THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY

After lunch at Almaden and watching the Great Wheelbarrow Race we climbed aboard the Savannahlander Train for the last time. We thought Cairns, our final destination would be our next stop but we were in for a few more surprises.

 After an hour or so the driver stops the train and announces that we are being held up by train robbers.

Then two little robbers walked through the carriages holding a cash bag. How could we refuse to pay up. Apparently, every Saturday when the train comes back, the drivers stop at a farm where the children board the train to take up a collection. They are saving up for a holiday by the sea. Each week they are dressed differently.

 Then we had to dash to get to Kuranda Station before 4:30 as it closes down and the signalman will not be there to let us go through to Cairns so we rattled along at speed and arrived in time.

Everyone gets out to stretch their legs while the station master looks on. The gardens on the station are beautiful, as I showed you before on the way up.

 The railway line snakes its way through rainforest and down the steep Kuranda Range to the coast. It crosses tressle bridges and passes through many tunnels. It was built by hand in the late 1800's but has been maintained and renovated since then. This is the famous Stoney Creek crossing. It often appears in travel brochures. Our drivers gave us a treat by stopping the train and letting us walk across the bridge so we could take some brochure type photos of the train passing by the waterfall.

Stoney Creek Falls from the bridge.

The train slowly comes towards us. It is quite a breathtaking sight.

Then we all piled back on for the down hill run into Cairns. This was an amazing, fun filled trip and if you are ever in the Cairns area I highly recommend 'The Savannahlander 4 day trip". There is a 6 day trip where you join another train called 'The Gulflander" and go even further west.

GREAT WHEELBARROW RACE

Before we 'turned in' to our converted railway carriage accommodation at Undara we were told that breakfast would be a typical Aussie bush breakfast at sunrise. So at 6:30am we found ourselves on a short bush walk to the campfire area where a table was laden with breakfast ingredients and guests had to cook their own with the help of the staff.

TOH is cooking his toast.

 We sat on tree stumps to eat our breakfast and watch the sun rise behind the trees. After this breakfast with a difference we were transported back to Mt Surprise railway station.

   Before boarded the Savannahlander Train for the last time we were invited to look at a reptile display. There were all sorts of snakes and lizards in glass containers but one was a friendly carpet python.

We settled back into 'our' train thinking all the fun was over as we travelled back to Cairns but when we stopped at Almaden for lunch we were surprised to see the town all abuzz with people and excitement. It was because the "Great Wheelbarrow Race" was in progress and the first runners were due to complete this middle section of the race any minute.

The finish for the second section of the race.

The small town of Almaden with a population less than 100 suddenly had a 1000 people milling around its only hotel and finish line for the Great Wheelbarrow Race. The hotel had been extended with a canvas awning out over part of the main road from Cairns to Cape York.

The race lasts 3 days. There are different categories from individuals to teams. Some dress in fancy costumes and they all raise money for charity. The race starts in Mareeba then to Dimbulah the first day, 44km. Dimbulah to Almaden on the second day, 63km and to Chillagoe on the third day, 33km a total of 140km. pushing a wheelbarrow.

The first to arrive

Late in the 1800’s when work was scarce and transportation was limited, miners often used to travel about the region using a wheelbarrow to carry all of their possessions. In 2004, as a tribute to these early pioneers and to honour their amazing trail-blazing feats, the road between Mareeba and Chillagoe was named the Wheelbarrow Way.

The following quote from a Mr Peel, an early settler in Chillagoe captures the essence of the spirit that is being celebrated with the development of the Wheelbarrow Way and the Wheelbarrow Race.

“Dad pushed a wheelbarrow in which were stacked all our belongings. A few pieces of iron which would be used as a shelter, maybe some hessian, a spade, a lantern, a few kitchen things and very little else. Mum and the children walked behind, Mum usually with babe in arms.”

This year is the 10th anniversary of the race which honours those early settlers and also attracts tourists to the area. It also raised $450,000 for charity.

Shall we give it a go?

Our fun drivers and guides for the last four days tell us its time to board the train again.

We left the Savannah country and headed back over the mountains and into the rainforest. The scenery was "pretty darn good."

INTO THE BOWELS OF THE EARTH

After our amazing cruise on Cobbold Gorge we were driven back to the railway line to pick up the train again at Einasleigh, where we had lunch provided by the hotel. We were heading back to Cairns but there was one more overnight stop to make on the way back. It was at The Undara Lava Tubes near Mt Surprise. (Don't ask me why it is called that). This had been on my bucket list for a long time since I read about this strange geological area.

photo taken from 'The DavLin Rig" blog.

We pulled into the tiny railway station of Mt Surprise. Then we were picked up by a small bus an transported to "The Undara Experience" accommodation. It is unique in that they have reused old railway carriages by making them into motel rooms. It was something different.

Our room has the door open and our friend George is sitting outside his room next door.

They were tiny rooms with an en suite,
which still had an original train sink which folds up into the wall.

Soon it was time for a tour of the lava tubes.

We walked on a board walk into a cavernous hole where the guide explained how the tubes were formed.

Photo taken from Paul Ma's blog "Mountains"

 Then we descended into the bowels of the earth in a huge tube of volcanic rock. It wasn't lit up and only the guide had a torch. It was difficult to take photos. You can see tree roots penetrating the tubes. It was Alice in Wonderland stuff.

Looking back to where we had entered you get a better picture of the tube.

There are many tubes in the area but they are all part of the immense Undara lava field. The Undara crater erupted 190,000 years ago sending a molten lava flow that travelled for 160 km and covered an area of 1550 square kilometres. The longest in the world. As the exterior lava hardened it formed tunnels through which molten lava continued to flow and emptied out when the flow stopped, creating the Undara lava tubes. Access is where the ceiling has collapsed in some places.

 After viewing these amazing geological structures we returned to the accommodation.

The bar and restaurant were also housed in reused rail carriages. What a fabulous day, Cobbaold Gorge and the Undara Lava Tubes. 

THE BEST DAY

We stayed overnight at Robin Hood Station (ranch) near Forsayth. In the morning we were taken by 4 wheel drive truck/bus down a rocky steep track to Cobbold Gorge. It is hidden away within the rugged sandstone formations on the property.

We walked through the bush and over a water hole on a boardwalk but kept an eye out for crocodiles. 

 The previous tour pulled into the pontoon on this tiny boat powered by silent electric motors. There were two boats that could hold about 12 people each but we only had 8 in each boat.

 Our tour guide was called "Scruffy" for obvious reasons. However, he was delightful bush character.

 Scruffy gave us a few safety rules like, " If we fall out make a circle around him so the crocs won't get him." Then we set off into this unique gorge.

 It is extremely narrow, closing to a mere two metres/6 feet wide in places. That is why the boats are so small. Unfortunately, we had cloudy skies. Just imagine how it would look with a bright blue sky.

 There are spectacular 30 m/ 90 ft cliffs on each side. The length of the gorge is about 6km but only the last 500m is navigable. Our path became blocked by rocks and trees.

 We waited for the other boat to reach the end too and then we gingerly turned around and returned. There isn't room to pass so the other boat led the way back.

 To cruise through this gorge is an unforgettable experience. 

 A low overhanging rock ahead.

 TOH has to duck his head under the overhang. It is a tight squeeze.

 The boat in front appears now an then. It is so quiet and awesome.

 Too soon the gorge widened and we were at the end of our wonderful tour. It was the best day, but wait it hadn't finished yet we were getting back on the train and heading for another amazing place before returning to Cairns. 

THE END OF THE LINE

After our stop at Einasliegh we walked back to the train which was taking us to the end of the line at Forsayth. Einasliegh was once a copper mining town. It set on top of flat top hills or mesas that rise up out of the grasslands. 

Our travel companions, Ann and George.

 This was such a unique train experience. Our driver, Will, stopped the train, jumped out of his door and ran through the long grass . What had he spotted?

 It is a rare Grevillea which has just started to be found again in this area after fires a few years ago. He plucked one bloom and brought it back to the train for us to pass around. Before Will worked for Cairns railway he was a zoo keeper. He was very knowledgable about the wildlife and he was always looking for snakes to show us. He was an expert at handling reptiles.

Unfortunately I can't remember the name of this rare Grevillea.

 The train line runs through one cattle station/ranch after the other. So another thing the driver has to be aware of is cattle on the line. 

 It was such an unusual sight that everyone on board was up the front jostling for photographs I was squeezed in behind the driver's head.

 We were going through the Newcastle ranges and the cows were reluctant to climb down the embankment. Will slowly moved them along until finally they took the plunge down the hill. It was like herding cattle with a train. The cattle are Brahmans, suitable for the tropics.

Not only cows but the driver needs to look out for wallabies and kangaroos crossing the track.

 This is a rare rock wallaby.

 The track wound through the ranges and in this spot it  actually lies on the bed of a river, which is only a trickle on the left now that it is the dry season but in the wet season the track is under water. 

 After a few hours we arrive at Forsayth at the end of the line. Forsayth used be a gold mining town and there are still nuggets to be found if you're lucky. Every Thursday the local kids come to meet the train because the drivers give them a ride around the loop which turns the train around to return back to Cairns. All the passengers get off and onto buses for their accommodation overnight. Then all the kids jump on the train for their ride. In actual fact it is not necessary for the driver to do the loop because the rail motors can be driven from both ends but the drivers don't like to disappoint the country kids so they always drive around the turning loop.

We had travelled about 400k from Cairns inland over the last 2 days. Then we were taken by bus over a shaky corrugated road for another 45 minutes to Robin Hood Station. It is an outstanding property with 10,000 head of cattle on 1300 square kilometres with ever changing views. They also have a very nice resort there even though they are miles from civilisation. The cabins were comfortable and the food was good.

The view in the morning was super and the birds were singing their morning chorus. The Terry family, who own the station run cattle and cater for tourists. We were taken on a magical tour of Cobbald Gorge after breakfast. It was my favourite place of the Savannahlander Train  tour. That will be the next post.