The Tour Specialists Blog

One Night in the Rainforest

As a last minute attempt to get out of the city for the weekend my partner and I arranged to stay at Kuranda Resort and Spa on Sunday night. We were scheduled for a 12:00pm check in and decided to get up there as soon as possible to maximize our time. Kuranda Resort and Spa is located about 20 minutes north west of Cairns but feels miles away from the city. The resort is a quick five minute drive away from the main village of Kuranda and is located just off the highway. Upon arriving at Kuranda Resort and Spa we were greeted by an enormous Fijian style lobby with vaulted thatched ceilings and beautiful water features. We wound our way through a rainforest pathway which lead to our room; spa villa #36. The spacious two bedroom villa was all that was available over the long weekend since we booked our accommodation last minute. We chose to sleep in the spacious loft which was accessible by a timber ladder, instead of the downstairs bedroom. The villa had a corner Jacuzzi tub, a mini bar, two televisions, a CD player and a relaxing Egyptian Cotton Day Bed.

After checking in we took a short drive to Kuranda and had lunch and beers at The Kuranda Hotel, which is nearby the Sky Rail and Train Station. I had a burger and fries which surpassed my expectations and my partner had a 500g rump steak which he was extremely pleased with (most notably because of the cheap price). We spent some time walking around Kuranda and then went back to the resort to laze the rest of the afternoon away.

At 7:00 we arrived at the resort’s Forest Fusion Restaurant located in the lobby. With the option of sitting pool or fireside we chose fireside for something different and enjoyed a romantic dinner next to the cozy fire. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine, soup and oysters for entrees, and I had the risotto and my partner had a pizza for the mains. Both meals were good and the portion sizes were more than satisfying. After dinner and drinks we returned to our villa where we enjoyed a peaceful night sleep listening to the transpiring sounds of the rainforest as cool gentle breezes flowed through the villa.

In the morning we were treated to a tropical style continental breakfast which included fresh fruit, toast and yogurt and we spent the rest of the morning packing in as much relaxation as possible before check out at 11:00am.

Kuranda Resort and Spa is a great rainforest escape for locals and tourists alike. The resort has a beautiful four tier swimming pool which is more like four separate pools, a hot tub, sauna, day spa and conference facilities as well. The tourist village of Kuranda and the countryside on the Atherton Tablelands are must see attractions when visiting Cairns. Kuranda Resort and Spa is a great place to stay while exploring this diverse region of Queensland.

Meghan - The Tour Specialists

Last Sunday my friend Sharryn & I traveled north to the Daintree & Cape Tribulation with Trek North Safari’s.    The journey started promptly at 8 am having been collected from Mango Lagoon Resort & Spa in Palm Cove. We were greeted by our host & tour guide Steve.  A very interesting fellow. He is a qualified Hermatologist (qualified in dealing with snakes & reptiles & other types of creatures).  He has also been working most recently in a local crocodile farm.  I was quite excited having heard that this tour company has a reputation in really knowing their product and has a passion for both native flora & fauna in this local region.  I was amazed by how much we both learnt by the end of this tour. 

We stopped off at Port Douglas to collect some guests from Sheraton Mirage Resort.  Steve provided us with the history of this important and historical town, also the infamous and now deceased property developer Christopher Skase and the sudden redevelopment of Port Douglas in recent years with so many famous resorts.   We then went a quick scenic tour of the world famous 4 Mile Beach which is actually 3.8 km’s long!

After driving through Port Douglas it was then onto Mossman Gorge, again Steve explained the cultural significance to the local KuKu Yalangi people who still to this day remain living at the base of the gorge.   We then disembarked from the 4WD bus and took a short guided tour for approx 45 mins into Mossman Gorge.  All the tracks are well maintained & have hand rails & board walks.

Next we then headed off to an organic fruit & vegetable farm, where our guide explained some of the different local produce that is unique to this region.  After 20 mins we headed to our next stop at a Daintree river side teahouse, enjoyed a cup of local tea and biscuits all complimentary as part of the tour.  This was a highlight of this tour before boarding our boat to head down the Daintree River for one hour.  We were met by Neville our river tour guide.  He took us on a crocodile spotting tour of which we saw 3 large croc’s, grabbing a sun tan.  He explained to us different bird life and plant species he also had samples of these on the boat to show us.    After the tour we were again met by our guide Steve on the other side of the Daintree River.  Then we headed off towards Cape Tribulation.

Next stop was the Insect Museum.  An interesting place I thought.  On the same stop our driver and guide prepares a BBQ lunch at the creek in an undercover landscaped venue, again this was another highlight of this tour.   After lunch it was off to Cape Trib beach were my friend and I had a walk around the beach & Kulki lookout.  Now time to walk off that lunch, with a lovely stroll through the rainforest at the Maardja Boardwalk.   Steve again explained everything you could possible know about the local indigenous culture & native flora & fauna.  On the way back we stopped of at the beautiful Alexandra Range lookout for some photos.  This is were the rainforest meets the sea.  After here, we headed back over the Daintree River on the punt ferry and then a stop at the Crossroads Café & Bar at the Daintree village.

  By now both Sharryn and I required a light refreshment or 2 and were able to partake in glass of wine.  The tour guide does allow BYO refreshments on the return journey home.  So it was a very relaxing trip to Palm Cove for the next 90 minutes or so.

We’d like to thank Trek North for such a memorable far north Queensland experience & would highly recommend their tours to anyone heading to this region & wanting a small personalized tour. 
Lachie
The Tour Specialists
Palm Cove

Dear Tour desk

Just a short note to say how much we enjoyed Brett Quinn’s Northern Experience eco tour, which included many interesting things.  Lush rainforest, spectacular waterfalls and the historic Spanish castle ruins of Paronella Park.
We were looking forward to this tour and certainly weren’t disappointed, in fact we saw and did so much more than we anticipated.  Brett’s knowledge of the area is incredible and with his friendly jovial manner makes your day interesting and memorable.  He went out of his way to help everyone on the bus.
After a lovely cruise on Lake Barrine, we enjoyed our Devonshire morning tea (best scones in Cairns I believe) and later after cheese tasting at Mungalli Creek Dairy had a delicious 2 course home cooked lunch.
Afternoon Tea was also provided at Babinda Boulders, where we swam in the most beautiful, cool crystal clear water.
Everyone had a great day and we would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting this part of our beautiful country.
 Thank you

John and Karen Vuki

Last Saturday I had the most wonderful experience of traveling up to Kuranda on the Kuranda Scenic Railway.  All the feedback I had heard back about this delightful journey was all excellent, but having lived in Sydney for a few years and commuting from Cronulla to Sydney City every day I was very put off by all forms of train travel for a few years!
We decided on the 9.45 am departure as it was a Saturday and after waking up early all week a little sleep in was in order.  We arrived at the picturesque Freshwater Station.  The train starts in Cairns then makes its way to Freshwater Station which is closer for those people who are based on the Northern Beaches.  Freshwater Station has a lovely little gift shop and a fantastic café which I believe serves a fantastic breakfast before your journey begins.  The station also provides a few historic buildings such as a Railway Construction workers hut and a Museum.

Well all aboard and at 9.45 am the train departs for Kuranda. We traveled up standard fare and were impressed.  Our carriage was very quiet this enabled us to both sit near the window and enjoy the view.  On arrival at the station we were provided with and information card and this pointed out various points of interest throughout the journey, along with a running audio commentary provided in the carriage.  The train traveled out though Redlynch then started to climb up the Freshwater Valley to Kuranda traveling through many hand carved tunnels and areas where you are able to capture spectacular views of the Coral Sea and Cairns City.  On a clear day you can even see Green Island on the horizon.  Towards the end of the journey a stop is made at Barron Falls Waterfall this Waterfall is 329 metres above sea level the falls drop is 265 metres.  Back in the early days a Flying Fox provided a view of the falls and a method of commuting to work!
In the wet season this waterfall is just amazing and leaves many a jaw dropped.
The stop at the falls is for around 10 minutes and this allows for plenty of time to take photos.  Once the whistle blew it was all aboard and onto Kuranda Station. 

The Kuranda Station is very impressive, this federation style station is heritage listed.  The building was completed in 1915 and is the only remaining example of a railway station of precast concrete construction.  The station is home to many local and introduced tropical plants and flowers making it one of the most beautiful railway stations in Australia.

We arrived at Kuranda just after 11.00 am so we had three hours to filling in which I think was about the perfect time to have a look around.  I have a fascination for butterflies so I new the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary was on my radar!  So after a quick coffee at one of the many coffee shops dotted along our walk we arrived at the Butterfly Sanctuary.

The butterfly sanctuary was fantastic and we happened to arrive at perfect timing as they had a tour about to start.  Our guide was Tina and she was brilliant her enthusiasm and passion really shined through!  I learnt so much about the life of a butterfly through Tina’s commentary.  Such as most butterflies live for several weeks while some can live as long as 9 months or even a year!  How butterflies feed! How butterflies protect themselves!  The cycle of a butterfly!  Which I am not going of course to tell you as you will have to go and find out for yourself!!!!
The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is one of the largest butterfly farms in the world in terms of enclosed space.  The main aviary is a large all weather glass house it has an average height of 25 feet.  The Sanctuary itself is seven acres and some of the three acres are used for the cultivation of butterfly food plants whilst the remaining four acres are rainforest. 

We were extremely lucky as on the day we went as it was mating season!! The very large moth, Hercules Moth was mating this was a great chance to get up close and take a picture of this amazing moth as they stay very still whilst mating and this is not a very regular occurrence!  After walking through this lovely environment you then come to a room that has a display of all the types of butterflies throughout the world.  This was amazing as there were hundreds of butterflies on display some with fantastic brilliant iridescent colours.

The camouflage butterflies where incredible such as having two snake heads on there wings to discourage predators to taking on the appearance of a leaf  even down to the fine details of having markings that depict water drops…….absolutely incredible!!!

After the butterflies it was time for a look around the shops and markets then off for some lunch!  Well it was getting on to around 2.00 pm and time for our Journey back!
This time we were traveling Gold Class.  Gold Class is a special exclusive section of the train where two special railway carriages have been restored to former grandeur.  Gold class has free seating so it is best to get there a little early so you can obtain a window seat.  The seats are not fixed so are very comfortable and easy to move near the window.  Once settled in you take in you surrounds of this premier carriage.  The Gold Class attendant then came around and introduces himself and asked what type of beverage we would like.  Beer, wine, juice and sparkling wine were all on offer.  I opted for a lovely glass of sparkling so I could sit back and enjoy the surrounds.  Once the train was off it was then time for the canapés to come out and this was in the form of an individual cheese & biscuits and dried fruit plate for all which was the perfect companion to my glass of sparkling!!  Gold Class still also provides the running commentary at the end of you journey you are presented with a souvenir pack of a gold class pen, postcard and pin something to take home and remind you of you day!  It was lovely to come home in a bit of luxury and style.

Tammy - The Tour Specialists Palm Cove

Sunday, 20 April, 2008

On Sunday morning I was lucky enough to visit Cairns Wildlife Dome – the exotic wildlife park and rainforest habitat in the heart of Cairns city.  Cairns Wildlife Dome is an outstanding feature of the Cairns city skyline, and is a unique dome structure perched on top of the Cairns Reef Casino.  The dome itself is made of glass, is 20 meters high and is suitable to visit in all weather conditions.  I’ve always been impressed with the dome from the outside; the way it provides a nightly light show featuring all the neon colors of the rainbow.  I was intrigued about what Cairns Wildlife Dome would have to offer, and couldn’t wait to see what it was like inside.
    
Upon entering Cairns Wildlife Dome I was greeted with a myriad of sights and sounds.  There was a plethora of exotic rainforest creatures freely roaming around amongst the large, lush green rainforest habitat.  The sound of the vast variety of tropical birds singing was delightful and somewhat noisy, and every rainforest tree and bush in the dome seemed to be rustling and bustling with an excess of playful birds.  At the entrance of Cairns Wildlife Dome I was lucky enough to meet my first feathered friend, a Red Tailed Black Cockatoo.  This friendly bird was happy to have a chat with me, and even perch on my arm for a more indepth and intimate discussion.

The dome structure was bigger on the inside than I expected, and the lush tropical rainforest habitat was spectacular and unexpected in the heart of Cairns city.  I felt as though I had been transported into an exotic rainforest paradise in the blink of an eye.  Cairns Wildlife Dome features large pathways and a wooden boardwalk that leads you from the base of the dome toward the roof.  As I ascended the walkways I was treated to spectacular views of the entire dome structure, all the exotic animals in the dome and the city of Cairns and Coral Sea lying just outside the wildlife park.  As I meandered along the pathways at the base of the dome I spotted free roaming pademeloms.  These soft and furry rainforest creatures were absolutely adorable, and didn’t seem to mind all the attention they were getting from me!  I also spotted some turtles and freshwater crocodiles in a billabong, frogs in lush green rainforest trees and some slithery scaly pythons.
 
As I ascended the wooden boardwalk I was greeted by Goliath, an enormous 5 metre saltwater crocodile.  Goliath is an amazing creature and seeing him up close and personal gave me a newfound respect and appreciation for Estuarine Crocodiles that are typical of the Far North Queensland region.  Cairns Wildlife Dome features a unique underwater viewing platform, a welcome addition to the above-water view, which gave me a unique perspective of Goliath from both under and on top of the water.  As I got higher in the Wildlife Dome the birds changed from ground dwellers to colourful and exotic birds typically of the canopy of the tropical rainforests.  As they swooped and soared around me I decided I needed to know more about them, and decided to watch the bird presentation at 10:30 am.

The bird presentation was both educational and enjoyable.  The stars of the show included an Eclectus Parrot, Rainbow Lorikeets, Kookaburras, Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and a Frogmouth.  Most of the birds swooped and soared – generally just inches above our heads, however the Kookaburra was in an especially bad mood and decided he didn’t want to play.  Instead, he flew to the other side of the dome and laughed at us, which resulted in an uproar of applause and laughter from the audience.  Cairns Wildlife Dome has a variety of animal shows and presentations throughout the day such as feeding tours, reptile rap, furry friends and dusk creatures.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to see all of these shows, however when purchasing tickets to the Cairns Wildlife Dome entry is valid for five days so I will get a chance to go back and catch the shows I missed.    
Cairns Wildlife Dome provides an intimate animal experience in the heart of the city of Cairns.  I recommend the Cairns Wildlife Dome to anyone who wants to experience native Australian animals and tropical rainforest without even leaving the city.  After leaving Cairns Wildlife Dome I enjoyed a cup of coffee in the Reef Casinos restaurant – Pacific Flavours – and marveled at the unique ability to transition from a tropical rainforest environment into decadent luxury in the blink of an eye.  Treat yourself and experience Cairns Wildlife Dome personally…

Amy Jennings
The Tour Specialist

Just a short note to say how much we enjoyed Brett Quinn’s Northern Experience Eco Tour which included among many other interesting things, lush rainforests, spectacular waterfalls and the historic spanish castle ruins of Paronella Park.

We were looking forward to this tour and certainly weren’t disappointed, in fact we saw and did so much more than we anticipated.  Brett’s knowledge of the area is incredible and with his friendly jovail manner, makes your day interesting and memorable.  He went our of his way to help everyone on the bus.

After a lovely cruise on Lake Barrine we enjoyed our Devonshire morning tea and later on, after cheese tasting at Mungalli Creek Dairy,  had a delicious two course home cooked lunch.  Afternoon tea was also provided at Babinda Boulders where we swam in the most beautiful, cool, crystal clear waters.

Everyone had a great day and we would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting this part of our beautiful country.  Thank you!

John &  Karen - from Sydney

Travel Date: 26-2-08

Guide: Ben  Host: Brianna

On commencing the tour I was greeted by Brianna & Ben and introduced to the rest of the guests already on the bus. The interior of the vehicle was very luxurious boasting leather seats for extra comfort and timber floors. Air-conditioning could be individually controlled and the windows were exceptionally large for capturing superior views of the surroundings. Our guide Ben was very friendly and was clearly passionate about ecology and rainforest preservation. He understood and explained the demographics of the region clearly as well as the history, including Aboriginal perspectives and beliefs about certain places. He was very informative, confident and educated in tour guiding. Brianna our host kept everyone amused and also provided us with beneficial information she was very friendly and such a pleasure to have on the trip.

The first stop was Mossman Gorge. We went for a short guided walk and learnt about certain rainforest techniques that were used by the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal tribes. This was very interesting. It was then only 25 minutes to the Daintree River for some morning tea which included tea/coffee, biscuits and fruit cake. Everyone boarded the boat for a 1 hour cruise along the Daintree River. We were each given binoculars and shown how to use them! Within 5 minutes a 3.5 metre female crocodile was spotted basking on the bank. It wasn’t long until 3 were spotted including a baby croc! They disguise very well. The cruise was very informative and the skipper happily answered any questions. The importance of estuarine mangrove habitats and other environmental concerns were also illustrated. After the boat cruise it was time for another guided rainforest walk, this time at Jindalba. This was the best rainforest walk. There were numerous species of wildlife including birds, insects and reptiles. Ben was able to explain the age of particular plants and trees, their significant attributes and uses. We were then off lunch Noah’s Valley. Everyone was hungry and looking forward to it. The lunch spot was very private and situated on an exotic fruit farm. There was steak (cooked to personal satisfaction), sausages, grilled fish, salads, warm damper and red/white wine. It was delicious. A tropical fruit platter with seasonal fruits was brought out to finish it off! Some guests went for a swim and others wondered around discovering its beauty. A truly unique and unforgettable place for lunch!  It was then time for some 4-wheel driving. StingrayBay was 30 minutes North. Everyone was very tired by this stage and so a quick nap ensured we would be ready for some exploring by the time we arrived. It started to rain but that didn’t deter anyone from chasing hundreds of crabs along the beach. Stingray Bay was definately a highlight of the trip!

The trip home was very relaxing. Ben and Brianna did a little bit more commentary and worked everyone up for an ice-cream at the Daintree Ice-cream Centre. The flavours of the day were raspberry, sour sop, wattle seed and mango. I’ll be back for more! 
A great trip that is personalized, educational and opulent. Definately a cut above the rest, and well worth the $199. I have no recommendations on improvement!

A big thank-you to Brianna & Ben for a great day…..

Ysanne - The Tour Specialists

Last Tuesday I went out to Rainforestation. My 2 boys and I arrived around 10:30 and were greeted by so many friendly faces. I was given a map and timetable and we set off exploring. Our first stop was the Koala and wildlife park. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of animals on display. The elevated platforms in the koala viewing area is such an amazing concept as you become face to face with these beautiful animals regardless if they are asleep or not. My children especially loved the reptile enclosures. There were quite a few different varieties of the cold blooded locals on display here. Lizards and snakes and of course the crocodiles were all displayed in a very visible and safe environment. The cassowary enclosure was also a very up close experience. There are kangaroos and wallabies roaming the grounds as well.

Next it was off for our Amphibious Army Duck Tour of the Rainforest. Our Army duck driver/guide’s name was Darren. He is a true passionate local with all the knowledge you could ask for. We had German and Korean tourists on board with us and he was fluent in both these languages and really gave the impression he would converse with tourists from any country! The commentary and information was really interesting, funny and educational. We made our way through the World Heritage Listed Rainforest stopping to learn facts about different plants and animals before driving in to the lake for a look around. We spotted water dragons, turtles, termite mounds at the top of trees and birds of many varieties. We continued through the rainforest and into the tropical fruit orchard. To see the variety of exotic fruits I had never heard of actually on the trees it was fascinating. Also I did not know the dragon fruit grow on a type of cactus! Amazing!

Our next stop was to the Aboriginal theatre to watch the cultural display by Pamagirri dancers. My eldest son was given a lesson on stage with a couple of others and did his best to try to learn some of the moves. It really is harder than it looks! Very entertaining-to watch, thank you!

After the show we were greeted by one of the performers, Henry. He was our guide for our Dreamtime Walk. He showed us how and why aborigines throw boomerangs for hunting. We each were given a chance to throw the boomerangs - again harder than it looks! We then moved on to the Didgeridoo area and learned how to make and play this amazing musical instrument. Henry then displayed his spear throwing ability. We selected targets for him to hit, and he was successful on each one. Well done Henry!

The day was really fun and educational. We topped it all of with a gelato ice cream made locally, I had exotic sour sop and my boys opted for the ever popular mango gelato. Yum!

I would like to say a big thank you to Rainforestation for the chance to learn more about our diverse country in your fun, friendly and highly educational Nature Park.

Sonja McSweeney - The Tour Specialists Palm Cove

My name is Tanya and I’m just contacting you in regards to a tour we did with your company this week. We travelled up to Kuranda by coach and back by rail with gold class up grade. The tour was great! All staff and drivers were extremely polite and helpful. The Gold Class upgrade was particularly enjoyable. (is this new?) I have been to Kuranda many times but was showing my mother and aunt the area. It was a lovely way to finish the day. I haven’t noticed the upgrade before and my husband and i travel to Palm Cove quite regularly each year. I hope the feedback is useful and we will recommend both the tour and your office.

A local tour that helps save the earth

	Melanie Blight from the Tour Specialists gets into the swing of planting ‘the right tree in the right place’ after guidance from ARF Conservation Officer, Jolyon Ritchie (back left).

Visitors from all over the world take trips daily from Cairns to our World Heritage Wet Tropics rainforests. But in April a tour-bus full of locals paid their fare and headed north to get down and dirty in the Daintree all in the name of Earth Day.

The group travelled with local tour company Wilderness Challenge, brought together by the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) and the Tour Specialists all with one objective in mind – to give something back to the environment.

“Everyday at work I promote the Wet Tropics as one of the most wonderful places in the world. I want to be responsible for making sure that it stays that way. This tour lets me do something about that,” Melanie Blight of the Tour Specialists said.

“The day wasn’t about making me feel good, although it was very special and a lot of fun, it was about helping the earth, and we all know it desperately needs it. Our rainforests can help in the fight against climate change and the least we can do is help rejuvenate the rainforests by planting these trees.”

The Earth Day tour included was led by a Wilderness Challenge guide, and included a briefing by ARF Conservation Officer Jolyon Ritchie on the eco-system of the rainforest and its’ regeneration process, a bbq lunch, afternoon tea and a refreshing swim – but the latter was only after 100 native trees had been planted on a prime rainforest block owned and protected by the ARF.

Hello!

I went out with Billy Tea on Monday and it was a fabulous day. The weather
was perfect and the rainforest spectacular. I have included some pictures I
took throughout the day. I am no photographic genius but they give you a
pretty good idea of what you can expect to see while up there.

Check out the Power Point Slideshow I made.

Cheers!

Meghan
the tour specialists
Hilton Cairns