From a Different Perspective

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DAY 324

7.00am Sunday morning I jumped out of bed, why? Well today we are going to do the hike to the top of the Barron Gorge so we can stand on the steel bridge, at the base of Red Bluff, that you have seen in the photo’s when we have walked up there before and when we took some photo’s of the Cairns/Kuranda Scenic Railway.

I did myself a cup of tea, its still too early to take one in for Caroline, unless I put it on the end of a long pole, “Her most Grumpyness” would not take too kindly if her tea was too early as she would doze and it would just go cold.

I made up the camel Bak and put a couple of snacks in, Caroline had mentioned about making sandwiches but there was not point really we were out early and should be back around lunch time anyway.

Caroline was out of bed by 8.00am and after a light breakfast we were on our way to Stoney Cross Creek where the Douglas Trail head leads up to the Barron Gorge/Red Bluff.

We get to the car park and put our boots on, we are already and start to march at exactly 9.15am. We cross over Stony Creek using the bridge, we see a father and his two sons who take the trail ahead of us. This will be the third time we have done this walk, and for whatever reason, it seems tougher, longer and steeper this time.

Last time Caroline found it tough, and I was more comfortable with it, but this time the role is reversed, I am the one finding it tough.

Within the first 15 Minutes of the climb we heard the first train which would have left Cairns Central at 08.30, but we had gauged our walk so we would be up at the steel bridge for about 10.15 which would have us a few minutes to catch our breath before the 09.30 train was just going under the walkway bridge, so providing our timings were correct we should just make seeing the train at the top, if not I was not going to do this climb again before we leave for Cape York, as much as I enjoyed the train, it was only for a couple of photo’s anyway, oh and the exercise.

Up and up we went, the climb just seemed to go on forever, the father and his two sones were long gone from sight and earshot, when we stopped to have a drink and catch our breath Caroline said that she had not seen the huge Granite boulder “captured” by the Strangler Fig, and I said that I thought It was around the next corner. Strangely enough we had walked passed it way back and not noticed it, I suppose when you are looking at the ground, where you are stepping and putting your back in to something, we just never saw it.

We arrived at the bridge at about 10.10, and boy I was puffing and wheezing like I was on 40 fags a day, still we had made it, Caroline wondered if they might get snakes on the train line, I said would be quite reasonable, but as they sense vibration, you would hope they would feel the vibration of the combined weight of about 500 tonnes of train coming let alone human footsteps.

We heard the train, then we heard it slow up or stop for the views at Stoney Creek Falls then the sound disappeared, it must have been on the side of the mountain that masked the sound, we were high above the track standing looking down the track bending to the right, and suddenly we heard the noise of the train coming just around the corner.

Caroline’s Camera was going off like a machine gun, where as my Sony Cybershot is nowhere near as advanced so my policy is make the good shots count, the train rumbled below us, and lots of people waved as they went by on the great journey up to Kuranda.

Within probably a few minutes it was all over, we had walked for just over an hour for a few minutes worth of action, though we knew what we were taking on. However, delighted with seeing the train from a different perspective we put the rucksacks back on and started off back down the “Mountain”,

We got to the car at about 11.20 took our boots off, put our thongs on and walked back to Stoney Creek to sit in the sun and dangle our feet in to cool them off. Being a gorgeous sunny day, hot and humid and the cool creek water soothed our aching feet, we walked back to the car, and headed off as we needed to get some groceries for the next leg of the trip.

Oh deep joy, pushing a trolley around Woolworths, with our carefully planned list of bits and pieces we needed.

Back at the house, we unloaded the shopping and as usual put the kettle on, it was about 2.45 so as Caroline had just purchased a new puzzle pack for her Nintendo DS, she loaded it in to the unit and retired to the hammock, I mooched about tidying the electronics box, making jellies to put in the freezer and reading my book.

When Caroline purchased her new game pack and her book for the Cape York leg, she allowed me to spend my “pocket money” on a book as I have just read my Led Zeppelin Biography for the 2nd time and half way through Diamonds and Dust for the 2nd time.

Excitedly I purchased “Magnificent Desolation, The Long Journey Home from the Moon, written by Buzz Aldrin the Apollo 11 Astronaut, I am looking forward to reading it.

After our evening meal, we watched a bit of mindless TV whilst waiting for the James Bond Casino Royale film to start, It was going to be a late finish at about 20 to midnight, but it is an excellent film and worth staying up late.

Caroline Skyped her parents for a brief chat then we settled to watch the film.

Until tomorrow and another day closer to hitting the road again!!

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Photos

Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Locomotive in all its painted Glory

Kuranda Scenic Railway
Peeping around the corner

Tourist
Looking every inch the tourist

Empty Track
Awaiting its arrival

Cooling the feet
Caroline cools her feet after the hike

Comments

[Helen Sheridan]

Dust
Hi Caroline and Andy, Just wondering if you have managed to get all our dust yet. I hear it was heading up your way. Don't bother blowing it back this way - we don't need it just yet. Love Helen