The walls are creaking and brakes screeching. The back of my shirt is glued to the seat. Leather upholstery in a train that doesn’t have air-conditioning! Luckily, the tracks meander in a lush vegetation which provides some shade. Kuranda Scenic Railway throws tourists back to the late 1800’s as the train rattles through a tropical rainforest in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Tunnels, waterfalls, and steep cliffs. Enchanting landscapes fill the windows when the train climbs leisurely up to the hippie town Kuranda. Over there, overflowing market stands and little cafes wait for the visitors. Butterfly Sanctuary, Bird World, and Koala Gardens exhibit Australian animals.
However, a short riverboat tour with a local guy, who tells more about the local fauna, is more interesting than the zoos. In the rainforest, kangaroos climb up to the trees and hat-size spiders observe the passers-by. The tour guy casually says that the other day he got home to find a python wrapped around one of his chickens. We see no pythons but spot a freshwater crocodile resting just above the waterline.
The way down to Cairns passes smoothly with the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. The cableway travels just above the treetops of the rainforest. Can you see something down there?
On this trip, the journey is more important than the destination.
Near Here Way Away 