Port Douglas, April 6/2013
What a day this has been!!
First of all we had to be in the Princess Theatre at 6:45 am, so we were up at 5:30am.
Our tour will be nine hours long and it will begin at 7:30 and end at 4:30.
After a quick breakfast we hurry to the Princess Theatre to wait for the signal that the tenders are ready.
The trip to Port Douglas is about 20 minutes long. We have to maneuver our way around million dollar yachts but before we know it we are safely tied up along side the warf and we are on our way.
There are some lovely shops but there is no time to stop because our tour bus awaits. The bus is modern and new and air conditioned. Our driver is Fiona and our guide is Grace. The bus is seat belt equipped and we are instructed to buckle up.
As we travel along the beautiful countryside Grace points out sugar cane fields and beaches. At one point she points out a field of kangaroos. There must have been about a hundred of them. They use a lot of round-abouts here and so we are forever turning. For me it is quite nerve wracking because I can’t get used to seeing vehicles on what I consider to be our side of the road. The trip past lovely middle class homes with manicured lawns and shopping areas and other amenities of this beautiful little city takes about 40 minutes.
Our destination is the Tjapukai ( pronounced ”jab-uh-kai”) Cultural park. It is a beautiful area and our first stop was to the theatre where we were treated to a drama presentation where the history and beliefs of the Tjapukai people were explained to us. We were struck by the similar legends and stories of all peoples. The presentation involved acting and media and we were all supplied with air phones where a translation from the Tjapukai language to English was provided. Many other languages were available as well. This was very well done indeed.
Our next display was all about the didgeridoo, how it was made and how it was played.It is made from a tree that has been hollowed out by termites. A member of the tribe, in his native dress played for us. What an amazing instrument and the sound is truly beautiful if it is played well.
The third display was one of dancing. The moves and the imitation are of the native animals and many told a story of the hunting and the skills required. As part of the display we were shown how they make fire. Their method is similar to that of other native cultures.
Next we were ushered into a dining room, restaurant actually where we were treated to a buffet. It had many different dishes but all were foods we were familiar with. I was secretly wishing that they were serving something native like crocodile or kangaroo.
While we were having our lunch we were told about their weapons(spears and boomerangs) and how they were made.
A young lady explained about various medicines and how plants and roots were used for different cures.
We had a few minutes to shop for aboriginal art and soon it was time to board our buses.
This trip was VERY short. We disembarked at Caravonica and Gail retrieved our tickets for the cable car ride through the wet tropical forests of Far North Queensland. These are among the oldest rainforests on earth and they are home to an incredible array of plants and animals.Twelve hundred species of flowering plants, eight hundred different rainforest trees, spectacular orchids, strangler figs, exotic palms and hundreds of unique creatures inhabit this lush green world.
I was so impressed when I saw the Skyride Cableway. I expected crowded cars instead each little green car held six people and we were all able to see and enjoy the view.
We travelled above the treetops and the rainforest lay below us.
The windows were opened and we could see hear and smell the forest. We passed 14 towers and then came to a location they called Red Peak Station.
Here we got out of the cable car and we walked through the rain forest for a short distance. This gave us a chance for an up close look at what we had just been soaring over.
We view the Barron Gorge and Falls and the other amazing sights of this place.
Unbelievably our 4 and ½ mile journey comes to an end and we are at the Kuranda Station.
We have some free time in Kuranda and we are able to explore this scenic little village. Shops selling native art abound. The items are so beautifully made. There were many more things to do here such as visit the Jamieson Creek Conservation Park, or the Australian Butterfly Santuary but time was speeding by and we still had not travelled on the Karunda Scenic Railway.
The railway began construction in 1886 and was completed in 1891. Its purpose was to supply transportation for the need of the gold fields of Queensland. The train ran from Karunda all of the way to Cairns.
We boarded at the station in Karunda.
The car is a vintage car with benches and no air conditioning. It is a beautiful old car, which is very well maintained.
We wind our way through a tropical paradise , through 15 tunnels ,over 55 bridges and around 98 curves.
One of the most magical views is at Barron Falls . The train stops for a photo opportunity here.
There are 37 kilometers of track in all but we disembark at Freshwater station, shortening the trip by 25 minutes.
It is now 3:30 and we must make our way back to Fort Douglas and the awaiting tenders.
What a full day this was!~!!
The trip to Port Douglas is about 20 minutes long. We have to maneuver our way around million dollar yachts but before we know it we are safely tied up along side the warf and we are on our way.
There are some lovely shops but there is no time to stop because our tour bus awaits. The bus is modern and new and air conditioned. Our driver is Fiona and our guide is Grace. The bus is seat belt equipped and we are instructed to buckle up.
As we travel along the beautiful countryside Grace points out sugar cane fields and beaches. At one point she points out a field of kangaroos. There must have been about a hundred of them. They use a lot of round-abouts here and so we are forever turning. For me it is quite nerve wracking because I can’t get used to seeing vehicles on what I consider to be our side of the road. The trip past lovely middle class homes with manicured lawns and shopping areas and other amenities of this beautiful little city takes about 40 minutes.
Our destination is the Tjapukai ( pronounced ”jab-uh-kai”) Cultural park. It is a beautiful area and our first stop was to the theatre where we were treated to a drama presentation where the history and beliefs of the Tjapukai people were explained to us. We were struck by the similar legends and stories of all peoples. The presentation involved acting and media and we were all supplied with air phones where a translation from the Tjapukai language to English was provided. Many other languages were available as well. This was very well done indeed.
Our next display was all about the didgeridoo, how it was made and how it was played.It is made from a tree that has been hollowed out by termites. A member of the tribe, in his native dress played for us. What an amazing instrument and the sound is truly beautiful if it is played well.
The third display was one of dancing. The moves and the imitation are of the native animals and many told a story of the hunting and the skills required. As part of the display we were shown how they make fire. Their method is similar to that of other native cultures.
Next we were ushered into a dining room, restaurant actually where we were treated to a buffet. It had many different dishes but all were foods we were familiar with. I was secretly wishing that they were serving something native like crocodile or kangaroo.
While we were having our lunch we were told about their weapons(spears and boomerangs) and how they were made.
A young lady explained about various medicines and how plants and roots were used for different cures.
We had a few minutes to shop for aboriginal art and soon it was time to board our buses.
This trip was VERY short. We disembarked at Caravonica and Gail retrieved our tickets for the cable car ride through the wet tropical forests of Far North Queensland. These are among the oldest rainforests on earth and they are home to an incredible array of plants and animals.Twelve hundred species of flowering plants, eight hundred different rainforest trees, spectacular orchids, strangler figs, exotic palms and hundreds of unique creatures inhabit this lush green world.
I was so impressed when I saw the Skyride Cableway. I expected crowded cars instead each little green car held six people and we were all able to see and enjoy the view.
We travelled above the treetops and the rainforest lay below us. 
The windows were opened and we could see hear and smell the forest. We passed 14 towers and then came to a location they called Red Peak Station.
Here we got out of the cable car and we walked through the rain forest for a short distance. This gave us a chance for an up close look at what we had just been soaring over.
We view the Barron Gorge and Falls and the other amazing sights of this place.
Unbelievably our 4 and ½ mile journey comes to an end and we are at the Kuranda Station.
We have some free time in Kuranda and we are able to explore this scenic little village. Shops selling native art abound. The items are so beautifully made. There were many more things to do here such as visit the Jamieson Creek Conservation Park, or the Australian Butterfly Santuary but time was speeding by and we still had not travelled on the Karunda Scenic Railway.
The railway began construction in 1886 and was completed in 1891. Its purpose was to supply transportation for the need of the gold fields of Queensland. The train ran from Karunda all of the way to Cairns.
We boarded at the station in Karunda. 
The car is a vintage car with benches and no air conditioning. It is a beautiful old car, which is very well maintained.
We wind our way through a tropical paradise , through 15 tunnels ,over 55 bridges and around 98 curves.
One of the most magical views is at Barron Falls . The train stops for a photo opportunity here.
There are 37 kilometers of track in all but we disembark at Freshwater station, shortening the trip by 25 minutes.
It is now 3:30 and we must make our way back to Fort Douglas and the awaiting tenders.
What a full day this was!~!!
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