Cairns - Welcome to the tropics!

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Welcome to Cairns! One of Australia's most 'touristy' destinations in the tropical north. Home of the Daintree Rainforest, The Great Barrier Reef, Crocodile country and eternal bad hair days. Cairns is HOT and STEAMY!

Our first outing in Cairns took us to Kuranda...a little village up in the rainforest. The best way to get there is on the skyrail. Skyrail takes you over the rainforests canopy via cable car. From above you get a real appreciation for the lush and green foliage and great views of the rivers, waterfalls and birds along the way. Not to mention the view of the ocean. The skyrail provides stops along the way where you can get off for a stroll on the boardwalks that allow you to walk within the forest without causing any harm, visit informational centres that tell you about the plant-life and animals that reside within it, or to the scenic lookouts within the Barron Gorge National Park.

Once in Kuranda there are plenty of shops, art galleries, markets and restaurants to keep you occupied for the afternoon. We had pizza at "Frogs Restaurant". We can recommend that one if you ever go.

For a different experience on your way back to Cairns from Kuranda, we took the Kuranda Scenic Railway. This train goes through the rainforest, passing steep cliffside views (not for the faint of heart) and waterfalls along the way. This railway was constructed in the late 1800s so that supplies could be brought to and from the miners working in the Atherton Tablelands.

The train lets you off right at the Cairns Central Railway station...which also happens to be next to the largest shopping mall in the city. How convenient!

Now that we've been to the rainforest we're ready for the offshore adventures. Next outing...the Great Barrier Reef. Stay tuned for that adventure!

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Photos

Smile!
Safe inside our cable car high above the rainforest canopy

Cable Car
This is a sweet ride!

Barron Falls
Not much water going over these falls now...but apparently in the rainy season it's enourmous

Barron Gorge
Nature's cleavage

Barron River
Hmm...muddy...do you think crocodiles live here??

Butterfly in Kuranda
Apparently this is the only picture we actually took in the village of Kuranda.

Train Ride Back To Cairns
Over a ravine and next to a waterfall. I hope we don't tip!