Kuranda – 163 km

The fog rolled in some time during the night so we know we are close to the rainforest. You could hear the water dripping from the trees! Again there are signs in the bathrooms so couldn’t resist another picture. There even were several cats roaming around the campgrounds and two of them were pretty game for a few pets.

We stopped at the Ravenshoe Information center as from our stop two weeks ago we knew they had internet. It is run by elderly very pleasant and helpful volunteers. We were able to post the blog edition there.

The rest was a short, interesting drive through the Atherton Tablelands (mostly farmland) and into the rainforest. We were a bit concerned about getting a place to camp at very touristy Kuranda but as we were here pretty early we lucked out, or should that be lucked in? People access the town from Cairns via a 30 km railway trip (coming here to escape the city for the day) and have been doing this since the 1930s.

There is a walking path from the campground, through the rainforest (be careful you don’t trip on the many roots), along the railway tracks (the campground lady assured us the trains no longer use it but didn’t warn us about the hobo camped on the tracks under the bridge), up some stairs and into the village. It was just like a taste of home with all the old hippie types wandering around. Numerous stands selling any number of things. Numerous entertainment options for pretty high entrance fees – butterfly garden, pet a koala, Reptile Park and the list goes on. You could take a railway trip, river cruise or the sky rail ($150 return trip for 45 minutes).

There were three aboriginal boys busking, dancing and banging sticks, playing a digeridoo. Their younger brother was in the bushed throwing rocks at them and Doug couldn’t resist taking his picture. Caught in the act! The shops all close up at 3 pm as that is when the last train back to Cairns leaves.

 

 

One of the items on display was an old plane wreck. More accurately a plane from the wreckers! Originally a US WW2 transport plane called Geronimo, it was left for the Australians after the war.  It was pressed into various service capacities over the decades and finally was junked until it was rescued and placed on display in Kuranda.

There is a river walk to get part way back from the town so we took it. The humidity is high so we were pretty wet by the time we got back to the campgrounds. We did find a swimming hole along with a rope hanging from the tree along the Barron River walkway. Neither of us wanted to give it a try though in spite of how hot we were. The water is pretty muddy and you never know, there may be crocodiles in it!