Kuranda and The Captain Cook Highway

 

Kuranda and The Captain Cook Highway 

The main road leading into Cairns is the Bruce Highway but the name of the road going north up the coast from Cairns is the Captain Cook Highway. 

We crossed the Barron River on a high bridge to reach Smithfield where we turned off to head up a winding road into the hills of the Great Dividing Range to reach Kuranda and the Kuranda National Park and State Forest. Through the canopy of the rain forest above the road, we caught glimpses of the Skytrain, a cable car system that takes visitors up from the main road to Kuranda, avoiding the twisting road up the escarpment.

We drove through Kuranda and stopped at the Barron Falls at the top of the Barron Gorge. There is a steady movement way from the modern European names for places to revert to the original Aboriginal name. Just as Ayers Rock has reverted to being called Uluru, Barron Falls is being renamed as Din Din and the information board has Din Din in large letters and Barron's Gorge in smaller letters but the wooden sign has yet to be updated.

Din Din Falls. There is only a little trickle of water, partly as this is the shoulder between the dry and wet seasons but also as a lot of water is diverted into the local hydroelectric plant located just downstream. The falls sometimes dry up completely in the dry season and after a lot of rain, the wide largely dry river bed seen on the left is filled with water crashing over the top of the falls.

Another view of the falls.

There is another lookout further down the hill side over the scenic Kuranda Railway. Some visitors like t make a day round trip and take the railway to reach the town and the cable car down again or vice versa.

After lunch in Kuranda, we stopped at a lookout off the road down the hillside for a look at Smithfield, the Coral Sea beyond and Cairns at the river mouth just out of view behind the hill to the right.

The Captain Cook Highway as it skirts the shore going north.

A view from the Rex Lookout along the beach.

We pulled off the road just before the Mowbray River bridge. It is a popular spot to view crocodiles and a view point and car park were built as many drivers slowed down on the bridge to try and catch a view of the crocodiles. To avoid accidents and improve traffic flow the extra footbridge and car park were added.

We had a sunset cruise from Port Douglas marina but at the entrance to the marina are some steam engines and carriages belonging to the Ballyhooley Steam Railway.

Another steam engine and one of several carriages.

Then it was tie to board the boat.

We left the marina and the paddle steamer chucked up river past mangrove swamp river banks.

A view of the mangrove swamps. The trees inevitably pick up some salt from the water. They push the salt into certain leaves that turn yellow and when they have absorbed all the salt that they can hold, they drop off and the tree has rid itself of surplus salt.

The point where two tributaries join the main river.

It was here that we saw another crocodile, just lying in the water with its head out of the water resting on the muddy bank.

Then it was back through the harbour.

Past some very expensive boats belonging to the rich and famous and the captain named dozens of boats, owners and prices in the millions of dollars.

The sugar wharf now a wedding venue, where before the arrival of roads to connect Port Douglas with Cairns and other communities, sugar was shipped by boat fro the local area.

Being on the shoulder of the wet season, clouds had formed which prevented a photo of the sun setting into the sea.

But a little later there was more colour in the sky

After our sunset cruise, we drove up Flagstaff Hill, past the lighthouse to reach Trinity Bay Lookout from which there is a view of a part go Port Douglas, Four Mile Beach and at the far end, our resort, Paradise Links, hidden in the trees.