Day 19 - Crocodiles, Lizards, and Snakes

Woke up this morning at just before 7:00 AM as we wanted to get an early start on our day.  Earlier means cooler - and we can use some of that. Even though it's only 30ish degrees, the humidity is in the high 80% range makes it feel 10 degree's hotter and it's hard to cool off because ones sweat does not evaporate. I got dressed and we had some of the fruit I purchased from the Wooli's the day before with yogurt. That hit the spot! We also tidied up a little bit as today our apartment was to be cleaned so we put things away that we would normally leave out. 

We went downstairs a few minutes early and were the first to arrive. Next was Margaret and Steve, and then the final couple was Alf and Di.  Alf had a good question when he came out of the elevator, "Why do we meet in the lobby, when we have to all go to the second floor to get the cars?" I wish I had a good answer for that one. Regardless, we stepped into the elevator and went up one floor to the parking garage, located our vehicles and started the trip.

At one point on the drive to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, I was attempting to pass a slower vehicle. Remember, I'm driving on the opposite side of the road than I'm used to, sitting on the opposite side of the vehicle than I'm used to, and having to remember that the left lane is the SLOW lane here and not the passing lane.  All this while just trying to pass safely and keep my eye on my google maps.  That's when I realized that I was on-top of a corner that i needed to turn at, and Alf was following me.  I quickly put on my blinker and made my way over 3 lanes all while saying out loud, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.", which was directed to Alf.  Of course, he couldn't hear me as he was in his own car.  We laughed about that when we arrived at the Crocodile park.

The Crocodile Lagoon at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures

We arrived just in time to get a ticket on the 9:30 AM tour on a special boat on their crocodile lagoon. We were even instructed to not lean on the plexiglass that protected the sides of the boat, as if the crock's were hungry, they will see/sense you close to the water and lunge at you. Nobody wanted that so we all leaned a little inward. The first stop was to show us a female croc using bait. I'll try and post the video below, but I haven't always had success with these.

One more of some bait he put on a branch and a bird came down and snatched it from the branch.

I have to admit, these are pretty impressive creatures. You would not want to be close to the water's edge when they are lurking. You likely wouldn't stand a chance.

Next, we made our way to the snake talk where one of the park handlers brought out two snakes. A Python (nonvenomous) and a kind of brown snake (venomous). You can tell by how he handles them, which is which. The Python was the first one and the handler described how they attack their prey. A python kills its prey using constriction, a precise and deadly process that goes beyond simply squeezing. It begins with an ambush, striking quickly and biting the prey with sharp, backward-facing teeth to secure its grip. The snake then wraps its muscular body around the victim, applying immense pressure. Rather than crushing bones or suffocating the prey, pythons primarily cut off blood circulation, causing cardiac arrest within seconds. Yikes!

The second one that he brought out was a venomous one and you will note he has a special stick to assist in the case that the snake decides to attack. It did not, thankfully, as the handler described that this one seemed to be doing very well (this was his first time bringing this one out so the public could see it). He indicated that today, very few people die from venomous bites as to the work that has been done creating anti-venom. If I recall correctly, he described that only 2 people died in Australia from snake bites last year.

He also described what to do if you are ever bitten by a venomous snake. You are supposed to wrap a tensor bandage around the limb starting from tip towards the body. This is to minimize the movement of the limb which slows the spread of the venom. Then, of course, you are to get to the nearest hospital so they can administer an anti-venom. I'm not much of a snake person, but this was both interesting an informative.

There was a crock in the enclosure where the snake talk occurred and he had come up to the surface and was just watching what was going on.  I got a pretty good closeup of his one eye.

There was also a reptile exhibit which we walked through and I took a couple of photos of some of the creatures they had.

A Mona Ground Iguana

A Huge Reticulated Python

Our next stop was the feeding demonstration.  This is where a few of the crocodile handlers use raw meat and show you how they crock's will snap at the food. There is no amount of money that you could offer me to step into that cage. Just hearing the sound of their jaws slamming shut is enough to scare you to death. I will try and post a video here so you can here what it sounded like.

After this we made our way to the little restaurant area that was on-site and had a light lunch. Margaret was determined to have the Japanese pancakes made at Oishi Oishi back in Cairns. Nobody complained about this; so that's exactly what we did. We finished our light lunch, did a slow pass through the gift shop (found a $4250.00 crocodile handbag in the display case), and then made our way to the vehicles. The sun was shining directly into the front window of the cars making the black leather seats a bit like a cast iron frying pan. Ouch. Even the steering wheel was hot.

Once again, I led the way, but I lost Alf just getting back onto the highway from the crock farm. They indicated that there must have been 30 cars or more after I pulled out, yet Alf beat me back to the parkade. I guess he knew a shortcut. From there we made our way to Oishi Oishi and everyone ordered their own Japanese pancake (well, Alf's was a waffle, but close enough). We learned from the last time here that these are not meant to share (if you know what I mean). 

Margaret, Laureen and I decided to meet at 3:00 PM in the lobby and head over to the swimming lagoon to cool off. It was 32 degrees C outside with 85% relative humidity. It felt like 40 and you just can't cool off by sweating. So, the plunge in the salt water pool was a welcomed event for the afternoon.  We spent just over an hour soaking in the cool water, letting the heat be drawn out of our pores. 

Back to the room for a shower and a bit of downtime before meeting for dinner at 6:00 PM. We started our laundry so that most of our clothes will be clean as we start to think about the next leg of our journey - Bali, Indonesia. We don't leave until Thursday, but it's always better to be prepared. I'm sure we'll do at least one more load of laundry before we leave here.

Dinner was at the Rattle N Hum Bar and Grill. Here, you have to place your order at a special counter, go to the bar to get your own drinks and then when your dinner is prepared, you go back to the same order counter to pick it up. Needless to say, I left myself a large tip for the stellar service I offered. Laureen and I shared a full rack of BBQ Pork ribs. I was a little shocked at the size of the platter that came out - but was glad to be sharing them. They were pretty tasty! I'd have to say I was horrified that I was able to finish what Laureen left for me of those ribs.

We then went back to the Night Market as Margaret wanted to pick up a few things.  We wandered around looking at the wares, but being cautious as we need to make sure to pace ourselves as we have four other countries to visit. Alf picked up a loud shirt for an event that he had coming up while we were there. After about 45 minutes of wandering we made our way to Baskin and Robbins where we each had a bit of ice cream to top off the evening. We also took a couple of pictures of the gals and the guys together.

Tomorrow is going to be a lighter day as we are going to drive to Edmonton, Australia and see if we can take a photo by an Edmonton sign. We'll meet in the lobby at 10:00 AM.

Tomorrow will be our last full day with Steve, Margaret, Alf & Di as they will start their journey south on Wednesday.

Curt and Laureen in Cairns, Australia

Day 18 - Port Douglas

It was 7:30 AM when my eyes first opened up and I don't think I moved very much last night. I took some NyQuil to help minimize my cold symptoms so that I could sleep better, and it seemed to work. Although I still have this rotten thing stuffing up my nose. I don't like being sick. Especially while on vacation. I feel like this one is going to hang on for a while too.

Today we are heading to Port Douglas to check out the market they have there on Sunday's. I had noted in an earlier blog post that Margaret's sister Jennifer had indicated that this was worth checking out, so we decided to make a day of it. We undertook the usual morning items including a quick shower and some breakfast before heading down to the lobby to meet the rest of the crew. We got there a few minutes early today and I made sure to greet Margaret, when the doors of her elevator opened, with a pleasant, "Good morning sleeping beauty". She just laughed at me.

Up to the second floor where the elevator lets you off in the car park. Alf, Di, Margaret and Steve all went in one vehicle as they wanted to make reservations at a few places for their driving trip back down to the Brisbane area where Alf and Di just moved to. Laureen and I took our rental and led the way to Port Douglas. It takes just over an hour to get there and the road is scenic and curvy. It reminds me quite a bit of the driving in the Shuswap area in British Columbia. The only difference is, in the Shuswap's, I'm driving beside a lake.  Here, I'm driving beside the ocean where the next stop is Peru, South America. The only thing is, the road had a few places of construction where they had a stop light to only let one direction of traffic through at a time. I see that both Australia and Canada have a season in common - Road Construction.

We arrived at Port Douglas and Laureen guided me to the location of the market. It was a bit of a challenge to find parking as the market seems to be quite popular. As we were driving around, a couple of larger bus-like vehicles pulled out and I managed to snag one of those stalls. Alf found one just down from us where another patron was just leaving.  Then we stepped out of the vehicles. Wow. 

My phone registered that it was 31 degrees Celsius and the humidity was well over 85%. It was smoking hot. We started wandering down the lanes with booths on both sides. There were all kinds of of cool items from Jewelry to clothing made from old clothes (yup, recycled clothing), baking, fruits, veggies and even instruments. We spent some time chatting with the gent about the didgeridoo's he had on display. He really seemed to know his stuff about them, and he even played one a little for us as he was describing the sounds the different ones would make. 

I think Di found herself something at the market, and Steve and Margaret bought some fruit from someone. Two kinds of dragonfruit and a bag of passionfruit. Later, Laureen and I were kicking ourselves for not buying some for ourselves. Sigh. 

We walked around for about an hour and everyone was feeling the heat. We left the market area and walked down the street and looked at a few of the shops. Tommy Bahama had the nicest air conditioning of all of them.  I can only wander around and look at $174.00 shirts for so long.  Although they are nice, they are not THAT nice. Eventually we stopped at Paddy's Irish Pub & Grill for lunch to sit in the A/C. Lunch was, well, pub food but good. It took a little longer than I expected, but nobody was in a hurry to get back out into the heat. 

Before we left to come back to Cairns, we had a short discussion about going to the crocodile place that we were planning to go to tomorrow. We had actually driven by it on our way to Port Douglas. Going there today would mean that we wouldn't have to drive all the way back for it tomorrow. But, the heat has really taken its toll on us all, so we decided against that. Back in the cars to head for home base in Cairns. Laureen snapped a few pictures on the return trip.

A Bit of the Road Back to Cairns

Next Stop, Peru, South America

Nice Beach. No Swimming. Croc's.

On the way back, Alf was following me.  On occasion, a car would get between us, say from a traffic circle (and there are many of them here). Also, in sections where there was a passing lane, I might pass a vehicle ahead of me that was going slower than the speed limit.  Most of the road is one lane in each direction with little to no shoulder. I was kinda looking back and keeping an eye out for him, not because he didn't know where he was going, but more so that we would travel together. I was also enjoying the curvy roads a little as well, so I was taking the corners a little firm. At some point I looked back and I couldn't see him any more. There are lots of white cars on the road, so there were a couple quite a ways back, but they didn't look like the Kia that they were driving. At one point, at a traffic light, I said to Laureen, "I think we lost them".

We continued on our way back to the hotel parking lot. As we got out of the car, we heard the squeaky gate open and a few cars came in, but it wasn't them.  A few minutes later, we saw their car pulling up the ramp into the parkade. Apparently, a different white MG (Laureen and I are driving a rental white MG) pulled in front of them, and they started following it. It turned off into a residential area, and they thought I was taking some kind of short cut. The car eventually pulled up onto a driveway and they realized they were following the wrong vehicle.  Thunderous laughter broke out in the car. The poor person they were following probably thought they were going to get car-jacked. They told us the story when they arrived at the hotel, and we all had a good laugh. 

Margaret, Laureen and I met downstairs at the pool for a swim to cool off from the warm afternoon.  It was refreshing. Steve had a nanny nap, Alf went for a walk - a longer one than he had planned, and I'm not too sure what Di was up to. On our way up to the room after the swim, Margaret indicated that she would message us when they had figured out what was up for dinner. We went back to the room and I had another shower to remove the chlorine from my skin and then took a bit of a nanny nap myself as this cold is still dragging on. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to need some antibiotics for this one. I also made a trip over to "Wooli's" and picked up some pineapple and passion fruit, along with some paper towels.

The word came in that we were going for Thai food at 6:00 PM, so we met in the lobby at that time and made our way to a little place that they had found called Phetyai Thai. It was a tiny little place where you had to order from the counter and then they would bring out the food. We agreed on a few shared plates and placed the order. Our food started coming out and we all began digging in. It was very tasty. Although my plate was kinda sticking to the table and I made the mistake of putting my napkin (which was a box of facial tissue) on the table and it stuck to the table.  Seems they have been wiped so many times they have gotten kinda - well - sticky. But the food, was fantastic.

We then wandered down the street to a place called Just Devine Gelato for some (you guessed it) gelato for dessert. We sat at the tables in front of the establishment and enjoyed the amazing flavours. It's not the weight of my luggage that's going to be a problem on the way home if we keep eating like this. 

For the last bit of the evening, Margaret and Di went to the Night Market to get a foot massage (I tried to convince Laureen to join them, but she wasn't up for it). Steve and Alf went back to the hotel (probably a footy game is currently on). Laureen and I went to the Night Market also, but to pick up a couple of things that we had scoped out before to bring home. It's the souvenir run.

All-in-all it was a great day.  Looking forward to the croc's tomorrow.

Curt & Laureen in Cairns, Australia

Day 17 - The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef isn’t just a destination—it’s a world unto itself, a place that has existed for millennia, evolving, thriving, and silently witnessing the passage of time. To stand on the deck of the Reef Magic's platform (this was the tour operator we went with to experience this amazing attraction), gazing out at the vast stretch of turquoise water, is to feel the weight of its history, its importance, and its fragility. Today, we crossed the threshold from observers to participants, slipping into its depths to experience firsthand why this natural wonder has earned its World Heritage status. Floating above intricate coral cities and weaving through schools of iridescent fish, we weren’t just visitors—we were guests in one of Earth’s most extraordinary ecosystems - The Great Barrier Reef.  

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

It's 6:45 AM and I feel the gentle rub of my wife's hand on my arm. She's waking me up for what we expect to be an amazing day.  Last night, when I got back from the Kuranda experience, I felt that kind of weird feeling you get in the back of your nasal cavity when a cold is coming on.  GREAT! Just what I needed. And sure enough, a few hours later I was feeling the effects.  Stuffy. A little tired. And a bit of a sore throat. Laureen had brought along this nasal mist that one is supposed to use when you get this feeling, and was now digging in every little crevasse we had to find it.  Success. I gave myself a couple of squirts in both nostrils, and hoped it was enough. This morning, I can still feel it, but it's not too bad. Nothing like picking up a cold virus from somewhere while you are on vacation. 

We dressed in our bathing suites (sorry, cozzi's), and brought along some dry clothes for after the excursion, so we could change while out on the platform. We also had a quick breakfast along with the weekly anti-malaria medication for the time we are in South Asia. In the midst of that, we had the great pleasure of having a video chat with one of grandkids (and the parents). You realize how much you miss them when you see them and can interact with them in this way. We showed the "mama" that was with us and they reached for the phone to try and grab her. We got hugs and kisses and well, a reminder that there are some pretty cool things back home too.

We dashed out the door and were a little late getting down to the lobby to meet Steve, Margaret, Alf & Di. That's the second time this has happened. Of course I was greeted with, "Well, hello, sleeping beauty". Sigh. We ducked out of our hotel and it was a short 5 minute walk over to the marina. It took a bit of searching around, but we eventually found the right birth number (10) for our boat, arriving about ten minutes before they would start to board.  There weren't very many people around, and that gave us hope that it wouldn't be that crowded on our excursion - unlike what we saw as we walked down the dock. Other boats were teaming with people, but the tour guide that we worked with had noted that those ones were less expensive so you get more people and more backpackers. I'm glad we chose the one we did. It looks like it's going to be a marvellous day.

Once we got on board, we made our way to the second of three levels of the boat and sat outside. If you look at the picture above, we were sitting just to the left of the '4' that you can see on the side of the boat. Time for another group photo. They also had us fill out medical forms so they knew if anyone had conditions that may affect them while they are snorkelling or diving. I had to explain to someone why I was on blood thinners and they also wanted to know about any other medications. For being honest, I received a bright pink snorkel. Apparently this is to help identify people who might have conditions while they are in the water. Nice.

The Euro 2016 Crew Heading Out to the Great Barrier Reef

Now, there is a bit of a story around this picture. You see, I have a series of photos before this one, where one particular individual is caught messing around with their hair, glasses, etc. I showed some of the photo's to them earlier in the day and they not only wanted me to NOT put them in the blog, but to delete the photos. So, this is me, NOT posting those photos, but keeping them for another time when I may need them. You guess who it is.

The boat stopped at Fitzroy Island before heading out to their pontoon location. The scenery here is absolutely stunning.

A Boat Moored off the Coast of Fitzroy Island

The Coastline of Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island Resort (I could stay here)

Another view of Fitzroy Island

Once we had the passengers from this location on board, we set sail for the pontoon moored out at the reef. The journey took about an hour and a half in total.

We arrived at the pontoon there was a bit of a scramble to find a place to "park" with our stuff as well as get outfitted for getting into the water. Both Alf and Di decided they were not going into the water and would be able to watch our things. That was nice of them. So the four of us, Steve, Margaret, Laureen and me were outfitted with skim suits, goggles and snorkels, and flippers. "Mama" is included in this picture so we could send it to the grandkids. All I need is a fin on my back and I would look like an Orca.

The suits were to protect snorkelers from the "stingers" in the water. As you can see the suits had head coverings and they also had mittens right in the fabric. Pretty much everything was covered when you had it on, except the portions of your face that were not covered by the goggles. It's a good thing we had them too because while snorkelling, I saw a number of "jellies" in the water. Some of them very small (about the size of a quarter), others quite a bit larger (about the size of a small grape fruit). 

Once we were all decked out in our gear, it was time to head down to the metal steps that lead into the water. 

Steps into the Water off the side of the Pontoon

From there one was allowed to snorkel anywhere inside the buoy marked area, which was substantial in size. You can see part of it as it heads off the top left of the photo above. The picture below shows a broader view of one of the designated snorkelling areas. The white square that you see is a spot for snorkelers to stop and rest if need be.  I used this a couple of times.

The Roped-off Area for Snorkelling

It's hard to describe the feeling of swimming through the water here knowing that you are interacting with something so incredibly beautiful.  I found myself just floating over portions of the reef and trying to take it all in. There were portions that were deeper and portions that you felt that you could just reach out and touch (although we were told not to touch anything out there). The current would push and pull you over some of the most amazing formations. I wish I could have taken some pictures. Then I remembered that one of the announcements had indicated that they had some mechanisms to allow you to take your phone out in the snorkelling area and capture a few images. 

I made my way back to the pontoon, stopped at the restroom, and then met up with the others who had gotten out and were getting their buffet lunch. I noted that I was going to go get one of those underwater camera packs and then go back out into the water. When I found the correct place to ask, they were sold out.  Sigh. So, I went back to the steps and was going to just go back out and see if I could capture those memories in my brain instead.  I ran into a lady who I had a brief interaction with on the way onto the Pontoon who was from California. She had two of her grandkids with her and we just struck up a conversation. I told her I went to get a phone case for photos, but they were sold out. She asked if I wanted to borrow hers. Wow.  That was cool.  I agreed, and she went and got her's as I watch her grandkids. I thought it was a tad bit strange that a lady I just met would leave me in charge of her grandkids on the steps by the water. I must have an honest face in my Orca suit. When she arrived, we dropped my phone into the bag (it's essentially a clear plastic bag with a ziplock like closure at one end.  My phone fit perfectly.  Here are a few of the images I was able to capture.

I have to admit, that was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in the ocean. Drifting through the crystal-clear waters at the Great Barrier Reef feels like stepping into a dream—an underwater realm bursting with life and colour. Bit's of sunlight dance through the gentle waves, illuminating a dazzling mosaic of corals, their intricate formations teeming with vibrant fish that dart and swirl like living brushstrokes on a vast aquatic canvas. The silence is profound, broken only by the rhythmic sound of your breath through the snorkel, a steady reminder that you are merely a guest in this alien yet mesmerizing world. Schools of iridescent fish shimmer in perfect synchrony, their movements dictated by unseen currents. Time seems to dissolve as you float weightlessly, utterly captivated by the beauty and grandeur of this marine paradise—a fleeting yet unforgettable glimpse into one of Earth’s most extraordinary ecosystems. I will not soon forget that!

I came back to the pontoon as lunch was about to end in about 30 minutes. I removed all of the gear and then dropped it off in the respective bins. I then went to go lineup for food when I realized I didn't have the phone case that the lady from California had lent me? Oh no. I quickly went back to the bin for the skim suits, it wasn't there. A quick look in the snorkel return bin revealed that I had dropped it in there. Whew. I retrieved it and then went to the table of the lady who had loaned it to me and made sure to thank her very much and return it in good order.

I then went to the buffet, which was now closed down to one side, picked up some food and made my way back to the table where the gang was sitting.  They had finished lunch and were looking to go on a glass bottom boat ride. I offered to stay and watch the items since I got a second round of snorkelling in. They left and I finished eating. Once I was done, I walked around the upper deck where our stuff was, and took a few photos of the surrounding area.

They returned from the boat trip and then decided to head for the air conditioned portion of the boat (the one that brought us out there). We had about an hour until it was time to get back on the boat, so this way we were guaranteed a nice cool location for the ride back to the marina. 

We sat at a couple of tables and chatted until they were ready to leave. Once underway, they did a short aboriginal presentation where one of the crew demonstrated playing the didgeridoo. He was very good at playing the instrument.

Upon arrival at the dock, we all made our way back to the hotel and said we would meet at 6:30 PM for dinner. I jumped in the shower to rinse off the salt water from the day and then sat down for a while to start the blog. As 6:30 rolled around we met up with the crew and walked outside to find a place to have dinner.  There is no shortage of restaurants around here - that's for sure. We headed the opposite direction than we normally had being going, just to see if there were some other places.  We stopped at the Bushfire Flame Grill to have a look at the menu. This is a Brazilian BBQ place, with that all you can eat meat scenario. None of us were up for that, so we continued walking. we ended up walking around the block and stopping at Perrotta's at the Gallery once again, a place we had eaten at before. Dinner was nice as we all shared portions with our significant others' so that we could order the Cannoli this time. It was pretty darn tasty.

After diner we started to walk back to the hotel and then decided to go for a short stroll around the area. The night life here is vibrant every night we have been out. Alf didn't want to go for a walk (pretty sure he was sneaking off to watch the footy game), while the rest of us went for a stroll. I took a few evening photographs.

Back to the hotel and confirmation that we would meet in the lobby for 9:00 AM to make a trip to Port Douglas where on Sunday's they have a market that Margaret's sister indicated was something that we should not miss.  Looking forward to checking that out.

ITEM OF NOTE. We have seen in the news that there has been an earthquake in the Miramar region of South Asia and Thailand has been affected - more specifically Bangkok which has been declared a disaster zone. We are only passing through Bangkok later in our trip, but our hope is with the Miramar and Thai people that the devastation and deaths will be minimal.

Curt & Laureen at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia 

Day 16 - Skyrail Rainforest Cableway & Kuranda Railway

My first look out the window revealed that it was not raining today. At least not yet. Wisps of clouds revealed blue sky, something we had not seen in a little while. There was hope.

Today we had booked a trip up the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to the village of Kuranda and then the Railway from Kuranda down. The activity included all of us, so Steve and Margaret, Alf and Di, and Laureen and me. Since Alf and Di had driven up to Cairns, they had a vehicle, so the six of us met in the lobby at 10:00 AM where I was greeted by Margaret with her customary greeting, "Hello Sleeping Beauty."

From there we walked to the neighbouring travel guide and looked to book our Great Barrier Reef excursion for Monday next week (today was Friday). As it turns out, Monday was booked as a charter, so it was not available, but Saturday (tomorrow) was; so, we went ahead and made the booking. After we each had paid, we jumped into the two cars and headed for Smithfield, which is the starting point for the cable cars. The drive was uneventful, except that I was leading and it appears I missed the turnoff, so we had to turn around and make our way back to the driveway of the venue. Sigh. That's what happens when you let the Canadian lead in Australia. 

The six of us took the cableway (the gondola's hold up to 6 people, so we were all together for the duration),  floating high above the dense, ancient rainforest. From the cablecar, we had incredible views—endless green stretching to the horizon (you can even see the ocean in the first picture), the occasional glimpse of a winding river, and the towering Barron Falls in the distance. We stopped at Red Peak to walk through the thick rainforest, where the air was warm and humid and filled with the sounds of water and rustling leaves. 

At Barron Falls, we watched the water thunder down the gorge, a reminder of just how wild this place really is. It was a mix of adventure and quiet moments, taking it all in together—laughing and reminiscing about our 2016 Europe trip, and just enjoying the ride and the stunning rainforest scenery.

This was our third and final leg of the Skyrail, which terminated at Kuranda, and I managed to catch a picture of the Barron river (Steve was looking for Crock's and claimed he found a few down there - I didn't see any) as well as a Norman Rockwell like photo of the girls sitting opposite us in the Gondola. I'd be interested in your caption for this photo in the comments below.

The Barron River

[Your Caption For This Photo]

We arrived at Kuranda and spent the next few hours walking around, checking out the shops and having lunch. Lunch was at the Karanda Rainforest View Restaurant and the food was very good. We sat at a nice round table, with A/C nearby (oh man this place is humid) and the topic of Footie came up. Once they get going, it's hard to get them to stop. When we were done, we walked and checked out the local shops. The place is definitely touristy and we had walked around enough to be able to do a little price comparison to know that it was a little pricey up here.  

That, however, did not stop me from picking up a hand made boomerang with some aboriginal painting on it. Steve was checking them out to help me make sure that I bought a real one, and not one made in some other country and brought in to sell to the tourists. The one I picked up is carved from one piece of wood (not laminated like some of the knock-off's), and is signed on the back that it was hand-made in Australia. 

The train down from Karanda was to leave at 3:30 PM and we were to be there by about 3:00 to make sure that we made it on the train. We had our fill of strolling through the market and shops so we went a little early and found a place to sit at the train station.

The train was hot.  Hot and Humid. It did't move very quickly, so the breeze that entered through the windows was just teasing of what could have been. The train ride was an hour and a half with a stop at a lookout point at Barron falls, from the opposite side we had just seen it from.

After taking these pictures, and hopping back on the train (we only had 10 minutes at this stop), someone from our group, I'm not sure who it was, pointed out that there was a very large spider walking along the railing.  I attempted a couple of pictures. The thing is as big as your hand.

One more group shot of us riding the train.

We arrived at Freshwater Station, which was not the place that we parked our cars. As part of our package, there was a bus waiting to take us to take us back to our point of origin. Once we arrived, we decided to head over to Guzman y Gomez for dinner tonight. Although the food was good, I'm not sure why restaurants need to have the music blaring so loud that you can't hear the person across from you. 

From there we drove back to the hotel, and we gave Alf and Di the small gifts we brought from Canada.

Tomorrow is going to be another long day as we are heading out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some snorkelling. 

Curt and Laureen in Cairns, Australia