Displaced Beachbums

Waterfall in the Kuranda Rain Forest, Australia

We spent the entire last day of our Australian vacation in the Kuranda Rain Forest area. We traveled 90 minutes (34 km) on a scenic train up to the village of Kuranda. Every where we looked we were treated to breathtaking views. The train stopped for about 20 minutes at a lovely scenic overlook. 

Once we arrived at Kuranda Village, we skipped the “Veg Out Cafe” which came complete with Hare Krishna chanting and opted for the local Irish Pub and Restaurant. It turned out to be the best meal I had while in Australia. Yummy!

For the trip back down the mountain, we rode the cable car. Both FG and my mother-in- law seemed particularly nervous about the ride but FG soon forgot her worries and started to wave at passing cable cars. There were two stops on the way down because the cable car system was actually in three separate systems. Each stop allowed us to view some great sights. Unfortunately, on one stop, I was busy escorting FG to the bathroom when FM and his family spotted an endangered, flightless bird called the Cassowary. By the time we got back, it was gone 😦 At least he got a photo of it:

Sadly, our trip was over way to quickly and I felt like I had a lot more exploring to do ~ guess I’ll have to start planning my return visit!

Our Wanna Be Rental Car 

Day 3:  We rented a car and drove to the beautiful, relaxing resort town of Port Douglas which is about an hour north of Cairns. It was a gorgeous drive up the coast ~ in fact, the guidebooks describe the drive as one of the most scenic in Australia. Next time we visit Far North Queensland, I’d prefer to stay in Port Douglas or in the Rain Forest.I spent most of the drive concentrating on the road and reminding FM to stay to the LEFT side of the road. He did a great job driving but occasionally he had the automatic reflex (especially in parking lots) to go to the right side. His parents got a good laugh out of me repeatedly saying “Left side”. Personally, I think FM and I make great travel partners and I’m tempted to sign us up for the Amazing Race. 😉 

Great Barrier Reef, on the way to Green Island

Day 2:  We took a 1.5 hour boat ride to The Great Barrier Reef and Green Island. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and the only living thing visible from space. We spent the day on Green Island enjoying swimming, snorkeling and wandering around the island. We also took two boat tours: on a glass bottom boat and on a semi-submerged boat. Both allowed us to see vast amounts of fish and coral without having to go on a dive. This adventure has got me seriously considering getting my dive certification ~ even though I have a lot of trouble with my ears. It seems such a waste to live and travel in these great dive spots and not go diving. By the way, according to Wikipidia, the other six natural wonders are:
Grand Canyon, The Matterhorn, Mount Everest, Ayers Rock, Meteor Crater and Victoria Falls.

Cairns, Australia is located in Far North Queensland and is a fabulous place to visit due to its diversity. The rainforest area borders the beaches which leads to the Great Barrier Reef.

We got a relatively early start to our day even though we didn’t get to sleep until 2:30 am. We walked around Cairns, ate lunch and then we got down to the business of tourist activities 🙂

The activity desk located in the Outrigger hotel gave us wonderful advice and booked our tours. We started with the Night Zoo located just north of Cairns. We knew dinner was included but, once we got there, FM was particularly happy to hear that beer and wine was also complimentary. The bus driver later told me he sees a lot of drunk people coming out at the end of the evening.

We started off with drinks and dinner. Then we were given flashlights and toured the zoo. We got to see a beautiful white owl, a huge toad, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, koalas, kangaroos, MANY types of snakes and a host of other creatures. We even happened upon a snake LOOSE on the walkway ~ thankfully, it wasn’t poisonous but it sure was BIG.

After the tour, we went back to the dining area for songs, dancing and more drinking. It started with FG dancing, then me, then the zoo keepers got everyone up to dance including my father-in-law ~ much to the surprise of his wife and sister!

On the way back to the hotel, I asked FG what her favorite part of the evening was and she said “all of it” which I have to agree.

Between our visitors and a recent trip to Cairns, Australia, I’ve had no time to update my blog. We departed for Australia last Sunday evening and got back at 6:00 am yesterday.  I kept having to pinch myself the entire time because I thought Australia was always too far away for me to visit but now it’s only a 4 hour flight from Guam!

We got a great package deal through Continental Airlines but, unfortunately, my hotel choice(The Outrigger) wasn’t available. We ended up at the All Seasons Sunshine Tower which was basic, clean and only a 15 minute walk into the center of Cairns so it worked out fine. Next time, we’ll book earlier.

Part of the reason for the great rate on the package was the flight times. We didn’t arrive in Cairns until 1:00 a.m. and we departed at 1:30 a.m. Even though the flight was only 4 hours, it made for some late and tiring nights. As usual, FG was a trooper and fell asleep with her head on my lap. FM fell asleep before the flights even took off leaving me to stay awake the whole time. 

More on Cairns tomorrow…