Kuranda

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Friday 27 November continued

We were pretty tired from the day on the boat, but decided we should eat something as we were a little hungry. Pat suggested we tried the Steak on Lake restaurant attached to the hotel.

We went down at 7 pm, at which time the place was empty. We ordered a rib-eye steak and a lamb rogan josh. A lovely meal and with drinks was AUD$70.20. The place did fill up a little with people before we left.

Back to the room to pack.

Saturday 28 November

As well as checking out this morning we have arranged a trip out for the day.

A coach was due to pick us up at 8.45 am. When we had found details of the trip, you start at one place and finish in another, so although we have a car the trip we wanted to do would have been really difficult on our own, so for the sake of extra AUS$13, we booked the coach as well.

We had previously checked with reception if we could leave our luggage, and they said yes. We have some provisions and didn't want to leave them in a 40℃ car all day.

So down to the car to put in some stuff, some in the luggage room and check out. The room was AUS$103.50 per night.

All this in good time to wait for our coach pick up. Our trip was to go on the Kuranda scenic railway, then after visiting Kuranda back down on the Skyrail.

So, the coach picked us up at 8.55 and we were off to Freshwater station. The trip is fantastically organised and you have a seat booked on the train, which was due to leave at 9.50 am.

The coach had plenty of time and the driver gave a very simple but informative description of the day and various things on the short journey.

What he did see and stop to show us was a sugar cane cutter in operation which was fascinating and it looks like something out of “journey to the centre of the earth”.

We arrived at the station which is a tourist place and done up in an old style and had some drinks and looked at souvenirs.

The train arrived, with a modern deisel engine, but with 100 year old coaches. We found our allocated seat in carraige 11 of 14 . There were a large number of people.

We set off up the mountain, as the story of the construction is given over the tannoy and various information. The line was basically built because they found gold.

Anyway, you gradually trundle up the ascending track for about an hour and a half, looking at the scenery and the rainforest.

We had a mission in Kurunda, which was to cuddle a koala. This is one of Pat's big things to do in Australia, and research had shown there was a place here that it could be done.

Apparently only certain states allow it to occur, and this is one of them.

So after we got off the train, we headed straight for the koala gardens at the omission of all else - except a bathroom visit. As we didn't know quite how it worked and how long things would take, or if it was busy etc.

We got there after yomping through most of the Kuranda village and found the ticket desk.

As it turned out koala gardens hadn't been busy this morning and they were in need of cuddles - so she said. We paid the entry fee and additional AUS$20 for a picture to be taken. This got Pat a liitle cuddly koala to hang on her bag.

We found found our way to the koalas and there were four people in a group in front of us.

Once they had finished Pat was instructed how to hold and given the koala, called Fred.

Your picture is then taken by their photographer, who produces the picture for you after a couple of minutes. They allow someone else to take pictures while this is going on and the guy took one on my camera with me standing and Pat still holding the koala.

So Pat was a very happy camper and we now took time to look around the various other anumals.

One we saw was a wombat and we both hadn't realised how big they actually were.

We went back into the village and found somewhere for lunch. We both had a burger and chips.

Kuranda is purely now a tourist spot , but not cheap abd tacky. Also not really expensive, we found some t-shirts we had been looking to buy at two for AUS$25 and they were the cheapest we had seen anywhere.

We found what can only be described as a biker shop and Pat replaced my bandana which had been misplaced on a greyhound bus a little while ago.

There were some really beautiful things in some of the shops and it was an enjoyable time in the village.

Our departure was booked for 1.45 on the Skyrail so we made our way in that general direction.

There are a couple of stations in the journey were you can get off and back on again.

Basically it is a cable car journey above the rainforest. Both Pat and I have an unfavourable view of heights but we both endured the experience, which was worth doing......once!

We did get off and look around at both stations.

At the end we had a tea in the cafe and waited for our bus and the return journey to the hotel.

After other pickups we got back to the hotel at 4 pm. The cost for coach, rail and skyrail tickets for both of us was AUS$246.00.

Our next destinatuon is Cardwell which is a couple hours down the road.

We stopped quickly at the friendly grocers and then headed off.

We arrived at 6pm and checked in the hotel. We had driven 180 kilometres today.

The place is called Cardwell beachront motel and is just off the beach and we were given the front corner room as an upgrade for AUS$99.

The sun was just going down so we took a 5 minute walk around to see the area. They have crocodiles here!

We made some sandwiches for tea and never moved anymore and that was us for the day.

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