8 August 2010
We took the train journey from Cairns railway station to Kuranda, 329 metres above sea level . A marvellous scenic railway winding its way 34km from the coast, through the Barron Gorge National Park up to mountain rainforest. Arriving at Kuranda an hour and a half later, our day ticket included a visit to a butterfly sanctuary, the Koala park and Bird World, all very entertaining and gave good value for money. Returning on the Skyrail, the longest cableway in the world at 7.5km, we glided just metres over the rainforest canopy, stopping off on the way down to view the Barron Falls and an excellent guided rainforest ranger tour. Cairns is 100% tourist town and has grown significantly since our previous visit, more shopping centres, more restaurants, and several more major international hotels appearing. It has the best stocked chandlery this side of the Pacific, George Pickers, a ten minute taxi ride away but could not however refill our butane gas bottles. Coles and Woolworths hypermarkets furnished us with everything we needed for the journey ahead. The only nuisance is that we have another quarantine inspection on Thursday Island so can only provision with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products up to there. Then we have to start over again for the 830nm to Darwin. I am determined this time that nothing will go overboard. Sorry Neptune!
Verdi's Requiem
We went in search of Verdi's, a restaurant where we had dined at least a couple of times with Peter four years ago. I can remember it so clearly. I had a risotto and the boys had lamb shanks. It was the best risotto ever and the best lamb shanks. We promised ourselves we would return. The trouble was we could not remember the exact location. We scoured the streets but there was no sign of it. We surfed the internet without success. We went "walkabout" once more. Nothing. Finally we came across something that looked faintly familiar. Peter went in to enquire. Verdi's had gone into liquidation one year ago. Our wonderful eaterie was now a "tex mex" ! Ah well! Times change, things move on and so did we. We found instead the Courthouse Italian restaurant, Piccolo Cocina and Ochre. All very good but not quite as good as our Verdi's.....
Susan Mackay