The Wet Tropics of Queensland

On our second day in Cairns, we headed inland to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the wet tropics. Instead of opting for a touring through the rainforest, we took one OVER the rainforest on the Skyrail.

This 7.5 km stretch of cable cars takes you over the tree tops, passing Barron Falls, and stopping at two stations in the forest along the way. The final stop is the small village of Kuranda, where we wandered around and explored the sites (and shops) for a few hours. It had a great small town feel with lots of local artisans and small food shops (we enjoyed German sausages and French crepes). And we found a lovely hand-etched wood platter that will grace our future home one day.

Ani and I on the Skyrail

Barron Falls

Town of Kuranda

At about 4pm, the entire village became silent as all of the daytrippers (including us), may their way back down by cable car or by train. We opted for the latter on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which was constructed to transport goods inland and provide passengers access to the North Queensland coast.

Ani at the train station in Kuranda

Views of the valley and the ocean from the train

And finally, a fabulous shot of the bay from our hotel room at the Shangri-La...makes you want to be on vacation every day, doesn't it?

Next Stop: Melbourne