Barron Falls
Just beyond Kuranda Village is an overlook for the Barron Falls. As it had been raining for most of the last six months, much to the frustration of some of the people who live in the area, the water in the falls was torrenting. In the dry season, it is supposed to be just a trickle, but what I saw was a magnificently powerful waterfall.
Railway track to Kuranda passing Barron Falls
If you look closely, you can see the Cairns-Kuranda Skyrail passing over the rainforest by Barron Falls
From Wright’s Overlook by Barron Falls
After a couple of days in Kuranda, I continued my journey through the Tablelands to the Milaa Milaa Waterfall Circuit. It was raining, as it had been over the past few days, so the trails were slick with muddy red clay, which meant I had to stay on the regular paths that had boardwalks or gravel. The path to the Milaa Milaa waterfall, which is supposed to be the most photographed waterfall in Australia, was easy.
Milaa Milaa Falls
The one to Zillie not so much. It wasn’t possible to get down far enough to get a good photo.
Zillie Falls
The path to Ellinjaa was also clear and the rainforest there delightful.
Ellinjaa Falls
From the circuit, I backtracked to Malanda Falls, which was a bit disappointing, but I imagine in the heat of the summer it would be a great spot for a swim.
Malanda Falls
Not too far from there, nearer Yungaburra, is the 500 year old Curtain Figtree, which is amazing. The strangler fig has killed its host, part of which had fallen so that the aerial roots hang like long large curtains.
500 yr old Curtain Fig
In Yungaburra, there is a platypus lookout and at the hotel I was staying at in Malanda, a platypus lives in the creek behind the hotel, but as it was raining, they stayed in their homes and didn’t show themselves. Luck was not with me on getting a photo of a platypus. On the other hand, I had been very lucky with all that I did see and experience in the North Queenslands rainforests.
From the Tablelands, I headed down to Cairns and the coast for the final night. In Cairns, I went to the Botanical Gardens, which is one of the best I’ve been to. There is a section just on Gondwanan species, a rainforest river walk, both fresh and saltwater lakes (they are more like ponds), and an art gallery in old oil storage tanks from WWII. It is well worth a visit.
In the Botanical Gardens Cairns
No trip to Cairns would be complete without a walk on the Esplanade and a final goodbye to the coast before flying to Darwin and the Outback.
omegoodyssey 