Monday 30 January 2017

Rock Formation, Queensland

On our way to Port Douglas after Cairns we came across these rocks on a beach.  Someone started making formations then others joined in.  The rocks are well balanced and no one touches them people just make new ones.
If a storm comes they are knocked over and are mysteriously rebuilt.
No one seems to know when the first formation was built.






Friday 27 January 2017

Further North in Far North Queensland. Australia.

On a misty rainy day we headed north for a drive to Port Douglas.

Port Douglas is a town on the Coral Sea in the tropical far north of Queensland, Australia. It's known for its beach resorts and as one of the bases for visits to both the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, and Daintree National Park, home to biodiverse rainforest.

The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May–September. (Winter)

In November 1996 United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady chose the town as their only holiday stop on their historic visit to Australia. When dining at a local restaurant they witnessed a couple's wedding certificate. On a return visit on 11 September 2001, the then ex-President was again dining at the Salsa Bar and Grill, a local restaurant, when he was advised of the 11 September attacks.
Wikipedia.




4 Mile Beach






A walkway to the lookout from the beach.


If you drive to the lookout this is the view of 4 mile beach.


This is one of the buildings at the bottom of the hill.


Wednesday 25 January 2017

Up in the hills

Kuranda in Queensland is not that far from Cairns, about 25 klm or 16 mile.  It's a windy picturesque drive in the rainforest.  The town is near the Barron Falls and Kuranda has a couple big markets which operate every day.
There is a service station just a little out of the town and they had the best fish and chips I had tasted so far on our holiday in winter 2016.

I took a few photos of the small town, the main street.


The Aboriginal Centre


A church in the main street.












Didgeridoos for sale.


Trees to keep you cool in the main street.

Sunday 22 January 2017

Barron Falls, Cairns. Queensland.

One day whilst staying in Cairns we headed to the Barron Falls up near the town of Kurunda in the hills. Decided to walk to the falls from the carpark provided in preference to taking a ride on the Skyrail.  The day we ventured to do this was very overcast, humid about 28 deg C making it a comfortable walk.
The Barron Falls is a steep tiered cascade waterfall on the Barron River located where the river descends from the Atherton Tablelands to the Cairns coastal plain, in Queensland, Australia.

There is a video at the bottom of this post which shows you the falls in the wet season. It's been well done and is from Youtube.


The pathway where we begin.
Note is doesn't say how far the walk is, but about 15 minutes there.




Some of the scenery along the walk.




A place to rest, needed for us.


Walked over a bridge and looked down, the train line.






Cable cars from where we were standing on the viewing platform.


This photo was taken before we went lower.


Give an idea how far away we were and how the falls cascade in the dry season, remembering we are in the tropics where there are only 2 season - wet, summer - dry, winter.


The top of the falls.


Barron Falls in the Wet from the Skyrail.

Barron Falls is a National Park and the water from the falls supplies the Power Station at the Barron Falls Hydroelectric Station - shown in my post about Surprise Falls.

Thursday 19 January 2017

A walk to the Crystal Cascade Falls

One of the days whist in Cairns we headed for a walk up the bush as in Rain Forest to the Crystal Cascade Falls.  The water comes from Lake Morris which I did a post on a week or two ago.
The walk takes about 30 minutes, wasn't a good idea for us on a 30deg C day with high humidity, so we didn't make it very far.

The walking path, one of the walk ways to one of the many water holes to have a swim, ferns and then a plant called Lantana which is classed as a weed.  Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family.

The photos were taken with my Samsung Galaxy Edge 4 phone.










Monday 16 January 2017

Surprise Creek, Cairns

We ventured up to Barron Creek Gorge in Winter 2016 in the Cairns area where the power station is.
Surprise Creek, waterfall is 243 meters high (792 feet).






The Power Station


Mother in laws Tongues growing outside the gate.


The road on the way to the falls and Power Station.


Map gives some indication how far we were from home.

Friday 13 January 2017

Cairns Central, Queensland

Whilst in Cairns the second week of our winter holiday last year my mobile phone decided to give up the ghost.  I went and got a new one, Samsung Galaxy Edge 7.... these photos were the first ones I took with the camera in the phone.


One of the main shopping complexes in Cairns City.
Cairns Central.
Parking wasn't a problem, there is our vehicle the black one.


Inside Cairns Central.












Wednesday 11 January 2017

Esplanade, Cairns. Queensland

View of some of the sea from the Esplanade, not pleasant, there is life there in the mud and water.




Walking along we heard a noise of the helicopter.




Out where we parked on the street - coffee and cafe's.