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Perfect morning as we headed off after beekkie for our hour drive south back down that beautiful coast road to Freshwater station to start our Kuranda adventure.
Arrived with plenty of time for a coffee on the platform cafe before the 9am departure of the iconic Kuranda Scenic Railway. What an awesome hour and a half trip - comfy, relaxing and so so scenic! So glad we postponed this from last Sunday when we woke to pouring rain! Today was just perfect - and so warm! And so difficult to comprehend that this railway's construction commenced in 1882... was completed in 1891 and is truly an engineering masterpiece in mountainous rainforest terrain. The views from Stony Creek Falls and Baron Falls Station are particularly awesome.
On arrival at Kuranda Station we walked down to the river and strollled the 750m along its edge, coming into the township at the opposite end. We walked through the array of markets and shops all jam packed with day tripping tourists. We were thankful to have altered our return trip on the Skyrail to an earlier time slot - allowing ample time to grab some lunch and an ice cream (loved our German hot dogs!)...the tourist shops catering more to the international travellers - certainly not our scene.
After checking out the historic Kuranda Hotel at the end if the road, we were on the Skyrail heading back down by about 2.15pm. What a unique and memorable experience! Incredible to be travelllig at that height taking in such overwhelming views over the 7.5kms of cableway. There are stops to walk around boardwalks and view lookouts at Barron Falls Station and Red Peak Station. Incredible vistas!
We were fortunate to be back at Smithfield station in time to catch an earlier shuttle bus back to Freshwater Station - so we were collecting our car before 3pm.
All augered well for the drive back to Port Douglas, arriving much earlier than we had hoped. Enjoyed an afternoon drink at the Central Hotel, and the Courthouse Hotel....then back to our property for a swim (met a lovely family from the Mornington Peninsula). Showered and headed out and ended up eating dinner at the Central Hotel.....a much sort after early night!
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