Five Tonkins In A Caravan: Trains, Gondalas, Bikes and Buggies: Helloooooo Cairns!

On our way to Cairns, we made an unscheduled stop at the Babinda Boulders and what a magical place it was that we stumbled upon! It's still so sticky and hot up this way and the cool, fresh waters of Babinda Creek were so inviting as we followed the other caravaners from the carpark to the river's edge. The rocky outcrops that poke their stoney heads out through the clear, pale green water are beautiful and diving into the water brings instant refreshment and a feeling of invigoration. Arley and Sage grabbed their body boards and they were set. The best bit was that unlike lots of river swimming holes, this one was so clear, the water a bit like glass, you could see to the bottom which was covered in soft river sand and not mud! A salad sambo at the pretty picnic area and we were set to jump back in the car for the final stretch of the day's drive.

Our time at the Big 4 at Airlie Beach a few weeks back convinced our children that life living in a caravan couldn't get much better - in short, they never wanted to leave. Well, a few nights at The Cairns Coconut Resort Caravan Park cemented the fact that van park permies really do have it made... The kids were in heaven and it all started with the personal tour of the caravan park on board the Nemo golf cart...

And then went from good to "unbelievably amazing" for the kids when they saw all the swimming pools and waterslides and mini-golf and indoor playground. And then there was the outdoor playground and bike track and outdoor movie screen and spas and blah blah, fun and more fun blah! The look on Arley's face as the office lady explained that tomorrow morning was free pancake brekkie morning and that Friday they had free snorkelling lessons in the pool was priceless. It was like he'd woken up on Christmas morning and Santa had bought him a personally wrapped fun factory!

But kids are funny and despite all of the amazing activities and facilities that this Big 4 beauty had on offer, the thing they loved the most? A family bathroom where they could have a bath!! After weeks and weeks of showing in thongs and mostly quickly, one after the other or altogether, the simple luxury of being able to sit and relax and play in the bath was what they had missed from home most. So complete with bubbles, these three soaked in tub and were happy as soapy peas in a pod.

Exploring Cairns and we found ourselves cooling off with the crowds of mostly backpackers at the Lagoon on the foreshore - it's the city's apology to its residents and visitors for them not being able to swim in the ocean on which the town is built. But with crocodiles and stingers hanging out in the natural beach bathing option, and it looking more like a big muddy bank than an inviting ocean, this pool was just fine and the kids loved that it even had real sand to play in on the sides.

And our other Cairns highlight was of course, the Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Railway. Luke and I have done this day out before and we did toy with the idea of skipping it on this trip, but despite it being a bit on the pricey side, the kids have raved about it since... and we're so glad we did it. All three of the kids were a bit nervy about jumping aboard the Skyrail but once flying up in the sky, looking back over Cairns and below to the thick rainforest, they forgot about the few bumps and dips and really enjoyed the ride.

The Skyrail trip is broken up with two stops along the way where at each you can get out and take a short bush walk and enjoy wandering through the rainforest that you've been floating over. There are also lookout spots where you can appreciate Barron Gorge and the Falls.

The final destination for the Skyrail is Kuranda, which is described as 'The Village in the Rainforest.' It's a funny little place, very touristy with a mix of food places and gift and souvenir shops - some interesting and intriguing, others are on the grotty side and look like they are in need of a serious revamp! But we had lunch in the park where there's a little playground for the kids to play and the kids loved watching some of the buskers at work and sampling the ice cream! Some of the Aboriginal artwork was outstanding also and well worth checking out in one of the many galleries.

But the standout for us all was the incredible train ride back down the mountain side on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Jumping on board this historic train, is like taking a step back in time. Everything from the beautifully restored carriages to the commentary gives passengers a peek into what train travel was like back in 1891 when the train first took people up and down the 37km of track which incorporates 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges.

The kids loved counting the tunnels and looking out the windows at the beautiful waterfalls and the sweeping green stretches of rainforest below.