea really, reminded me of Tooting Broadway Market back in the 70’s but it served a purpose and many others were really enjoying the experience.

As we browsed the various stalls of Kangaroo fur key rings and scrotum money pouches we noticed the Kuranda Koala Gardens which had some native animals and a Koala photograph option. Oh, and a crashed plane!

Before going on the trip I was in two minds about doing this, was it really fair on the animals concerned?

I looked at the set up and the Koala didn’t seem particularly phased or distressed and was being handled well by the keeper so I thought I’ll never have the opportunity again or at least for some time so we decided to go for it.

The set up was well organised and we had to pretend to be a tree as directed by the zoo staff. Reminded me a bit of movement classes back in Primary school – Look I’m a tree! I think my branches were a bit high but the Koala didn’t seem to mind and photos were duly taken. When it came to Alison’s turn I don’t think her tree was that good either as the Koala’s claws fully extended to grip on causing Alison to half smile / half grimace throughout the experience.

We walked around the rest of the exhibits including a nocturnal area with some snakes, mammals and the like, took a while for my eyes to get adjusted to the lack of light.

Alison fed a couple of wallabies in the petting area before leaving and going back into the main market area.

Feeling a bit peckish we were spoilt for choice of where and what to eat but we only wanted something relatively light, not a full blown meal. We settled on a pie shop (told you it was a thing in Australia). I overhead the owner talking who was Brit ex-pat who had settled over here.

The second part of our trip here was on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, a huge 7.5 km scenic cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park, in the Wet Tropics of Queensland’s World Heritage Area. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway journeys through the world's oldest continually surviving rainforest on earth, older than the Amazon Rainforest!

As well as taking the Gold Class train option up we had pre-booked the Diamond Class trip down, all this gave you was access to the glass-bottomed gondolas which were few and far between.

I think we counted them in as every tenth gondola and if full then you’d had to wait for the next available free one. No big deal as we weren’t in any kind of rush.

The views were very dramatic, almost like a scene out of Jurassic Park and wouldn’t have been surprised to see dinosaurs roaming about below us beneath the soaring trees. We got off at the central point to wander into the rainforest on a boardwalk and looked over the information boards before heading back to the gondola for the remaining trip down before the usual “exit through the gift shop”.

We sat in the café and had a coffee and shared cake as our return pickup was scheduled for a little bit later that afternoon and it had started to rain so there was no point in waiting outside. The rain had caused some trouble on the approach roads and I think there had been a minor accident which meant that most of the roads were now backed up and shuttle busses where delayed in getting here.

We stood outside under shelter and kept an eagle eye for our mini bus so that we didn’t miss it although I’m sure a taxi wouldn’t have been too expensive. Luckily, the Skyrail team had a temporary dispatcher on hand and called out the names of various tour operators as the buses arrived.

Anyway, our mini bus turned up eventually and took us back to the Shangri La where we got the valet to collect up our car and bring it to the entrance for the next step of the journey.

On reflection we didn’t spend long enough in the Shangri-La or Cairns to get a real feel for the area but time and scheduling was against us so we had to plan things this way. Perhaps it’s a destination for another trip in the future, along with some of the other cities and areas we had to skip on this trip.

Now fully loaded up we said our goodbyes to Cairns and drove north along the Captain Cook Highway for about an hour to our next destination - Thala Beach Nature Reserve – for a bit of well-deserved downtime.

After leaving the outskirts Cairns with all the business premises on either side of the road the scenery takes a sudden and dramatic change. Forest and sugar cane fields on the left and ocean on the right hand side and no sign of habitation. A dramatic ride for the driver with its bends and twists and turns but I suspect not so much fun for passengers!

We had chosen Thala Beach Nature Reserve as a place to relax and unwind from the previous day’s commando style rushing around that we normally do. I knew that it had joined the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World list so that was perfect validation for us.

The online entry sold it to us: -

Thala Beach Nature Reserve is located on a private headland between Cairns and Port Douglas, Australia. Deluxe eco accommodation options are sensitively positioned amongst the resort’s 145 acre property. Complimentary experiences are provided for our guests including nature/wildlife walks, star gazing nights, Coconut Odyssey tour and specialist talks from local experts.

Thala is surrounded by the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, providing easy access for our guests to immerse themselves in the surrounding natural grandeur and the abundance of nature-based activities that are on offer.

Back to the trip: -

We nearly missed the turn off to Thala Nature Reserve but with little traffic around we managed to slow down and pull into the long driveway off the road. From the driveway we could see nothing apart from bush / forest and a sign pointing towards reception, it was certainly well hidden from the road.

We turned a bend and drove up a very steep hill before parking up and walking up to the reception area and WOW!

Initial impressions was that it was a cross between Wilderness lodge and the Polynesian at Disney, blending the best of both worlds, very impressive and if you wanted some relaxing peace and quiet, this is the place for you.

After checking in we were whisked away by golf buggy to our lodge. The nearest I could describe the set-up is that it was closest in style to Centre Parcs but that really doesn’t do it justice. Each villa was set apart in the forest with little overlooking of other lodges.

The accommodation was a little more basic than we’d been used to so far but comfortable enough and fitted the eco-friendly and sustainability ethos of the whole place. It had all the usual creature comforts including TV, fridge / mini-bar etc. – a nice homely feel.

We unpacked our bags as we were going to be here for a couple of days, can’t remember the last time we spent more than two days in one hotel, quite a unique experience for us really these days.
We decided to freshen up and head out to Port Douglas for a bite to eat, luckily it was only about a 10-15 min drive up the coast and a route that we’d become very familiar with over the next couple of days.

As we drove into town there were lots of people around, lots of places to eat and places to park so it was ticking most of the boxes for us. We hadn’t pre-booked anything so we parked up in the middle of the road and took a stroll around to see what was on offer. Good range of shops, a supermarket, Bottle shop, pubs and restaurants, much more than we were expecting but all to the good.

Some of the restaurants were a little on the pricey side and somewhat rammed so we decided on Vietnamese and the food was lovely! It was cafe like with seats on the pavement.

We were quite tired so after eating we headed back to the car and back to Thala, where we had a cup of coffee on the veranda and listened to all the rustling in the bushes!


Transport count (running total!):

Flights: 5
Ferries: 2
Trains: 12
Trams: 2
Tubes: 1
Ubers/Taxis/shuttles: 5
Coaches/Buses: 8
Step Count today: 8460
Total step count for the trip: 124982

[Melbatb]

Another packed day! The scenery continues to be stunning!

Looking forward to reading about the latest destination - sounds idyllic!