Today was all about rainforest and railroad. Headed for Kuranda, the rainforest village in Barron Gorge National Park, we took the aerial sky rail system there and the railroad for the return trip. The sky rail was the best! Up, up and away it went to the top of the mountain, over the gorge and over the rainforest canopy. The sky was a little hazy today. Accordng to the weather forecast, Cairns is about to be hit with rain from the remnants of a cyclone late today and tomorrow. In spite of this, we could see for miles and miles on the sky rail ride. The view of the trees below us was something to see. Instead of standing on the ground and looking up into the limbs and leaves like we usually must, we were in the sky and looked down into the trees from above, surely much like birds.

The sky rail was built by an individual family and is privately owned today. It spans 4.7 miles and is the second-longest sky rail system in the world – Hong Kong has the longest one and is bigger only by a smidgeon, so they say. Building it took over a year's time, but first more than seven years were spent by the family obtaining all the necessary government and community approvals required to allow construction in a national park. This area is regarded as “Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage and is one of the world’s remarkable natural wonders.” It is magnificent with dense jungle, waterfalls and unbelievably tall, ancient trees.

Stan has claustrophobia but he managed it well. The 45-minute sky rail ride was broken up with two stops to allow a closer look at the rainforest floor, learn more about the ecosystem and to view the Barron Falls (Din Din Falls) through the Barron Gorge.

When we finally reached Kuranda, we shopped a bit, had lunch and then started the decent back down the mountain and around the gorges by train. The train was constructed along the mountain side over a period of about 30 years. The construction was stop-and-go due to engineering challenges and government funding. I must state that the work required to construct this railway is dumbfounding. Far back in 1880’s men dug seven tunnels through pure ironstone with their own picks and shovels (they had to bring their own tools in order to get the job), built multiple bridges and laid rails while sleeping in tents slung along the steep hillside, enduring cyclones, heat and humidity beyond belief – not to mention snakes and all kinds of other horrible, scary, biting, murderous things. Thirty-two died from construction accidents, countless others died from disease, snake bites and other kinds of maladies.

While we did enjoy the trip very much, it was also somewhat miserable. The weather was HOT and STEAMY today. The sky rail ride was absolutely lovely, yes, but all went downhill, real fast after that, mostly because we were drenched in a shroud of dampness and just plain hot. The train ride was long and hot. I am sure steam was rising from our arms, our legs and no doubt our head. I cannot express how thankful we were to return to our apartment at the end of the day to wonderful, glorious air conditioning!