Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park & Kuranda

This morning found us at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, a wonderful cultural center that explores the beliefs, customs and history of the Tjapukai (people of the rain forest).

The facility is in Caravonica, 15 minutes north of Cairns.

A bit about the Tjapukai:

- Tjapukai means "Rainforest", Bama means People, thus the term "People of the Rainforest" is often used to describe Tjapukai.

- Tjapukai people were nomads within their own tribal boundaries.

- Firestick farming - The Tjapukai people would trade within the tribe or with their neighbouring tribes.

- The major beliefs are in the Elder's knowledge and reincarnation.

- The Tjapukai people are very adaptable. They cope with their own laws (lores) as well as today's laws.

While at the center we watched two video presentations, the first about the history of the tribe and the impact of white settlers on the people's life style. The second was about the religious beliefs of the tribe.

We explored the grounds a bit as the center's exhibits are in and outdoors -- outside was a pond filled with big turtles and fish, with canoes for visitors to use.
We crossed the bridge to get to the stage where the native dancing was held and watched men demonstrate their traditional dances to drums and Didgeridoo music. (A Didgeridoo is a wind instrument carved from a hollow log. Different sizes result in different pitches.)

The dancers had traditional costumes and paint and emulated various animals and animal calls in their movements and song.

From the dancing presentation we went to another stage area where we learned more about different musical instruments made and used by the Tjapukai, including how a Didgeridoo is created and played.

Next stop was a demonstration of plants used for food and medicinal purposes by a woman of the tribe. Some items had to be soaked for hours or heated to remove toxic properties. A couple of memorable points:

- termite mound can be mixed with water and administered to address diarrhea (too much results in constipation).
- termites themselves can be ingested -- good protein source. (so appetizing, don't you think?)

We got to try some of the jams and jellies served on bread -- both made traditionally by the Tjapukai people. Very tasty.

After the food demo we learned how to throw boomerangs. Or at least I learned I need much practice before I can get the thing to return to me. Great fun to hurl it out there though. Kids thought I was much better at spear-throwing; I hit the target (which had a picture of a kangaroo on it) on my first shot. Look out, people -- if I get irritated I'll grab my Tjapukai spear.

From the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park (which I highly recommend should you find yourself in Cairns), we took the Skyrail (gondola) over the Rain Forest. What an incredible experience: the views of the mountains, rivers and canyons, Cairns and its coastline, patches of sugarcane fields in the distance, and the upclose, overhead view of forest's amazing thick, lush layers of every shade of green imaginable. At some points we brushed the tops of trees!

We saw many birds and nests, harder to see the other creatures out there.

The Skyrail stopped twice en route to Kuranda, a little mountain village and our destination from the gondola. We were able to walk into the rain forest on walkways at both stops.

At the first stop -- Red Peak -- we had a a guide who pointed out various trees and plants and talked about some of the animals of the rainforest (i.e. kangaroos that live in the trees and really struggle to get around on the ground). He talked about how devastating the cyclone of a few years ago was to the animals and their habitat (food had to be dropped via helicopter to the animals).

One of the plants he pointed out contains so many toxins that people who encounter it have to have their skin waxed repeatedly to get the toxins out. Ouch. Another plant he pointed out has a "sticky" texture that allows it to cling to other plants so it can be raised up toward the sunlight. One of the trees we looked at is between 400 and 500 years old, with hundreds of years of life ahead of it. Reminded me of the Redwoods.

At our second stop -- Barron Falls station -- we got magnificent views of waterfalls and checked out an interactive nature center. It had lots of computers, which Claire loved, that had touch screens so you could learn more about plants and animals and the ecosystem of the rain forest.

Another 10 minutes on the Skyrail and we were in Kuranda!

About Kuranda:

This picturesque mountain retreat of Kuranda Village is 25km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia, and is surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest.

In the late 60's Kuranda was a centre for alternative lifestyle. Today historic buildings house markets featuring exotically handcrafted goods and Aboriginal artifacts, restaurants, cafes and bars.

Our first order of business in Kuranda was lunch; we found a place overlooking the rain forest and had a bite, then wandered through the infamous Kuranda markets and stopped at the Butterfly Sanctuary. It had the largest collection of butterflies I've ever seen, some of them HUGE! We were able to get very close to many of them, some even landed on us. The woman at the desk told us they release 2,000 at a time regularly to keep populations up, as their life span is short.

After wandering back through more markets, we caught our Kuranda Scenic Railway train back to Cairns. It was a great old train that wound its way through the canyons along a track that required much blood, sweat and tears to build in the 1800's, when mining was an important industry in the area. We went under something like 15 tunnels on the trip!

Our car was bright red, with comfy seats and open windows so we could enjoy the breeze and beauty of the forest, waterfalls, cliffs and canyons as we chugged down the mountain. We stopped for photos here and there and in true rain forest fashion, it rained a bit during the trip.

Upon return to the hotel we hit the pool, and Joe joined us after a marathon airplane/airport trip. We dined at Blue Sky Brewery and tried the sampler -- the Blue Sky Brewery was best, in our opinion. Couldn't get my taste buds wrapped around #5 -- warm English ale.