Cairns, Australia
CAIRNS,
AUSTRALIA
FEBRUARY
12, 2025
Cairns, a
vibrant city on the shores of the Coral Sea, is the gateway to a rich array of
natural beauty. The Great Barrier Reef
stretches for 1,400 miles and is the largest continuous coral reef system on
Earth with 360 species of colorful hard corals and one-third of the Earth’s
soft corals and 1,500 varieties of fish.
Daintree and Kuranda National Parks with vast rainforest systems provide
a natural habitat for a profusion of birdlife.
Sandy took off this morning on the Kuranda Scenic Railway which came into existance in 1886. The train began the steep climb to Kuranda and traveled through 15 hand-carved tunnels. Sand and concrete were transported by wagons and then transferred to mules to be forwarded along the cliff-faces to the various worksites while building these tunnels.
The
highlight of this journey was a photographic stop at the Barron Falls
Station. The Falls are 1074 feet above
sea level with the drop of 870 feet.
We then
visited a refuge for koalas, kangaroos and wallabys, turtles, crocs, the cassowary
flightless bird, pythons and the Tasmanian Devil.
The Rainforest did not disappoint. It rained prior to our trip down the mountain on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. After waiting 45 minutes in line, we learned that lightning was in the area and travel on the Skyrail was delayed until safe to travel again. Our group took the tour bus back down the mountain! A Great Day indeed!
Meanwhile, Jim couldn’t pass up a final opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef. He headed out on the Reef Magic catamaran to a private platform anchored on the Reef. He was hoping for a chance to scuba dive, but because of the recent cyclone activity in this region and all the freshwater run-off into the sea, visibility was minimal. So, he opted to do some snorkeling and to view the Reef in the semi-submersible sub that was available. The coral and the variety of fish life did not disappoint. He even saw a local denizen, a large grouper nicknamed Big Wally who loves to have the cruise ship visitors come to see him.
You two are having such a great trip!!! I remember visiting Cairns after spending over a week in the outback, the high humidity and ocean swims were so refreshing.
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