Saturday, February 29^th, 2020

Yorkey’s Knob

Yorkey’s Knob was our bonus port because we missed Bali, which was on offer because we avoided Bitung.

I initially thought that it was going to be a poor substitute for Bali’s palm fringed shores, but I was so very wrong. It is one of the best ports I have ever been to.

The day didn’t start too well. Yorkey’s Knob is a tender port, and there were initial problems with getting the tender system running, then it was a very long, bumpy ride into the jetty with several passengers looking very green and unhappy.

However, things soon improved.

We started off on the Kuranda Scenic railway. We had received a letter from the tour office warning us that the train would be very hot and uncomfortable (this is after we had bought the tickets), but it turned out to actually be very comfortable, and there was a gentle breeze coming through the windows so it was fine. The tour office had told us to sit on the left side of the train to get the best views, but in fact it is best to sit on the right. You can by snacks and drinks at the café on the station, which is good as you can’t buy anything on the train.

The train ride was lovely, climbing up the mountainside with great views of Yorkey’s Knob and our ship in the distance. Construction of the railway line was quite a feat of engineering, needing trestle bridges, steep curves and several tunnels. We made a brief stop at Barron Falls, and then we ended the trip in Kuranda.

We had about an hour and a half to explore Kuranda and have lunch on our own. There is a butterfly park and Koala Sanctuary there, but we decided to give these a miss and eat and shop instead.

We had lunch at Annabelle’s Pie Shop, and then wandered around the shops and market, buying 2 lovely dishes to take to friends back home.

Then came the highlight of the day – the skyrail train back down to Yorkey’s Knob. This is a wonderful ride above the oldest rainforest in the world, and it was a magical ride, I didn’t want it to end. Brian had downloaded an app that gave us a running commentary of what we were seeing below and around us.

We made 2 stops – one to view Barron Falls from the other side of the Barron River,

and the other so we could walk through the rainforest on a boardwalk. We had hoped to see some wild life on our walk – especially tree kangaroos – but all we saw were butterflies. Still, it was a wonderful experience, and I am so glad we were able to do this trip.

Our coach took us back to the tender landing through a couple of the neighborhoods and the sea front in Yorkey’s Knob, and then it was time to take the tender home.

Luckily there was a tender waiting for us, and off we set. However, the water had become quite rough, and the 2 tenders before ours were unable to offload their passengers, so we sat bobbing around for an hour and a half until it was safe to go back on board. I had a much-needed nap, but it must have been awful for those who get seasick.

The water continued to be rough, and there were ongoing issues with the tenders. Once all of the passengers were on the ship they were unable to upload the tenders due to the large waves, and in the end we had to pull up the anchor and turn the ship around so this could be done. Then one of the tenders got stuck half way up and it took a while to get it going again.

Sometimes it is just easier if you can dock the ship!

While all of the issues with the tenders were going on, I decided to go for a swim in the deck 6 pool as it is just down the corridor from our cabin. The water was lovely and warm, and there was no one else there. It was the perfect way to relax after a really spectacular day.

At dinner we found out that the daughter of one of our tablemates had gone to the same boarding school in Kent as me. It’s a small world!