Riding the Kuranda Vintage Railway and the Skyrail , Queensland, Australia

As far as I'm concerned any opportunity to ride on a vintage train is well worth taking. Being in Port Douglas gave me the perfect opportunity to ride on  the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a vintage train which travels from just north of Cairns to Kuranda, high up in the Queensland rain forest.

Waterfalls so close you could almost touch them

I love trains so was really looking forward to both the train ride and the chance to get up into the forest. Our small group tour of 12 consisted of 4 Spaniards, 2 Americans, 1 New Zealander (that's me!) and 5 Australians  guided by the charming Hilary, who provided an informative commentary on the hour's drive south to the train station, then it was "all aboard!" for our trip up into the mountains.

Gold Class carriage

Stoney Creek falls bridge

Construction of the Kuranda Railway began in 1887 as a way of taking supplies up to the gold miners working in the mountains. 1500 men worked on the railway, creating 15 tunnels and 37 bridges, all by hand. The track is 75km long, includes 93 curves and by any standards is a remarkable feat of engineering and a lasting testament to those workers. The journey through thick rain forest, over ravines and past dramatic waterfalls is incredibly scenic and an easy, comfortable way to get up close and personal with nature. All the carriages date back to the early 1900s and are full of lovely vintage details, such as pressed tin ceilings and dark polished timber and you can open the windows to enjoy the cool, fresh mountain air.
 I traveled in the gold class carriage, a little more expensive but worth it. Extras included comfortable club chairs, a glass of

Kuranda Station

wine to start the journey, yes, you guessed, I had bubbly, and a delicious morning tea.  What luxury, that's what I call traveling in style! There are countless photo opportunities along the way including a 10 minute stop at Barron Falls for passengers to disembark and take in the spectacular 265 metre high water fall.  Apparently in earlier times people crossed this gorge by flying fox....um...no thank you!

The train ends its journey at Kuranda's heritage listed (1915) and very pretty  Federation style railway station set in tropical gardens.

We had an hour and a half to wander around the village of Kuranda, a bit of a Hippyville packed as it is with markets selling the usual markety stuff.  But there are also  a number of attractions including a Butterfly Park, Koala Gardens and Birdworld so plenty to keep you happy if markets aren't your thing.  I chose to just wander around, exploring the markets, enjoying the mesmerising aboriginal art at the Doongal Gallery, housed in an extraordinary Noah's Arc-like building, listening to a didgeridoo player while pondering the mechanics of circular breathing, visiting the tranquil little church of St Saviour's and sipping on coffee amidst lush tropical plants. A very pleasant hour and a half.

A Kuranda Market, one of several

The Didgeridoo, this skilled player  could make all sorts of bird calls

Aboriginal art

Then our group rejoined to catch the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway back down to Cairns. This cableway is 7.5km long and takes about an hour and a half, one way, allowing for a couple of stops at scenic points along the way. I have to admit I felt a bit squeamish as we sailed high over a crocodile infested river but soon settled into the spectacular scenery and enjoyed the ride.  

Crocodile alert!

Enjoying the Skyrail

It is a fantastic way to see the pristine rain forest and to do a bit of tree spotting using the handy tree guide. We stopped for a short board walk through the bush at Red Peaks Station to get the feel of the rain forest and spot some of the prolific bird life.  The last part of the journey took in panoramic views out over the town of Smithfield and along the coastline and out to sea.  All in all amazing.

To round off a truly wonderful day we stopped off at Palm Cove on our way back to Port Douglas. This held special interest for me since my son and daughter in law had honeymooned there.  It is a very pretty little seaside resort which for some reason reminded me of the Carribean, I think maybe because of the ice cream colours on some of the buildings. There we enjoyed conversation and cocktails  at a seaside bar before heading back up the coast.

Carribean colours at Palm Cove

If you are going to North Queensland I highly recommend this day out. I also highly recommend Brett's Day Tours.  Our guide was thoroughly professional, giving good advice on things to do and places to see.  I particularly like small group tours and the fact that there was free time to do our own thing in Kuranda.

Note: these views are my own. I was not sponsored by Brett's.

#kurandavintagerailway  #kuranda #skyrailrainforestcableway #brettsdaytours #palmcove

Port Douglas, Australia - A winter escape

We seem to have had a particularly rainy winter this year and after a while that gets depressing.  So it was with a spring in my step and a smile on my face that I boarded the plane for Port Douglas in tropical North Queensland, Australia, in search of some warmth and sunshine. I was traveling solo for a week of relaxation and adventure with a plan to alternate my days doing adventurous things on some and blobbing out by the pool with a good book on others.  I have to say that my arrival at Cairns airport was the best and smoothest arrival I have ever had anywhere.  I was through customs and immigration and had my suitcase in hand in 5 minutes flat.  What a joy!  And a timely reminder of the misery of the two and a half hours it took to negotiate Houston airport earlier this year. What a contrast and such a great, stress free start to my holiday.

The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas (population around 3200) takes about an hour and follows a spectacular coastal road with waves crashing on golden beaches on one side and a mountain range cloaked in dense rain forest on the other. It is a stunning landscape.

Four Mile Beach Port Douglas - photo by Malcolmj

The road entering Port Douglas is lined with huge African oil palms, grown at his own nursery by the late Christopher Skase, the notorious Australian billionaire and fraudster who developed the Sheraton Mirage Resort in 1988.  Tourism to the Great Barrier Reef had started to turn the once sleepy fishing village, with a population of just 100 in 1960, into a holiday spot in the 1970s but it was really Skase who set Port Douglas on the map as a holiday resort and his avenue of palms was one way of ensuring an impressive welcome.  Nowadays the town's population doubles during winter when the temperature is generally around 28-29 degrees and the days are fine and sunny. Summer is the rainy season and can be way too hot with temperatures in the 40s.

 Four Mile Beach

The old sugar cane wharf on the Estuary, Port Douglas

One of the things I love doing most on holiday is walking so as soon as I had settled into my accommodation I was off. Port Douglas has one long main street which runs from one side of a small headland to the other, the glorious Four Mile Beach, on one side, and the estuary and marina on the other. This is Australia and crocodiles abound.  It is safe to swim in the life guard controlled part of Four Mile Beach but not in the estuary or Marina area, that is if you don't want to be crocodile dinner! Fortunately this is not stinger season.  Stingers are the lethal box jelly fish which fill the sea off Four Mile Beach in summer and make  swimming there a deadly exercise.

Right: Stinger warnings on Four Mile Beach with handy bottles of vinegar in case of stings, but, beware, a Stinger can kill you.

Don't be fooled, the popular out back themed Iron Bar is new

The main street, Macrossan Street, is lined with shops and restaurants and has a laid back, resorty vibe to it.  I had heard there was a market on Sundays so made my way to Anzac Park on the estuary side of town.  It was a typical market with stalls selling jewelry, souvenirs, hand crafts, fruit and vegetables, a pleasant place to browse. I couldn't go past the plump, golden, Queensland pineapples.

Next I was tempted by a sign to a lighthouse and took the short track up the hill, past the Courthouse Museum, (which unfortunately was never open during my stay) to have a look.  I am a bit of a sucker for light houses.  I find the idea of a light glowing a warning across the sea very romantic. I was expecting a tall slender,  white column but instead  found something very utilitarian. I was disappointed but nevertheless, if it is effective as a warning it doesn't matter what it looks like.

The Court House Museum

The Port Douglas light house

Needing a rest I stopped for a while at the picturesque and lovely little church of St Mary's by the Sea right at the water's edge in Anzac park.  Small, romantic, historic and beautifully restored, it is easy to see why it is so popular for weddings.

St Mary's by the Sea

Tired out from my 3am start I headed back to my hotel.  Night falls fast in the tropics so it was dark by 6.30pm and  I had about a 600 metre walk from the main street home, nevertheless I felt very safe.  There were plenty of people out strolling and my route was lined with resorts and hotels.

I fell into bed for a deep sleep pleased at my choice of Port Douglas and looking forward to some fun adventures ahead.

#portdouglas

A pretty lake and touch of Japan in Auckland

It is easy to neglect corners of your own city.  I guess because you know something is there and that it is readily accessible you don't feel the pressure to visit it.  It has been like that for me with the idyllic little lake in Western Springs Park, close to the city centre of Auckland.  I am ashamed to admit that the last time I went there was probably about 40 years ago, but, fear not, that has now been rectified.

As a lifelong Japanophile I had been itching to visit the newly opened Japanese Garden located within the park and was just waiting for a fine day to do it justice.  Thankfully the weather gods smiled on us over the last week and Sunday dawned, fine, still and gloriously sunny, a perfect day for a stroll by the lake.

What an eye opener!  I had forgotten how lovely the park is. Fed by fresh water springs the lake is a haven for wildlife so I strolled past ducks and swans gliding over a polished mirror reflecting weeping willows and rushes and native pukeko burrowing among the reeds. Happy families were picnicking, the adults chatting contentedly  as their boisterous children played in the large playground.  I thoroughly enjoyed my walk, the lake is so pretty and the bird life prolific, but uppermost was my goal of finding the Japanese Garden.

To give the garden its correct name it is the Fukuoka Friendship Garden and was gifted to the city by Fukuoka in 1986 when Auckland and Fukuoka became sister cities.  Originally located within Auckland Zoo it was demolished, amid huge controversy, to make way for more pet enclosures.  Thankfully the mayor of Auckland pledged its reconstruction within Western Springs Park, immediately adjoining the zoo.  The garden is 2 and a half times bigger than the original and incorporates all the traditional elements of a Japanese garden, including the relocated gate.  Japanese garden landscape experts flew in from Japan and worked with a   local bamboo craftsman, Mark Mortimer of Bambusero, in its creation. There is a tea pavilion, rocks, water, bamboo fencing, cherry trees, mass plantings of typical Japanese plants and a raked pebble garden.  It is small but exquisitely formed.  Still raw and new it will take a year or two to mature but it truly is a beautiful thing.  I was happily transported right back to Japan and know it won't be long before I'm back enjoying the atmosphere of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden right here in Auckland.

www.bambusero.co.nz   #bambusero

And here are some of my photos of the gardens:

12 Ways to survive winter

The last few weeks have been a bit chaotic at chez wandering widow.  I have had builders in renovating my bathroom and laundry and everything took longer and made more mess than I expected.  They have now departed and the end result is wonderful, I am delighted.  But the upheaval has meant no wandering for me so instead I thought it would be timely to republish this post from a year ago.  As it happens the last few days have been gloriously sunny but I am sure rain cannot be too far behind, hence my comments in the post about the rain.

Down here at the bottom of the world it is winter.  In New Zealand this means a lot of rain and, in the southern parts of the country, snow.  Every evening on TV we get breathless and hyperbolic reports about snow falls and flooding in various parts of the country.  Anyone would think this was a new thing but it is winter and it happens every year. We don't get particularly cold here in Auckland.  A cold day would be about 12 degrees although it is usually around 15 or 16.  That's not cold in relation to other parts of the world but we do get lots of rain.  Winter is when we get 'four seasons in one day' so we are never sure  what the weather will be like from one hour to the next - sunny, rainy, sunny, hot, cold, windy.  We learn to be prepared and always carry a brolly even if the sun is out. I have to say I am not a particular fan of winter but I think the best way of handling it is to enjoy the positives.

People don't notice whether it's summer or winter when they're happy

                                                                                          Anton Chekov

So here is my list of 12 ways to survive winter:

1.  Take time to read.  There is nothing more delightful than spending an afternoon curled up with a good book in front of a fire.

2. Make pots of soup, hearty casseroles, steamed puddings, and cheese rolls to eat in front of TV

(cheese rolls recipe at the end of this post)

 3.  Soak in a hot bath late in the afternoon and get into your pyjamas and dressing gown straight  after,  deliciously decadent and cosy.

4.  Stand at a window and watch the rain and/or hail.

5.  Wrap up warmly and go for a walk... exhilarating and you feel so virtuous.

A walk along a wild beach with the waves crashing in is exhilarating

 6. Marvel at nature's beauty in rainbows

7. Catch up on all those TV programmes you have recorded or watch whole box sets

8. Drink red wine, hot chocolate with marshmallows (good reason to go walking) and lemon, honey and ginger toddies

9. Enjoy the winter beauty of your garden, that is if your garden isn't buried under snow!

I enjoy the azaleas in my garden right through winter

10. Treat yourself to a trip to a hot spa. In New Zealand we are blessed with multiple hot thermal pools, a soak in one warms you right through to your bones.

11. Go to bed early and fall asleep to the soothing sound of rain on the roof

12. Make a point of calling in on friends for a catch up.  A cup of coffee or tea and good conversation makes any day seem sunnier.

 Japanese Proverb: One kind word can warm three winter months

And if none of that works and you are still suffering from Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD)  do what I am doing in a couple of weeks time, head off to a warm tropical clime for a break and some healing sunshine. Then just remember the wise words of a great poet:

O wind, if winter comes, Can spring be far behind?

                                                Percy Bysshe Shelley

And here is the promised recipe for Cheese Rolls, famous in the South Island of New Zealand:

Cheese rolls = comfort food

SOUTHLAND CHEESE ROLLS

Ingredients:

250grams grated tasty cheese

1 onion finely chopped

200 mls evaporated milk

1/2 a packet of onion soup powder

1/2 a loaf of sandwich bread

Method:

Put everything except the bread into a saucepan and melt gently, stirring frequently, over a low heat.  Once thoroughly melted remove from the heat and allow to cool down a bit before spreading generously onto slices of bread.  Roll the bread up and grill the rolls in the oven, turning frequently until all nicely browned.  I make up a batch of these and freeze them before grilling so I  have a ready supply of comforting snacks on hand to just pop under the grill when needed.

Was this really 50 years ago?

Today it is 50 years  since New Zealand changed from pounds, shillings and pence to a decimal currency system and it has set me on a nostalgic journey of memories.  As a just-out-of-school teller the change over had meant weeks of training at the bank where I worked, angst, excitement and anticipation. As it turned out the change over went without a hitch and life soon settled down into a comfortable, albeit less complicated, routine again. Although I did hear a story of a prisoner in jail concerned that the money he had buried would be worthless when he got out!

One pound became $2. $2 is now a coin.

Young people today might spare a thought for the 5 and 6 year olds of earlier generations, starting school and having to grapple with the complicated three column adding system which was as follows: pennies in the right column, shillings in the middle column and pounds in the left column.  To make matters worse 2 halfpennies made a penny, 12 pennies made a shilling, 20 shillings made a pound, 21 shillings made a guinea  There was no logic to it at all.  But it was not only currency that made learning maths difficult, New Zealand's whole system was in imperial measurements: distances, weight, land area, oven temperatures etc. etc.  So a primary school child had to struggle with 12 inches make one foot, 3 feet make one yard, 1760 yards make a mile and that's not counting furlongs, roods, acres etc., it was enough to put you off maths for life!  Those lessons must have really sunk in, though, because even today I still think of a person's height in feet and inches and, curiously, babies birth weights are still often reported in pounds and ounces. Even Britain, which has steadfastly clung to the names Pound and Pennies, has changed to a decimal system for their currency at least.

At the time of my banking career all interest payments were calculated on a daily basis by staff, (nothing so fancy as a computer or even a calculator, then)  and entered by pen in a column running down the side of a customers account ledger card.  I worked at this for a while and I must say it certainly brushed up my mental arithmetic. The bank employed elderly, retired men to double check the interest workings just to make sure they were correct.  These old men were great to work with and were affectionately known in the bank as "retreads" I remember one who wore slippers to work so, in order not to be seen by the public, had to take unbelievably long circuitous routes around the bank to get from A to B.

My first weekly pay was 7 pounds 10 shillings = to $15. It was a very reasonable pay rate at the time. I paid 3 pounds to my mother for board, and still had enough for bus fares, lunches, clothes and the odd trip to the movies etc.  We weren't really a consumer society then and most of my clothes I made myself but I still felt I was doing OK.  By the time I became engaged, a couple of years later, and after a couple of modest pay rises, I had managed to save $1000.

When I look at photos of those days in 1967 I can hardly believe that that was my youth, it looks so old fashioned!  Interestingly I worked for the bank for 6 years and do not have a single photo of myself in the work place, or even of my workplace, no one ever thought of taking photos at work, and besides, photography was expensive so kept for holidays and special occasions.

So here we are 50 years later and so much has changed, computers do a major part of banking work, actually the bank I worked for was the first in New Zealand to get computers and I was among the first to use them, and small coins became worthless so that now New Zealand's smallest coin is 10 cents, the equivalent of a shilling. Also, interestingly, while I worked at the bank staff were invited to sit a computer programming aptitude test.  I gained a high score, higher than some of the men who were selected for training in that area, but I was not selected because I was a woman "and would probably leave to have children".  I still, all these years later, feel some resentment over that. And I can't help being stunned sometimes  when young shop assistants have to use a calculator to add two very simple amounts leaving me to wonder what on earth they get taught at school these days.  Not like the good (not so good) old days, eh?

P.S. Another sign of the times is that the beautiful, heritage bank building I first worked in now houses a McDonalds.

Lemons are like Sunshine

It's the depths of winter here which means rain, wind and, if we're lucky, a few days of sunshine.  The past week ran true to form, several days sunny with a wet and miserable weekend.  Inside weather indeed but a great opportunity to make the preserves I had planned.

Little orbs of sunshine

I love lemons and anything flavoured with lemon. I also take delight in my lemon tree, its bright golden orbs of fruit bringing a bit of sunshine into my garden on a dull or rainy day. This year my  tree has gifted me a beautiful crop of fat juicy lemons so a rainy weekend was the perfect time to get in the kitchen, pump up the music and set to work.  


Out came the Edmond's Cookbook for a recipe for Lemon Honey.  For New Zealanders the Edmond's Cookbook is like a bible. First produced in 1908 as a marketing tool for Edmond's Baking Powder it is still the most popular cook book in the country. The recipes are simple, wholesome, and good for families. To date it has sold 3 million copies and I doubt there would be many households that don't have a copy stashed in amongst their fancy, expensive recipe books. I have had my copy since I was first married and it is dirty, tattered, splashed and worn but I still love it.  I have bought later editions but they have left out key recipes so I always head back to this one.   I hasten to add I can't claim all responsibility for its condition,  my three sons all used it to whip up breakfast, snacks and biscuits.  Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

First off, Lemon Honey and this is the recipe from the Edmonds Cookbook.  Tried and true, reliable and yummy.

LEMON HONEY 

500 grams sugar

125 grams butter

4 eggs

Rind and juice of 4 lemons

Grate only the yellow parts of the lemons, the white part of the rind is bitter.

Strain the lemon juice to remove pips

Beat the eggs a little

Put all ingredients into the top part of a double boiler or in a basin over simmering water. 

 Cook slowly until thick and smooth

Put into hot sterilised jars and cover when cold.

NB: you can sterlise jars by heating in an oven at 120 degrees for half an hour.  I put the jars in the oven at the same time as I start heating it.  Lids can be sterilised in boiling water.

Lemon honey can be used in tarts, on toast or scones, drizzled over ice cream, in an Eton Mess, on crumpets, or as a filling for meringues.  It is so good.

PRESERVED LEMONS

I love these.  They are an essential ingredient in Moroccan cooking and when mixed in with any cooked vegetable or salad make something mundane really sing.  Most people eat only the skin, not the flesh.

Clean scrubbed lemons
Coarse Salt
Any spices you would like to add.  I usually add a cinnamon stick some pepper corns and a bay leaf.
A sterilised jar with a good seal.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt in the bottom of the jar.
Cut the lemons lengthwise into quarters being careful not to cut right to the bottom so that the lemon is still held together
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt into the centre of each lemon
Squeeze and squash each lemon into the jar
Top the jar with lemon juice to ensure the lemons are completely covered by juice
Sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of salt over the top
Seal the jar.

Leave in a cool place for a few days, tipping it upside down and shaking a little each day.  Then store in the fridge but remember to give it a shake every few days.  They should be ready to use in 3 weeks and will last up to 10 months.

It was a satisfying afternoon in the kitchen

Aromatic Basil in some recipes you will use again and again.

My basil, nearing the end of the season

I love Basil.  I think it is probably my favourite herb.  I love the way it fills the air with its fragrance when I brush past it and how just a few leaves can convert a simple tomato sandwich into something  gourmet. This year I have had my best crop ever so now that the cooler weather is here I have been making the most of it to take me through to next summer.  I have made pesto and basil infused oil and also used it in casseroles, simmer sauces and in a dressing for roast chicken.  It's been fun.

Most people think of basil as a Mediterranean herb, because it is used extensively there but it is also a frequent addition to Chinese cuisine where it is added to a a thick soup and  is an ingredient in Vietnamese Pho. In Indonesia lemon basil is mixed with fresh or raw vegetables and a basil known as holy basil is grown and used in a wide range of dishes in India and Nepal. Asian basils tend to have a stronger, more pungent  flavour than Mediterranean basils which makes them more suited to asian dishes.

 My basil is the Mediterranean variety.  It grows easily in New Zealand as long as it has at least four hours of sun a day and does not get waterlogged.  It does require regular watering through the summer, though, so does best in a raised bed where excess water can flow away.

Pine nuts are a traditional ingredient in pesto but they are very expensive in New Zealand so this year I have made a walnut pesto.  It tastes great and will probably be my 'go to' recipe for pesto from now on.

BASIL PESTO

Basil pesto, just the thing with crackers and cheese

2 packed cups of basil leaves
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 cloves of chopped or crushed garlic
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Squeeze of lemon (optional)
1 tablespoon of chopped sundried tomatoes (optional)

Mix the basil and walnuts in a blender until smooth then add the other ingredients and mix well.
This will keep in the fridge for about a week but can be frozen in an ice block tray for later use.  Cover the top of the pesto with oil if freezing.

BASIL INFUSED OIL

2 packed cups of basil leaves

Basil oil ready for the freezer

1 cup of olive oil (extra virgin is best)

To maintain a good green colour blanch the basil in boiling water for 45 seconds. Then quickly refresh in iced water and squeeze dry.  This step will help preserve the basil but is optional.
Pat the basil dry on paper towels and then puree with the oil until fine and smooth.
Strain through a fine mesh and bottle.  I don't bother straining it because I like the flecks of basil through the oil.
This will keep about a week in the fridge but can be frozen in blocks in an ice tray for later use.

CAPRESE SALAD

It is best with a soft mozzarella, like buffalo

So easy to put together - so yummy!

Fresh sun ripened tomatoes

Soft and succulent mozarella

Capers

Salt

Basil oil

Lightly fry the capers until they just pop.

Slice the tomatoes and the mozarella and lay in a dish, alternating slices

Sprinkle with the fried capers and drizzle with basil oil

Add fresh ground black pepper and a sprinkling of coarse ground rock salt.

BASIL GINGER COOLER

Here is a really quick and easy cocktail for non alcoholic drinkers or for anyone to enjoy on a lazy summer's day.

Refreshing in summer

Ginger ale

Lemon juice

Lime juice

Basil

Ice

Put some crushed ice in a tumbler and top with 6 parts ginger ale, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part lime juice and a sprig of basil.  Muddle well making sure to bruise the basil. Decorate the glass with a strawberry and a slice of lime.  Enjoy!

So there you are.  If you have a good crop of basil make the most of it.  Pestos and infused oils are expensive to buy but you can whip up your own in a few minutes for a fraction of the cost....and it is so satisfying!