downundertraveller: Sept. 18 - Kuranda by Train and Return by Skyrail

OUR ITINERARY **NEW, REVISED AND UP TO DATE**

If we're going to be in your city and you want to get together for a cup of coffee, leave a message at our hotel, or send me an email ahead of time at shakos@sympatico.ca - we'll try to rendezvous with you. That would be great fun!
Sat. Oct. 20 - Arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand and stay at the Copthorne Central Hotel, phone 03 379 5880.
Mon. Oct. 22 - TranzAlpine Train ride to Franz Josef, staying at the Franz Josef Glacier Hotel, phone 03 752 0729.
Tues. Oct. 23 - Queenstown, staying at the Novotel Gardens, phone 03 442 7750.
Thurs. Oct. 25 - Te Anau, staying at the Village Inn, phone 03-249 7911.
Fri. Oct. 26 - Dunedin, staying at the Dunedin City Hotel, phone 03 470 1470. Hope to meet Chris Davies for coffee while we're there.
Sat. Oct. 27 - Mount Cook National Park, staying at The Hermitage Hotel, phone 03 435 1809.
Sun. Oct. 28 - Back at the Copthorne Central Hotel in Christchurch, phone 03 379 5580 till Oct. 30th. We'll then take the ferry to the North Island and stay with Beulah from Oct. 30th, till November 5th.
Mon. Nov. 5 - Pick up a car for a self-drive tour to Auckland. (Biting my nails as you guys drive on the wrong side of the road - giggle). Stay at the Lakeland Resort, Taupo, phone 07 378 3893 on the 5th, and at the Heritage Rotorua on the 6th and 7th, phone 07 348 1189.
Thurs. Nov. 8 - Arrive in Auckland and stay with Lizzie and her husband John. I've promised to teach an ink and oil rouging design for Lizzie while I'm there.
Mon. Nov. 12 - It's all over but the curtain calls. Fly from Auckland back to Los Angeles, where we will stay a week with my aunt. A good chance to shake off some of the jet lag.
Sun. Nov. 18 - Back in Canada. All good things have to come to an end. The memories, however, will last a lifetime.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Sept. 18 - Kuranda by Train and Return by Skyrail

Another very busy day. We were picked up by the tour bus, travelled along the James Cook Highway, and then rode a small antique train along a winding track to the little village of Kuranda at the top of the mountains. We transferred to a bus for a short hop to the village itself. Kuranda was originally a hippie enclave, where they smoked their weed and sold their handmade wares. Today it is a collection of unique little boutiques each selling Australian made goods and souvenirs - everything from incense holders to silk scarves, candles to fine jewelry, art to trinkets.,

There was a butterfly museum, but we skipped it as it was small and too dear, and we didn't have much time before we had to get back onto the bus for our visit to Rainforestation. There we a guided tour through a bit of a zoo and learned more about the native birds, reptiles and animals. Next came a demonstration of boomerang throwing (could give it a try if you wished), spear throwing - was interesting to see that they used a form of spear thrower - and then a demo of playing the digeridoo - a musical instrument made from a hollow branch. This was followed by a show of Aboriginal dancing - they interpreted a snake dance, cassowary dance and a kangaroo dance amogst others. Then they had three men from the audience come up for a lesson - they were good sports and gave us all a laugh.

After lunch we were transferred to Rainforestation where we went for a short guided walk through the rainforest, followed by a "river cruise" via an army duck amphibious vehicle - we rode through the rainforest, and then floated on the river - all in the same vehicle! Then it was time to head home - via the Skyrail - gondolas that travel on wires up and over the mountains and down the other side. Man were those gorges deep! It was great to travel over the tops of the trees - you could see for miles - and it wasn't scary either. On the way down we could see a pond where they were doing cable skiing - water skiing without a boat - the skiers were pulled along by a cable. It looked like loads of fun.

We were dog tired when we got back to the hotel - and had eaten a huge lunch, so we decided to walk to Woolworths and pick up bread, ham, fruit and cookies and have just a snack in the room for supper (tea).