A long day of travelling today to trace our path back to Cairns. Will and Hamish still managed to keep us interested with their commentary. At Surprise Creek Station there were some interesting tools used by the track workers.
After a good breakfast at Bedrock Village, our train left at 8:30am and Will entertained as as he drove by telling us how he became a zookeeper in Rockhampton and Cairns. He bought his first python at age 15 and now has a large collection. He had been out with the locals last night getting pigs.
We stopped at Junction Creek just before the bridge for a cup of cordial and a piece of cake.
We were told not to cross the bridge because the brakes might release on the train and there would be no way to get out of its way. Nearby was a clump of casuarinas which hosted hundreds of black butterflies.
We took a movie that shows the movement of the butterflies. They do not show up on a still photo.
Lunch was another big plate of barbecued meat and salad for $15 at the Almedan Hotel, same as on day 1. But this time we needed to leave at 12:30 and get back to Cairns by 6:30, so stops this afternoon were kept to a minimum.
Will saw a family of 5 pigs on the other side of a creek we were following, so stopped the train suddenly and set off with the solid metal keystaff to chase them up the hill. By the time he came back from his fruitless search he was exhausted.
An unscheduled adventure like this reminded us of stories in a book we got from Woy Woy Library of collected unreported incidents from train drivers. Hamish wondered what he would put in a report if something had gone wrong here.
When we arrived at Boonmoo cattle station, Hamish was driving and said he had to stop because two bushrangers were pointing guns at the train. They came on board and collected our small change.
When we came to Barron Falls on the Kuranda track, we took the opportunity to take another look at this clever nest in the station shelter. It was made by a sunbird and you can see a tiny opening in it for eggs to be deposited.
We watched the lights of Cairns as we came down the hill. The train was 20 minutes late at Cairns Station and it only took us 10 minutes to walk to Ryan's Rest, which was a boutique backpackers' hotel at $62 per night. We will be straight back to Cairns Station tomorrow to catch th 9:15am Tilt Train to Townsville, where we will stay for four days, waiting for the weekly train to Mt Isa.
After a good breakfast at Bedrock Village, our train left at 8:30am and Will entertained as as he drove by telling us how he became a zookeeper in Rockhampton and Cairns. He bought his first python at age 15 and now has a large collection. He had been out with the locals last night getting pigs.
We stopped at Junction Creek just before the bridge for a cup of cordial and a piece of cake.
We were told not to cross the bridge because the brakes might release on the train and there would be no way to get out of its way. Nearby was a clump of casuarinas which hosted hundreds of black butterflies.
Lunch was another big plate of barbecued meat and salad for $15 at the Almedan Hotel, same as on day 1. But this time we needed to leave at 12:30 and get back to Cairns by 6:30, so stops this afternoon were kept to a minimum.
Will saw a family of 5 pigs on the other side of a creek we were following, so stopped the train suddenly and set off with the solid metal keystaff to chase them up the hill. By the time he came back from his fruitless search he was exhausted.
An unscheduled adventure like this reminded us of stories in a book we got from Woy Woy Library of collected unreported incidents from train drivers. Hamish wondered what he would put in a report if something had gone wrong here.
When we arrived at Boonmoo cattle station, Hamish was driving and said he had to stop because two bushrangers were pointing guns at the train. They came on board and collected our small change.
When we came to Barron Falls on the Kuranda track, we took the opportunity to take another look at this clever nest in the station shelter. It was made by a sunbird and you can see a tiny opening in it for eggs to be deposited.
We watched the lights of Cairns as we came down the hill. The train was 20 minutes late at Cairns Station and it only took us 10 minutes to walk to Ryan's Rest, which was a boutique backpackers' hotel at $62 per night. We will be straight back to Cairns Station tomorrow to catch th 9:15am Tilt Train to Townsville, where we will stay for four days, waiting for the weekly train to Mt Isa.
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