Here about the 135 million old forest that Nana and Papa walked through.  Dinosaurs walked where we walked !

Today we arrived into Cairns Australia.   Cairns is a vibrant city located in Queensland, Australia, renowned for its tropical climate and as a gateway to natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Founded in 1876 and named after Sir William Wellington Cairns, the city has evolved into a major tourist destination.  

Our excursion today is seeing the sights around Cairns including the Barron Gorge, the Kuranda village and the rainforest.  The Daintree Rainforest is one of the most ancient and biologically diverse rainforests in the world, located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It covers approximately 1,200 square kilometers and is part of the larger Wet Tropics of Queensland, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is the Oldest Rainforest: Estimated to be over 135 million years old, making it the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest on Earth. Home to an astonishing variety of wildlife, including:

• The endangered Southern Cassowary (a large, flightless bird)

• The elusive Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo,

• Ancient plant species like the Idiot Fruit Tree (Idiospermum australiense), which dates back to the time of dinosaurs.

And even more interesting for Papa was this is where the director got inspiration for the Movie Avatar, one of Papa’s favorite movies. They even filmed the canopy which was used in the Movie. 

We start with the skyway.  We experienced the breathtaking ascent  from Cairns to Kuranda aboard the Skyrail Rain Forest Cableway, traveling high above the rain forest canopy aboard a six-passenger gondola. Below us were spectacular views of the region and vistas of the sparkling North Queensland coast out to the Coral Sea and Green Island. The journey up the mountain includes a stop at the Rainforest Interpretive Centre and Red Peak Station, where we had the opportunity to gain an insight into the intricate ecosystems that make up the rain forest. We also stopped to see the Kuranda Falls at one of the stops.   Nana just had to take the ranger walk and asked many questions.

At the top is Kuranda village, where we enjoyed some free time to browse through the many art and craft studios and get a decent fish and chips lunch. Nana had a blue ginger beer, which was very different. 

We end up with one of Papa’s favorite modes of transportation, a train ride. We board the Kuranda Scenic Railway for a picturesque ride through Barron Gorge. Built between 1882 and 1891, the 21-mile railway is considered to be an engineering feat of tremendous magnitude. The train ride offers sights of deep gorges and rugged mountains, taking us past magnificent waterfalls, through 15 tunnels and across 37 bridges on our journey down the Kuranda Ranges — part of Barron Gorge National Park.    It was hot and the cars were laid out to see the grand views as well but it was a fun run with a stop part way to the the Kuranda Waterfall.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway, located in Queensland, Australia, stands as a testament to 19th-century engineering prowess and the determination to connect remote regions. Constructed between 1886 and 1891, this railway was primarily built to facilitate access to the mineral-rich Atherton Tablelands and to support the burgeoning mining industry in Herberton.

The railway’s construction presented formidable challenges due to the rugged terrain of the Barron Gorge and the dense tropical rainforest. Workers, often referred to as “navvies,” faced treacherous conditions, including steep cliffs, impassable swamps, and the threat of diseases. Armed with basic tools, dynamite, and sheer determination, they managed to carve a path through this inhospitable landscape. The project required the excavation of approximately 2.3 million cubic meters of earth, the construction of 15 tunnels, 55 bridges, and numerous curves over a 75-kilometer stretch of track. Tragically, the endeavor claimed the lives of 32 workers, underscoring the perilous nature of the undertaking.  

Tomorrow is the start of our 3 sea days traversing by the Great Barrier Reef.  Next port stop is Darwin, Australia