We have decided we had better put the rent-a-bomb to use for the last full day. Were considering Skyrail to Kuranda and train back but would be along day to leave the dog behind… so went by car.
Kuranda has one supermarket, one post office, 10 genuine original aboriginal art galleries, 20 retired hippy incense etc shops stalls, 15 health food stalls (and one Scottish tea and fudge shop0, 30 indian clothes/ souvenir and stuff shops; a bird… walk through, a butterfly walk through, a reptile walk through (I think) and one honey shop – all spread through the heritage markets, the genuine markets, the original markets and the several shopping streets. Hard work but we got away with only a few tea-towels and a good cappuccino – and some very tasty honey.
Drove down to Barron (river) Falls. You cross the Barron River at the bottom of the mountain about 15m above the water, and then at Kuranda 15m above the water but Kuranda is hundreds of metres above the coastal plain. Hence the falls – quite sensational even in the dry…. Viewing platform 20 m above the rail station!!! And many M below the cable car (Skyrail) – which actually crosses above the falls I gather.
Enough of Kuranda - with all the Japanese signs and precious few Japanese tourists –today, at least. Probably can’t afford AU$ these days.
Headed down the ridge to Mareeba and then Atherton and down the range to Yungaburra and then Gordonvale (25km south of Cairns. Yungaburra to Little Mulgrave is about 40km of constant descent with 200 curve/bends (I reckon) would be great on a motorcycle up or down (aside from the several one lane roadworks due the egde giving way…
Stopped at Earlville (southern Cairns) to find one of the few caravan parts places. In luck - procured a hose adapter for the town water inlet. The Pressure reducer I have has an American thread and I only had British Standard Pipe bits –jammed in the thread with several rubber washers. Now all fixed no dribbles even.
Planning to indulge in Chinese takeaway from Smithfield tonight.
PS: Interesting with a car… we are thinking it is nice/good to stop for a while in one place, but still be able to get around. A bike is handy very locally, but with a car we can explore – and take Honey. So thinking seriously of flat towing (A frame) a small 4WD… in the future. We could then for example comfortably get past Cape Tribulation; get into Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles) etc Food for thought.
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