Port Douglas - 2019 - Kuranda

A drive of just over an hour towards Cairns will take you to Kuranda set in the rainforest in the mountains. Many people take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to the top of the mountain or the train. In the past we have travelled one way via cable car and the other by train but this time we drove.

 On this visit we spent much of our time at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. A tour had just started so we tagged along.

There is a wide range of butterflies in the sanctuary and we saw many of them during the tour.

Butterflies feeding

Walking through the sanctuary it was not unusual for butterflies to hitch a ride on a hat.

We were taken into an area where we were shown how butterflies breed.

We then returned to the main area to meet the inhabitants.

My favourite tropical butterfly continues to be the Ulysses butterfly.

We wandered around the streets and some of the markets for a short time. When passing an ice cream seller we noticed that he had hokey pokey ice cream so Robin had to buy one and I had a Belgian chocolate gelato.

For years I have been looking for an item to take home relating to a dugong - I just like them. I saw a small scrimshaw drawing of a dugong at Kuranda many years but it was too expensive. This time however, at the Terra Nova Gallery, we found a small print of a painting of a dugong and calf by Melanie Haver which I shall have framed.

We then left Kuranda to drive to Mareeba, 34 km inland. The main reason was to visit Coffee Works who have an outlet at Port Douglas where products, including chocolate, can be purchased. The Port Douglas store does not serve drinks so we decided that as we were in the area we should investigate the factory and restaurant. We arrived just before the restaurant closed their lunch service.

We shared a chicken skewer and scones but the highlight was a wonderful deconstructed hot chocolate. The hot milk and chunks of chocolate come separately and you combine as required. It was delicious. Definitely the best hot chocolate on this trip.

Port Douglas 2013 - Mareeba and Kuranda

On Thursday morning Robin joined a group to go snorkelling in a river north of Mossman. 

Back in Port Douglas I went shopping and then went for a short walk taking some more photos. 

After lunch at a delicatessen we went for a walk to the lookout. 

After walking up some steep inclines we arrived to discover that the view is now partly obscured by a building project. Is this progress?

Friday was the opportunity to explore part of the Atherton Tablelands as we set out for Kuranda via Mareeba. 

We stopped off at the Mareeba Wetlands, a slow seven kilometer drive along a gravel road. We arrived in time to go on a boat trip on the lake to view some of the bird life. 

There were many swans on the lake and when the boat approached them they took to the air. 

Other water birds visiting the wetlands included this snake head darter, water hens, ibis and cormorants. Jabiru and pelicans can also sometimes be seen but not the day we visited. 

Part of the lake was covered with water lilies that had recently been in flower. Many of the leaves had droplets of water pooling on them. Some still had small white flowers.

In the information centre small birds could be viewed in the aviary.

The area round the lake was similar to much of the land we had driven through on the tablelands with termite mounds distributed among trees and scrub. 

In Mareeba we visited Coffee Works and tasted some of their chocolate before having a quick lunch. 

We had first encountered Coffee Works at their stall at the Sunday Market.

Continuing on to Kuranda, we arrived about 2.30. 

There are a number of markets in the town largely catering for visitors who have travelled aboard the Sky Rail or the train or tourist bus from Cairns. Many of the stalls were closing as we arrived but we were still able to explore a number of the shops and galleries.

This is very much a tourist town providing a chance for locals to sell their wares. One of the markets has a hippie atmosphere with small stalls groups together selling a variety of goods and services. 

We then returned to Port Douglas via the coastal road.