Bart Bear's Blog

There are loads of nice beaches north of Cairns. My favourite is Palm Cove. As the name suggests, there are lots of palm trees planted along the shoreline. Across the road near the beach are lots of cafes/restaurants and apartments. The beach is long, sandy and kept clean. You can see from Double Island almost right down to Cairns. Nice sand, calm water, warm day, so you may be wondering why there is nobody actually in the water. Dad showed me why. The sign he held me up to has warnings about marine stingers, including box jellyfish and irukandji. A sting from either of those can be fatal. There are also lots of other stinging jellyfish that don't kill you, just make you feel like you have been worked over by a maniac swinging a whip coated with acid. Stinger season is October to May so sensible swimmers head for the Barrier Reef, which is far enough offshore to be clear of the stingers, or just swim in resort pools. Oh yes, there is also the possibility of meeting a salt-water crocodile - that is not something to wish for. Some of you will remember that, despite my wish to surf and snorkel, Mum will not let me get wet. She has no trouble keeping me out of the sea when we visit beaches north of the Tropic of Capricorn in summer!!
 

Labels: animals, beach, Cairns

There are 2 ways to return to Cairns from Kuranda. You can go back by the train or you can take the Skyrail. This way you sit in a small gondola that carries you above the dense rain forest and down the range to the station where you can get a shuttle bus back into Cairns. There are 2 stops along the way where you can leave the skyrail and walk some of the trails to scenic lookouts. From the gondola you can see all of the flowers, creepers, vines, and birds that live at the top of the forest trees. There are also great views of some of the waterfalls and gorges. The drop down the range gives you splendid views of the northern beach suburbs of Cairns. I love this trip but the Oldies sometimes get a bit jumpy when the wind makes the gondola sway or when there is an unexpected bump and rumble as it passes one of the support towers. If you visit Cairns you really must do the railway and skyrail trip to Kuranda.
 

Labels: Cairns, Kuranda, Queensland

A must-do thing anytime you visit Cairns is to take a trip on the tourist train to Kuranda. Kuranda is a small village in the rain forest on top of the mountain range inland of Cairns. The railway was built between 1886 and 1891 to provide a link between the mining towns on the Atherton tableland and Cairns. During WW2 it linked the ports of Cairns and Port Douglas with the military camps and hospitals on the tableland, and the railway between Cairns and Brisbane. The line is 75km long and rises to 327m above sea level. It was built entirely by pick, shovel and dynamite, one of the great engineering feats of colonial Australia. Today it is one of the world's great tourist railway trips. Although the engines are now diesel electric the carriages are restored vintage units, including a "luxury" Gold Class carriage (drinks and snacks all during the trip). I bought the Oldies seats in this one from my pocket money.The line passes through 15 tunnels, has 93 sharp curves and passes over dozens of bridges across ravines. From the train you see many waterfalls. The train makes a photo stop at Barron Falls, usually the most spectacular one, but this time the best was Stony Creek. The almost-last image is a view across the Barron Gorge to Stony Creek Falls and the long railway bridge which crosses the ravine here. We have done this trip 4 times now and will definitely do it again if we have the chance. And about those bars across the windows to stop passengers leaning out, well they don't stop determined small bears.

Labels: Cairns, Kuranda, Queensland, train