Sophistication and warmth

Friday 31 July. Port Douglas is beautiful. We walk the length of the four mile beach and back to our beach front apartment. The sand is spotlessly clean and the sea warm enough to swim in. However, unseasonal winds dissuade us from sunbathing. St Mary's Church has a large clear glass window behind the altar, giving worshippers a divine view of the ocean and mountains beyond.

Saturday 1 August. The Skyrail just north of Cairns is definitely worth a visit. We board a cable car for the 7.5km glide into the rain forest and looking down through the lush canopy, one realises how easy it would be to get lost down there - throw in the worry of the vast number of poisonous snakes and plants and you're really in trouble!

The village of Kuranda at the top of the mountain is mainly populated by souvenir shops but the 100 minute train journey down through Barron Gorge is marvellous. Kuranda Station must be one of the most beautiful on the planet, with its abundance of flowering plants almost covering the platforms and station buildings. Check out today's train driver!

Construction of the railway began in 1887 in order to service the gold fields and it took four years to complete. We pass through 15 tunnels, over 37 bridges and around nearly 100 curves. The railway workers and their families endured tremendous hardships shifting over 2 million cubic metres of earth. For us, the 37km ride down into Cairns was a pleasure.