Skyrail to Kuranda

For our second day in Cairns, we initially planned to just relax in town, enjoying the beautiful pool of our hotel and the beach. However, it was raining, so we altered our plans to go to Kuranda, which is a lush rain forest about 10 minutes outside Cairns. We signed up for an excursion which picked us up at the hotel and took us to the base of the Skyrail, a gondola system similar to the Sky Buckets they used to have at Disneyland.

We rode up through the clouds, enjoying views of the thick foliage. Because it was raining the view of the valley was obscured, but it was still a great ride up.

Our first stop at Red Peak allowed us to walk a trail around the plants with an aboriginal guide. He shared how many of the plants were used by his ancestors to survive. The leaves of one plant, for example, were used for fishing. The aboriginal fishermen would throw leaves into the water, and a mild poison would be released that paralyzed the fish. Then, they would wade in and grab as many paralyzed fish as they needed. When they had enough, they would remove the leaves from the water surface, and the remaining fish would snap back to life.

Our guide, whose service is included with the price of the Skyrail, also told us about indigenous animals and birds, like the Cassowary. The Cassowary is an endangered species of bird (maybe 1500 alive in the world) native to the region. This flightless bird eats fruit found in the jungle, and when it defecates, it plants six or more seeds coated in natural fertilizer. This sprouts a lot of trees, keeping the rain forest thick with foliage.

After the female Cassowary gives birth, the male stays with the babies until they are ready to be on their own. Fiercely territorial, they can disembowl enemies with a single kick. They are the second heaviest and third tallest birds in the world, ranked only behind the ostrich and emu. They look like short necked ostriches, but with more colorful faces and necks. I saw one later in the day while riding the train back down.

Our second stop was to see the amazing cascade of Barron Falls from a series of viewing spots. The first spot's view was obscured by clouds which gradually cleared, and as we got closer, the skies kept clearing, until at the end we were rewarded with an incredible view.