[We have been back to Karunda a couple of times. Cairns was a place to spend a couple of days before diving in Papua New Guinea. This first trip was less harrowing than when we drove ourselves up there. Sheer cliff on one side of the road. Whew!]
Wednesday, July 8, 1992
We
rise early to a beautiful day. Our tour bus drops us at an old railway station
for breakfast. After eating, we board the Karunda Railway Train for a ride
through the rain forest to Karunda, a small town at the top of the mountain
bordering Cairns.
At
Karunda, we follow the itinerary given us, stopping first to peruse the flea
market. Boomerangs, plush ‘roos and koalas, homemade jewelry, Australian opals
and lots of t-shirts are available for reasonable prices. We do half of our
souvenir shopping there.
An
older Aborigine is selling his boomerangs and offers to show us how to throw
them. We step into a clearing across the road. He throws successfully a few
times. When one is caught by the wind and does not return, he smiles at us and
sends his dog after it.
Bright
colored butterflies flutter throughout the sanctuary and land on those visitors
with pink or white shirts on.
A
troupe of Aborigine dancers entertain and inform a theater full of tourists
with dance and music from hand crafted instruments. The dijerydoo player is
fascinating. The instrument is a large hollow tube that seems to take a lot of
lung power. The tones and sounds he makes are intriguing.
Lunch
time gives us an opportunity to taste a popular Aussie dish, pumpkin soup, as
well as a variety of BBQ specialties.
After
a quick trip through the Noctarium, a museum of nocturnal animals, we board the
coach (bus) for the trip down the mountain. We pass huge waterfalls and lush
tropical growth. We stop on occasion to admire the view of sugar cane fields,
the city of Cairns and the ocean beyond.
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