Port Douglas - Kuranda 25 Jan - Monday

Cooler morning around 28°C. Earlish start for our transfer to the "SkyRail" cable way at Smithfield (Tjapukai). For a 1.5hr ride on the 7.5km cable ride over the rain forest with stops at  Red Peak Station and Barron Falls Station before arriving at Kuranda.
At Red Peak Station we had a guided tour around the rainforest canopy. At Barron Falls Station there was a viewing plateform,  overlooking the Barron River water falls, which were not in flood. And as most of the water from the river is now use by the hydroelectric generating station, there was not much water flowing over the Falls.

Red Peak Station. A stranger vine has started to grow on this host tree. The vine is not strong enough to suport it's self, it sends roots down to the ground and gets all its nourishment from there. It does not take any nourishment from the host tree. Over time (hundreds of years) the vine sends more roots down, which also become thicker. Eventually there are enough thick vines for the vine to be self supporting. The mass of vine roots then strangers the host trees roots and the host tree dies.

Barron Falls viewing platform, only a small flow over the falls in the background

Joined for lunch by a little friend

Main street in Kuranda. The strangler vine is now self supporting and it's roots will now start strangling the host tree.

Get your Didgeridoo here

Kangaroo pelts 

Or a full crocodile  (choice of two)

We returned on the Kuranda Scenic Railway

Some stunning views

Late afternoon, the rain started to roll in 

We alighted the train a stop early, at Freshwater. The announcement in the train said alight at Freshwater for transfers to Port Douglas. But when we checked with the various coaches at the station, we were told that we should have stayed on the train to Cairns. The tour guide (Bob) was immediately  sacked.

The local station staff suggested telephoning for a taxi, as all the coaches had left by this time. Bob rang the tour company and arranged for the shuttle to call at Freshwater and pick everyone up. He was then reinstated as the tour guide.