2024 New Zealand/Australia: Days 23-26 Cairns and Home

We are visiting Cairns in the rainy season, and it will not let us forget it. 

Day 1 - Rainforest

Cairns is hot and humid. We’re only 1170 miles from the Equator. Despite it being summer in NZ, this is the first place I’m happy I packed shorts and capris. Glasses steam up when you exit air conditioned buildings. When it rains, it feels good; a raincoat feels oppressive.

This delicate butterfly shaped flower was alongside the sidewalk in town. It’s big - 6 inches top to bottom. Anyone recognize it?

One of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests is just outside Cairns. A World Heritage site, the Wet Tropics is 80 million years older than the Amazon rainforest. We chose to visit it from above the canopy, taking the 7.5 km Skyrail cable car from Smithfield to Kuranda. (There is an option to take the Skyrail one way, and a train back. But the train is reportedly quite warm - and has been out of commission since December because of mountainside collapses caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

Interesting video on construction of Skyrail: https://youtu.be/2xPc2B9pf70?si=2Nht8frmnzs2dD6A

Due to the length of the ride, there are two stops along the length to change gondolas. The first stop, Red Peak, offers a ranger-led walk to learn about the highly competitive plant life in the rainforest.

Strangler figs grow from the top down, after a bird, bat or marsupial drops a seed near the top of the host tree. The bark of this host tree, a Queensland Kauri pine, can barely be seen at top center left. Eventually the tree will die and the strangler fig will survive around a hollow core where the tree used to be. 

A 400 year old non-strangled Kauri pine, probably spared from earlier lumber harvesting because it curves at the top. A mature Kauri pine can be 160 feet tall with a diameter up to 10 feet, and can provide lumber to build an entire village. 

There is a boardwalk at Barron Falls, the second stop. But good views were also available from the gondola. The 410 foot falls were in fine form, with recent rainfall providing an extra punch. 

The cable dips down towards the mist from the falls.

No, it’s not real. Screenshot of VR cassowary on Greg’s phone.

The Skyrail ends at Kuranda Village, a heavily touristic little rainforest town with eateries, markets and attractions you can tack onto your journey. Some things were closed down from the cyclone. We visited a little zoo that featured several species of Australian wildlife. 

This koala imposter is a Quokka. But just as cute.

Wallaby

Eastern gray kangaroo. (We also saw some wild kangaroos in a field while returning on the Skyrail)

Getting its beauty sleep. Koalas sleep 22 hours a day

Day 2 - Great Barrier Reef

After checking in at 7:15 this morning, we boarded The Endeavor with about 140 other people for a day at the Great Barrier Reef. It took about 2 hours and 55 km to reach Saxon Reef. The weather alternated between rainy, choppy and moments of sun. Some people were sick; most took the pill recommended by the crew and did ok. 

I’d signed up, with some trepidation but a fair amount of determination, for an Introductory Dive. Think: tandem parachute jump, but with 4 novices attached to the instructor by linking arms and swimming together underwater.

There were 25 people signed up to dive which meant one odd man out. Fortunately, it was me. So I went last and had the instructor all to myself. We had a presentation explaining what we’d be tested on with our equipment before we could leave the boat, and had ample time to be nervous. 

I snorkeled around the reef a couple times while waiting for my turn to dive. I’d brought my own snorkel and mask. The ship provided the same for all their guests, as well as fins and non-flattering full body stinger suits for protection against critters in the water. The crew was super helpful for all snorkeling levels, and pulled around people with no experience or confidence while they hung onto big inner tubes.

The dive was amazing! I loved being the only novice with Aaron. We saw giant clams, tons of colorful waving plants, sea cucumbers, tiny and very large (bigger than me) fish, sea anemones, etc. When we got back to the ship. Aaron said it was the longest, deepest (12 meters; 39 ft) and oldest (we don’t need to go there, but the dive crew obviously knew) dive of the day. Also, the least stressful…probably because he had only one person to adjust the pressure vest for each time we went deeper. The other divers went to only 8 m; I’m sure being solo was a fortuitous benefit. 

My favorite fish siting was an enormous humphead wrasse (up to 6 feet long and 400 pounds) that cruised languidly around us. They told us not to smile while diving as it can cause your mask to leak, but I couldn’t help it. 

(Stock photo)

We sat on the ship with a pair of 30-ish brothers from Taiwan, and really enjoyed talking with them. Maybe we’ll see them in Taipei on a future trip! Thanks, Jason and Leo.

Cairns is spread out along a long coastline. The main industry here is tourism, followed by sugar cane. All sugar sold in Australia is produced in-country. The cyclone that hit in December is still impacting tourism. Tours to the Great Barrier Reef leave from here or Port Douglas, a coastal town 60 km north. The road between the two cities was closed for some time; parts are still one lane. Communities lost water supplies, were flooded, hills collapsed, and people were cut off for days. But Cairns is cleaned up nicely.

Across from our hotel is the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, a huge public saltwater pool next to the ocean. Surface area: 52,000 square feet. 

The darkest strip above the aqua waters of the Lagoon is the ocean. 

   

This 22 inch tall doe-eyed nocturnal bird froze and stared at me when we startled each other. It’s an Australian Bush Stone Curlew. They are ground dwellers, but can fly in a pinch. They freeze, even the chicks, in often-amusing poses when they are surprised. This works well with humans and flying hunters, but not so well with predators that hunt by smell, like foxes. 

Day 3 - Walking the esplanade

One of the most popular and notable features of Cairn is its recently renovated Esplanade. The 2.5 km park features the above-mentioned Lagoon, playgrounds, memorials, free fitness classes, BBQ facilities, artwork, toilet/showers, and a beachfront promenade with benches and historical/nature signage. We spent the morning taking in the sites, birdwatching and doing some geocaching. 

Cenotaph commemorating regional forces killed in World War I. The clock face is painted to represent 4:28 AM, when the ANZAC forces first landed in Gallipoli. The statue of a “Digger” (soldier) on top is unique. 

There was a cache outside Saint Monica’s Cathedral, so we stopped inside. Also known as St. Monica’s War Memorial Cathedral and unassuming from the outside, it has an amazing series of stained glass windows. It was dedicated as a memorial to the WW II Battle of the Coral Sea. 

      
The memorial windows at the main entrance. New life embracing detritus of war. 

The creation story is portrayed in the windows flanking the nave. The effect is stunning. 

Dozens of rainbow lorikeets congregate in the big trees across from our hotel at dusk, making an excited racket before winding down for the night. And I saw some more of my new favorite bird, the Bush Stone Curlew. This one was kneeling - something I’ve never seen a bird do before. Or maybe it just froze in an awkward position when it saw me.

We went to the Salt House for a ridiculously big seafood sampler dinner. (Ended up giving some of it to nearby diners; we knew we wouldn’t eat all those oysters). And then back to the hotel to pack up for our 4:00 pickup tomorrow morning. Three flights and 30+ hours later, we should be home in Pennsylvania.