Tourist in Australia - Day 12 - Cairns - Aboriginal Cultural Tribe and Rainforest Experiences

Monday, 31 October 2016
Tjapukai and Kuranda

After our morning breakfast at our hotel, we were picked up by a shuttle bus (who had also picked up other members from other nearby hotels) to take us all to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Experience. It was an organized living hands on tour of the local tribe in Cairns. 

We attended different stations where we learned:

-how to throw boomerangs - they even had a left handed one for me

-how to throw spears and shoot arrows

-about bush foods, medicines, and hunting

-about the didgeridoo on how it is made and played

 -from videos and dance on their creation story

-about their dance in which Eileen and I  participated as we were sitting in the front row. l have no pictures of this as we were asked NOT to take pictures. This photo is from their website. See below.

Here is a video from their website telling of my fantastic experience. 

 http://www.tjapukai.com.au/tjapukai-by-day

We were to walk next door to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Scenic Rail. As we did not have time for lunch, we grabbed some protein snack bars to hold us over to when we arrived in Kuranda, the small town at the other end of the cable ride.

Both photos depict the the pathway of the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. It took about an hour and a half with 2 stops at the Red Park and Barron Falls Stations going in one direction.

I was very impressed with the organization of this day tour. We were given detailed itinerary with our tickets to board both the sky rail from Smithfield to Kuranda and return from Kuranda to Freshwater Stations via the scenic railroad. 

Beautiful!!! Up we go. Looking down to the station we just left.

Our first stop was the Red Park Station in which we got off and did the short walk about.

  I am fascinated by the roots and trees. 

 We board the sky ride to our next destination of the Barron Falls Station.

We hear and see water down below...the great Barron Gorge and River.

We take a walk around the Barron Falls Station and learn here how the power of the Barron River/Falls was used for the area's hydro-electric power from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The falls have more water and fuller force starting in December.
We arrive in Kuranda, 
a darling small town with many wonderful sites to visit. We are limited with our time as we need to catch the railroad later in afternoon. 

We get a bite to eat. I want to visit the Butterfly Sanctuary. I was fascinated by the laboratory, pupae, and silkworm caterpillar areas. There were  over 2000 butterflies. They were landing on my arms and clothing. 

We walked through town back to the Railroad station.



The train ride was fascinating through the same rain forest this time on land.  

We exit at the Freshwater Station where we are met by our large tour buses to return us back to our hotels around 5:30.

We are told about a delicious Chinese restaurant in town. Our mouths start watering for our favorite dish. I found a Crispy Beef and Eileen enjoyed her Chicken and Broccoli. She ate all of her dish and I had "take away."