We took an hour and a half trip into the hinterland of Cairns today. We heard about Herberton and thought we would check it out thanks to a recommendation from our friends Stephen and Jenny Luke.

The Herberton Historic Village was amazing. We have been to similar historic villages in the past but this is something unique and special. What is special is that this village is not simply a replica of old buildings. During the 1970's these buildings were moved to the village and so they are authentic with some buildings dating back to the late 1800s. The cell blocks for example even have graffiti dating back to the late 1800s. The only building which is a replica is the pub. There is so much to see here you could easily take a few days to explore this place. Your admission allows you return visits for three days which is a great thing for history buffs.

At the back of the village is a vintage railway that is run independently to the Historic Village but connected. The boys had a blast on the train ride and particularly laughed as the tour guide kept repeating "This is in working order" when showing us equipment or trains. It became a running joke for the rest of the day. Herberton developed thanks to Tin. However the train line which was planned to support the Tin boon only started operation when the Tin industry was well into decline. So the train line no longer goes to Cairns. However in the future the operators hope to link the train to Kuranda.

Another unexpected surprise was the rail ambulance they have on display. I loved it because firstly it is an ambulance but also a French car i.e. Citroen. The staff got it running and took it out of the shed for photos. I suspect some patients probably got sick just from the exhaust fumes alone!

Back to the village, there was so much stuff to see. I may need to do a better job educating my kids as Olivier mistaken a Charlie Chaplin doll in the toy store as Adolf Hitler. That kid is a worry. We also came across this creepy doll playing the piano (see the photos), it may give me nightmares. This creepy doll was my kid's favourite exhibit of the day.

On the way home we stopped past the Curtain Fig Tree. I came here as part of a school excursion at the age of 16 so this was a must do. It has not changed and is still an impressive sight.

We had such a great day today and of course like all days finished off with a swim. The kids are very pleased with themselves as they snuck into the adults spa with me.