Road Trip to Cairns....and a Little Beyond. Part II, 12-15th August.

Met up with Rosemary and Irwyn, who had already been away a few weeks of a 2 month trip, at Paronella Park after lunch on Friday the 12th. Did a tour of the grounds and then had dinner at the Mena Creek Hotel. After dinner did the night tour of Paronella.

After a morning walk around Paronella the 4 of us set off to do the rainforest walk at the Mamu Skywalk. After the skywalk we said our "hooroo's" and "seeyalaters" and went our separate ways again, with  Lynn and I heading for the Birdwatcher's Cabin at Kuranda. 

The cabin was really good  with plenty of rainforest and wildlife, unfortunately they told us they were selling this property and moving a little further south to a new place with another cabin, when we were leaving. During the 2 days (3 nights) we were here we went down to Cairns to have a look around as well as going for a drive to Port Douglas via the northern beaches. Lynn also went on the Skyrail down to Cairns, I was the taxi.

Click on photos to enlarge.

These 4 days.

The 2300D locomotive pulling the "Inlander" passenger train service between
 Townsville and Mt.Isa. This loco was one of eighteen 2400 class locos that were
 rebuilt as class 2300 locos between 1997 and 2002.

Qld, beautiful one day ............  
 Looking south to Hinchinbrook Island from Cardwell.

Looking north from Cardwell.

Paronella Park, with Irwyn and Rosemary, and William our French guide.

Paronella Park.
 José Paronella, from Catalonia in Spain, first saw the 13 acres of
virgin scrub along Mena Creek in 1914. He eventually purchased it in 1929 for £120
and started to build his pleasure gardens and reception centre for the enjoyment of the public.

The Park was sold out of the family in 1977 and sadly, in 1979, a fire swept through the Castle.
 Cyclone Winifred in 1986, a flood in January 1994, Cyclone Larry in March 2006,
and Cyclone Yasi in January 2011 were all further setbacks and challenges for Paronella Park.

A female orb-spider, possibly Nephila plumipes or N. pilipes.

Paronella Park

I should have bought the fishing rod.

Looking up through the corridor of Kauri Pines.

Paronella Park on the night walk.

The resident eel keeps guard under the foot bridge.

Paronella Park

A colony of Spectacled Flying-fox's live in the grounds.

Paronella Park

The original house.

Paronella Park

Irwyn's new accommadation on wheels.

Crossing over the South Johnstone River.
The South Johnstone Mill was constructed by the Queensland Government in 1915.
It was nearly closed when a cyclone hit Innisfail in 1918 but went on to be taken
over by the local farmers as a locally owned grower co-operative.The mill was
acquired in 2001 by Bundaberg Sugar Ltd and some 10 years later was purchased
by  MSF Sugar Limited. Since 2012, it has been owned by Thai based Mitr Phol Group,

A cane train taking another load to the sugar mill.

They named the walkway after our eldest son.

Fruit of  (what I think is) a Narrow-leaved Climbing Pandan  (Freycinetia excelsa).

Irwyn went with Lynn to the top of the tower.

View from the top of the tower at the Mamu Rainforest Walkway.

Rosemary and I made sure someone could go for help if the tower fell over.

Photographing the Red-backed Wrens after the walk.

Our accommodation  for 3 nights in the Birdwatchers Cabin, Kuranda.

The female Cassowary walked beneath our cabin in the mornings.

Ever get that feeling that you are being watched.    Cassowary at Birdwatchers Cabin.

Strangler Fig tree at Kuranda Village.

Art in the footpath, Kuranda.

Lynn to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway down to Smithfield (Cairns).
Crossing the Barron River.

Barron Falls

Looking towards Kewarra and Trinity Beaches.

The Kennedy Highway to Cairns.

Cairns is behind Mount Whitfield.

Here she comes.

Number One.

The 'beach' at Cairns.
The clouds make it look cold, but check out what people are wearing.

Lunch on the esplanade.

They added some sand to make it look good for the tourists.................

.................but it's the mud flats that attracts the birds.

Getting a birdseye view.

Nice if you can afford it.

$50 million's worth of 'Vibrant Curiosity'.

James B was also there.

The mangroves grow tall here.

It was cooler up at Kuranda than down in Cairns.
 Barron Falls.

Tourists in the mist.
Passengers hop off the train to have a look at Barron Falls on their way to Kuranda.

The walkway to Barron Falls.

A night walk around the backyard in the rain.

Stony-creek Frog: males (top) female (below)

Went for a walk in the rainforest at night.

No owls or possums, just a spider on my night walk.......................

....................and some spiky Lawyer Vine or Wait-A-While (plus another spider).

The wind was blowing up a surf at Clifton Beach.

Who wants to go for a swim?    
 'Marine Stingers May Be Present In These Waters'  
   ' Crocodiles May Be Present In These Waters'.

Looking north from Clifton Beach.

Coconuts growing on the beach.

It was very windy at Port Douglas. Looks a little ordinary on a overcast day.

Some of the birds seen during this time.

(top left, clockwise) Red-backed Wren, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Emerald Dove, Fairy Gerygone and Metalic Starling.

(top left, clockwise) Southern Cassowary,  Whimbrel,  (I'm going with) Sacred Kingfisher,
 Peaceful Dove and Far Eastern Curlew.

(top left, clockwise) Gull-billed Tern,  Eastern Reef Egret (dark form),  Red-capped Dotterel
 and  Black-winged Stilts with a Silver Gull.

(top left, clockwise)  Comb-crested Jacana,  Orange-footed Scrubfowl,  Macleay's Honeyeater,
 Papuan Frogmouth and Bush Stone-curlew.

Cameras:  Canon PowerShot SX60 HS and Sony DSC-W690.