Big day today as we rose early, showered, breakfasted, and then prepared for our big day out in Port Douglas. I took one look at the tiny tenders that were to transport us to shore (the ship anchors quite a way outside the port for reasons that would become apparent later in the day!), and decided I was leaving nothing to chance – I would take an avomine too. There was quite a large swell and the captain had announced that the trip in the tender would take approximately 30 minutes and would be somewhat violent.
Needless to say, when we finally did board the vessel to take us to shore it was a local catamaran, not the ship's tender, that zipped through the swell like it wasn't there and took no longer than 5 or 10 minutes to effortlessly glide into Port Douglas Marina. Thanks to the avomine, I then spent the next 8 hours trying to stay awake...and sometimes not doing a good job of it!
Upon arrival at the marina, we boarded a tour bus and travelled along a very windy (as in lots of bends, not breezy – are they spelled the same?) highway to Cairns (about an hour?) where we climbed aboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway. This was a very pretty ride up the mountains on this historic railway (lots of impossible bridges, tunnels etc) to the nearby tablelands where we were able to explore the lovely village of Kuranda. I was able to pick up some jewellery and a lovely silk top and Gary did not disappoint, finding a nice watch for himself. I don't remember much about the trip back as I think I slept most of the way.
We were lucky enough to grab a ride back on the catamaran as well so even though the swell was even worse, the trip back was no problem at all. Unfortunately one of the ship's tenders had befallen a slight mishap in the form of running aground as the tide ran out earlier in the afternoon. We overheard the captain of the catamaran mentioning to one of the ship's officers as we pulled up alongside that he only had 8 meters between him and the bottom. That certainly elicited a response that any old sea salt would be proud of! I can tell you there was a lot of sand flying when we finally set sail a little after 6pm. The tide range must have been well over 8 feet in just a matter of hours.
Back on board, I had a swim in the afternoon when we returned and also discovered the delights of afternoon tea in the buffet – oops and no gym today! Looks like it will have to be a light evening meal...as if...
2 comments:
Hi Penny and Gary, glad you are having a great time, my mum and dad have been following as they are going on the same trip at the end of October.After reading your blog they are so excited now they even went a got the avomine just in case!!!
Looking forward to tomorrows blog.
Amanda
Hellow travellers,
I thought your laptop must have taken a turn for the worst. I thought it was strange I hadn't hear from you. A few days later, Lee said to me "have you looked at these messages from Penny?". we network at the Rynehart house and I'm the one that accesses the email but Lee was waiting for one from Rev Wendy and accessed them and didn't tell me about them till 3 days or so later!
Anyhow goo to finally read about your new experiences. The way you write, we think we're there.
Very interested to hear about the Historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. My Sister couldn't stop talking about the experience and in particular, then beautiful flora. She's a real "greenie". I know you probably had a look on the net looking at the places you're going to visit either before you left Aus or while in transit. Just incase you missed Kuraned, here's a quick snip I looked at regarding its history:-
Overview:
It was 1882 and the miners of Herberton were on the brink of total starvation, unable to get supplies due to flooding. A route to civilisation was desperately needed and adventure bushman Christie Palmerston was charged with finding a starting point for a railway.
The Premier Sir Samuel Griffiths turned the first sod for the line which was to be built in three stages. Dense jungle and cliffs with sheer drops of up to 327 metres and a slope as steep as 45 degrees were literal death traps for workers. Somehow, without modern equipment but simply fortitude, dynamite and bare hands the team eventually finished the job.
After removing 2.3 million metres of earthworks, creating 15 tunnels, 93 curves, dozens of bridges and 75 kilometres of track, a banquet high up on the bridge with General Sir Henry Wiley Norman, Governer of Queensland marked the completion of Stoney Creek Bridge. Shortly after in June of 1891 the line was open for everyone to enjoy.
The original Kuranda Scenic Railway is truly a legendary demonstration of man’s ingenuity and nature’s wonder.
Anyhow, keep enjoying and now, I'll look at day 7, 8 & 9.
Bye for now,
Frankie & Lee
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