Day 16 & 17 Skyrail Over Daintree & New Camp

Day 16 - Ok so its Team Quartermain heading up from Cairns to Kuranda on the Skyrail gondola - I was already spent before it began. The cable takes you up over the dense Daintree forest. You find yourself looking down into thick green wondering just how anything is able to move amongst it  - and how the hell did they build this? I find out later, large Russian helicopters were used to transport and lower the support towers in, the project taking 4 years to clear red tape and 1 year to actually build. No roads were cut through the forest.




We had an entertaining ranger give the kids a biology lesson on the Daintree's major flora and fauna. I was very proud to see Tom pluck up the courage to ask the Ranger intelligent questions in front of the walking group.




We learnt about the tree kangaroo and how its adapted to life in trees. Also the Cassowary and how it has become endangered. The key reason for reduced numbers, is forest depletion caused by modern and ancient humans. Cassowary require a territory of 20 kms to themselves, adding more via breeding only increases competition for space instead of population.









In Kuranda we checked out the markets, ate ice cream and tried a Coconut... fair to say the taste of fresh coconut was not popular amongst the team.














After Kuranda we boarded the historic train as it weezed its way through the valleys and tunnels earning our respect as we listened to the 20 year history required to build it. This significant engineering challenge began in 1891 with around 30 men killed in construction accidents with another 100 or so more succumbing to snake, bug and spider bites

 

Day 17 and we moved camping location (below) into one of those Big 4 holiday parks - they are  basically, kid heaven. We've been to a few of these types of places before, but this one is real... Most places we've stayed so far have been largely organic, natural settings, but it was now time to let the kids run wild. These places with water slides, water parks and copious play areas gives us older buggers some down time while the kids entertain themselves. I'm somewhat envious of millennial childhood... especially when you compare it to the almost non existent childhood of my grandparents -  my grandma would say "children should be seen and not heard". The stuff we got to do as kids was pretty good... the stuff they have now is freakin awesome.

Something about these places puts me at ease. The experience on arrival is simple and effortless. Your surroundings have a similar feel to how golf resorts set out lawn and natural features, its all very deliberate, neat and considered.

After water activities we kicked back with a simple dinner and a movie. Kinda special to use the outdoor awning area as a lounge room - we really haven't done enough relaxing so far

Tomorrow is another chill day before Monday, when are headed out for a full day beginner snorkel experience on the reef - cant wait.

And for some Day 17 words from Em:
So it turned out that the boys have inherited my love for markets and all that they sell ;) We have been to night markets, opal markets, Kuranda hippy markets and today a farmer's market where Josh managed to buy the samurai sword that he had his eye on 2 or 3 years ago and was not allowed to get. Amazingly the same stall and same sword were still available (light weight wood, all safe).