An Aussie 4th of July and Queensland Adventures Await

America - you should be proud of us.  

We celebrated the 4th as if we were home!
Except no fireworks this year...We saw those on NYE!

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Hello Elementary Friends!

Happy July to All!

Since we have completed the first half of our time in Australia, Mitch and I decided to say thank you to our Aussie friends by throwing a 4th of July party on the 2nd!  Since our apartment is rather small, we held the party at my principal, Malcolm's home.  We had a great time.  Mitch grilled hot dogs, burgers, and chicken skewers.  He also made some Wick Fowler's Chili - thanks to Andy Smith who brought the mix when they came to see us.  We played 4th of July Bingo and had a Star Spangled Trivia Contest which included USA history questions along with Australia questions and general world-wide pop culture stuff.  For example one of the questions was "Is the town of Cut and Shoot located in Australia or Texas - how about Disappointment Hill?  Another was "Which of the following words or phrases are commonly used in the USA? - Blokes, I'll have a think on that, good on you, a temperature top, massive savings, and car park."  Of course the answer was "none of the above."  Here are some photos of the party with most of the attendees being staff members and family from Beaumont Road:

After the trivia contest, Malcolm had Mitch and me sit under the American flag.  He said he was a representative from the "Citizenship Commission."  He was sent to ask us questions to see if we were "progressing on track" for Australian citizenship.  We got 7 out of 8 questions right, so Malcolm said that we are still on track.  Mitch says we look like hostages in this photo:

Finally - I just had to hang the flag over our balcony of our apartment, and send this photo to Helen.

  

She enjoyed the 4th in Highlands Ranch with the company of her sister, Eva, who is visiting her now. 

School Holiday #2 Holds Adventures in Far North Queensland!

On Wednesday (6th) we took an early morning flight to Cairns, Queensland.  It was memorable because as we were standing in the que (what Aussies call a line) to drop our bag (what Aussies call checking your bag), one of my students came up and said "Hi, Mrs. Hankins!"  It was Eloise, and she and her family were on our flight!  She and another boy in the class had told me that they were going to Cairns over the break, but I had no idea that I would run into her!

After arriving in Cairns, we spent a few hours in the town prior to heading northwest to the lovely seaside resort of Port Douglas.  We had lunch on the Esplanade, and then found the Youth Hostel that Katie worked in while she was here in 2006.  Gilligan's appears to still be going strong!

Port Douglas - A Four Night Stay

Port Douglas is a town on the Coral Sea in Australia’s North Queensland, north of Cairns. It is known for its beach resorts, and as a jumping-off point for tours to the Great Barrier Reef, which depart from the long-standing Reef Marina. The planet's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef teems with colorful marine species and is a renowned snorkeling and scuba-diving destination.

Kuranda Scenic Railway and the Sky Rail Rain Forest Cableway

On Thursday (7th) we took an excursion to the rain forest village of Kuranda in Far North Queensland.  We rode a train to travel to the village, and we took a sky rail back down!

Here is some information on the Kuranda Scenic Railway:

EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE RAIL JOURNEYS IN AUSTRALIA. DISCOVERING THE LIVING COLOR AND NATURAL BEAUTY OF A WORLD HERitAGE-LISTED RAIN FOREST THAT'S MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD.​

Far North Queensland’s World Heritage-Listed rain forest, The Wet Tropics, are among the oldest on earth and home to an incredible array of plants and animals.

Twelve hundred species of flowering plants, eight hundred different rain forest trees, spectacular orchids, strangler figs, exotic palms and hundreds of unique creatures inhabit this lush green world.

Now imagine all that natural wonder so close that you can almost touch it, your senses alive with the heady organic fragrance and untamed sounds of the dense rain forest. That’s what it’s like aboard Kuranda Scenic Railway as you unwind your way through a tropical paradise framed by rugged mountains with waterfalls tumbling forever into deep ravines.

Being one with the rain forest as you undertake an unforgettable journey is what makes Kuranda Scenic Railway such a must-do experience.

This famous railway winds its way on a journey from Cairns to Kuranda, the village in the rain forest, with Freshwater situated along the line with views of the surrounding mountains. Rising from sea level to 328m, the journey to Kuranda passes spectacular waterfalls and into the stunning Barron Gorge. The journey includes an English commentary and all passengers receive a commentary companion which includes information on the history of the railways construction, a trip map and a map of Kuranda. Upon reaching the village of Kuranda a rich assortment of interesting attractions and unique shopping experiences awaits you.

Here is some history on the Kuranda Railway:

Construction of the railway began in 1886. The railway was completed as far as Kuranda in 1891. Passenger services began operations on 25 June 1891.

Many lives were lost as numerous tunnels and bridges were built. 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges were built to climb from sea level to 328 metres up the Macalister Range. Three million cubic metres of earth had to be excavated during construction.

The first operation of a tourist train from Cairns to Kuranda was in 1936, using four longitudinal seating carriages. In 1995 major repairs had to be carried out after a severe rock fall damaged the track. On 26 March 2010 the train was derailed by a landslide injuring 5 of the 250 passengers on board. The service was closed until 7 May 2010 while a geo-technical review of the track and risk assessments were completed.

Note - if I had read this prior to our trip, I might have reconsidered!

The village of Kuranda was so enjoyable!  Admittedly, it is a hippie/bohemian tourist trap, but I loved it!  It was fun to walk through the village and eat some lunch prior to boarding our glass bottom sky rail for our ride over the rain forest on our way down!

Our Glass Bottom Cable Car!

Tomorrow we are hoping to see some crocodiles, maybe a cassowary, and take a drive into the Daintree National Park.  Saturday holds the main reason we came to Far North Queensland - Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef!  So, stay tuned, friends!

Until then, please enjoy this field of roos that I just could not resist today on our drive back to our condo.