Kuranda

Today we took a trip to Kuranda, a mountain village nestled in the rainforest, about 25 km from Cairns in North Queensland. Luckily, it was cloudy, not too sunny, as the UV index here quickly exceeds 10. But it was still 26°C (79°F), and very humid.

A van took us to the cable car, which took us to the village in an hour.

Along the way you could get off a few times at beautiful points, where a path had been constructed through the rainforest.

Kuranda was fun, and touristy. Many Australians come here for a week's holiday.

As real tourists I bought an Indiana Jones hat, not a luxury in Australia.

I drank freshly squeezed juice, and Arthur drank freshly squeezed sugar cane. He didn't like it; it was too sweet. I wandered through the village, with all its boutiques and indoor markets.

Visited a small bird park. All kinds of beautiful birds from the region, some hand-tame. Or they'll even sit on your head.

Finally, I walked a trail through the jungle. The path was well-maintained, so I could leave the machete at home. Dense vegetation, with a wide variety of species, large plants, large flowers, and seeds.

Then back again, on a historic train. At a brisk 30 km/h, the train traveled for two hours over bridges and through mountain tunnels.

We were back in Cairns around six o'clock, at Central Station. The hostel was across the street, so we felt right at home. A fun day in the rainforest!