Other trip days
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Sydney to Cairns Flight
Wake-up call 6 AM. The bags are now bulging by now with all the loot, but we got them out by 6:40, in time for the 6:50 pick-up. Ate breakfast till 7:35—usual stuff: eggs benedict, sausages, croissants, pastries, fruit mix with passionfruit. After breakfast had to grab our carry-on luggage rather quickly. Left spare (old) tennis shoes for the NN. Got on bus for a final ride with Kerry, leaving promptly at 7:50 AM. Short ride to Sydney International Airport. Porter and assistant tagged the bags and put the entire load in group check-in and through security. Did not buy junk in the airport because there was not much time.Talked to Mike who was retired from service with the federal government while waiting at gate 7. Boarded Qantas flight QA924 for Cairns on an A330 Airbus aircraft. Took off to the west, we had window seat on the port side—32A (Kwut) and 32B (me). Lunch choices were “beef” (my selection) and “chicken”. Beef was braised beef and desert was frozen solid IK (Qantas standard – small Magnum ice cream bar). Saw the arid prarie landscape of the interior of New South Wales. Did not see much of Queensland or Cairns because it was overcast the rest of the way. Got to Cairns International Airport and claimed our luggage.
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Cairns - Kuranda Skyrail
Ran to the bus through the pouring rain to meet the driver, Greg. Stopped off at the Oasis Resort (hotel) to drop off the bags and the people who were not doing the optional tour to Kuranda. Stayed on bus to go to catch the SkyRail. Rode the SkyRail gondola with the Jordans. We hopped off at the first station where you changed gondolas, and looked around the walking path. Continued on an decided not to hop off at a optional stop to see the Barren Falls. When we got to the end of the SkyRail, Jann was still at the bottom and Greg was nowhere to be seen.
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Cairns - Kuranda Scenic Train
After waiting for some time we decided to walk to the Kuranda village, but on the way we happened to see the Globus coach in the car park. We got on the bus and Greg drove back to the SkyRail station to pick up everyone else. The bus arrived in Kuranda and parked at Annabelle’s Famous Australian Pies. I had a salmon-potato pie. We then walked through Annabelle’s and into a shopping arcade. I walked through the streets, Kwut went to look for the stamp shop and got some Aussie grown coffee at the coffee shop. Bought a beach towel in the souvenir shop. Also visited Greg’s favorite IK stand. I chose the mulberry flavor. Got a bunch of jups on the Great Barrier Reef from the InfoCentre and used the B. Did not plan the time well and did not make it to the Butterfly Park. At 3:15 we got picked up to go to te Scenic Railway station. The Scenic Train had no A/C (remember this was summer and we were in the tropics) so we had to immediately open the windows. The train started and then made one stop to get pictures of the Barren Falls. Got back on train (you had to climb the steps backward). We rode through several tunnels and right in front of a falls. Continuing on to the first stop out of the hill and then on into Cairns. Walked to the coach, but Kwut left his cap on the train so we had to wait. Everyone on the tour was (already) exhausted by the heat and humidity.
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Cairns - Tjapukai Aboriginal Evening
Got back to the hotel around 5:10 PM. Had to quickly get the room key (room 360) and unpack. Needed one key just to keep the power (and the A/C) on. Got on the coach again at 7 PM to go to the Tjapukai Aboriginal and Cultural Park. Got off the bus and congregated in the outside area that also had a bar with complimentary drinks.Walked into a passageway where they gave each patron two wooden sticks and into a large dark room. There was a narration from the witch doctor and some animal figure with a light show and sound effects. Then there was a host on the center stage and some performers that presented the fire-starting ceremony using two sticks, as the audience clicked their two stick to the chanting. After the fire was started they lit a torch and led the audience into the theatre. Started with a huge buffet dinner, the couples sat at one table and the singles sat at another table (we sat across from Helena and Patty). Then there was a performance by aboriginal dancers accompanied by music from a diggeriedoo ( a long hollow tree trunk that they hum into). After the performance, we had desert. Then exited the Aboriginal Centre through the gift shoppe (of course) and got back after a long, tiring day, and still did the laundry from 10 PM to 11:30 PM. The laundry was down in the chock garage but at least they had a lot of washer and dryers.
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