The Hochmuth Adventures 2018 - CAFE - California, Australia, Florida and Europe: Trip to Australia - Day Twelve - February 12, 2018

Our last day in Australia . . . So sad but we have been gone 5 weeks and it will be good to be home albeit briefly. At 8:30 this morning we met our driver who drove us to the Skyrail for our trip into the rain forest and Kuranda. The skyrail is a 6 person gondola that takes you above the rainforest canopy. It makes 2 stops along the way the first at Red Peak- the highest point and the second at Barron Falls. At the Red Peak stop we had a guide explain to us the workings of the rainforest ecosystem and point out flora and fauna along the way. This rainforest is the oldest surviving rainforest.At Barron’s Falls there was an interpretive center and look out areas where you could view Barron Falls. Then we rode the skyrail the rest of the way to the village of Kuranda. In the village there were many cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. We stopped for some ice cream before finding the pick up place for the Rainforestation shuttle. The shuttle took us to the Koala and Wildlife Park where we saw kangaroos, koalas and crocs . . . Oh my. Actually we saw other animals too such as snakes, monitors, and wombats etc. From there it was on to the amphibious Army Ducks tour through the rainforest via land and water. Again our guide did an excellent job of pointing out the different diverse plants and their role in the rainforest. A shuttle then drove us to the Kuranda Train Station for the 1 1/2 hour drive back to the city where our final shuttle took us back to the hotel. During the train ride facts about the building of the railroad were shared. For our last dinner in Australia we couldn’t resist going back to Prawn Stars for our prawn platter and then to our favorite gelato spot. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed the bottle of sparkling wine we had bought the other day - maybe it will help us sleep. It will be a short night as our shuttle to the airport is scheduled for 4:00 am. We fly from Cairns to Brisbane, Brisbane to LAX, LAX to O’Hare, and then to Buffalo. It’s amazing that with 2 four hour layovers and a 13 hour flight from Australia we’ll arrive in Buffalo on Tuesday the day we left Australia. I don’t want to figure out how many hours our trip will be in total but I figure we’ll be pooped when we return. All worth it for a wonderful experience and memories to last a lifetime! Until next time.

Our Day in Kuranda