Kuranda Village, Cairns

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On January 12th, our group drove the bus to the skyrail station to take the gondola up to the town of Kuranda. This was an incredible opportunity for my classmates and I to be able to experience and see firsthand. It was about a 45 min ride up to Kuranda and completely worth it. We stopped at each stop to educate ourselves more on the rainforest and wildlife. At the first stop, I talked to Josh, and he informed me that The Skyrail Rainforest Foundation funds research and education projects to protect rainforests globally. Fortunately, I had a money in my bag and was able to donate to the foundation! The next stop was Barron Falls which was also an unbelievable site to see. It reminded me a lot of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and watching and hearing the natural noises was very relaxing. The view was absolutely gorgeous, and I could’ve stayed there for a while soaking in the moment. On my journey through the trail overlooking Barron Falls, there was a plaque that stood out to me which honored a ranger who passed away and it said that he (Milton Brim) enjoyed overlooking the view just like me and my classmates did. The last stop was to Kuranda. I can’t even begin to explain to environment and how I felt. It honestly was so surreal and a unique experience I had walking around the town for a few hours. I went into almost every shop they had and loved looking at what the markets were selling especially since they were secondhand items. My personal favorite shop they had was the chocolate shop! I got to try a chocolate that had a chili pepper mixed in, and one would think it’s a strange combination but honestly it worked well together! I talked to the owner of the shop, and she said that her and her husband started this chocolate business about 6 years ago because they wanted to a break from their full-time jobs and do something more low maintenance. They moved from Brisbane and have enjoyed doing this ever since. Finally, I went to Kuranda’s Koala Garden and this, by far was my favorite part of the day. I got to see many more animals other than Koalas like wallabies, crocodiles, kangaroos and more. It was amazing how close you could get to the animals, and they wouldn’t mind it. I was so close to the wallaby that I could pet it. After the animal tour, I grabbed lunch at a local restaurant attached to a hotel and enjoyed chicken tenders before heading to the train station to go back to Cairn's station. This day has been one of my favorites so far, especially since there wasn’t a lot of physical activity!

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