Australian Thoughts at the Weekend 28th & 29th November 2009.

Australian Thoughts at the Weekend 28th & 29th November 2009.

A FEW THINGS ABOUT CAIRNS

Last week, I wrote about my gephyrophobia. A few people asked what it meant. My dictionary, and that’s where I discovered the word, tells me it is fear of bridges. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gephyrophobia). It is something that I can identify I have but it is not a fear of all bridges. The bridges I fear are those ones that swing in the breeze or friends can make bounce as I walk on them.

I used to have a fear of walking on jetties or piers (which are bridges which lead nowhere). I remember as a young child I was afraid of the cracks between the large slabs of timber which formed the deck. Somehow as a five year old, I thought that if I could see the sea through the crack, then I was in danger of falling through.

I got a chance to test my gephyrophobia when we holidayed in Cairns earlier this year. Before I tell that story, I will tell you a bit about Cairns. I have visited Cairns about six times for holidays and for work. This time my wife and I took advantage of discount air fares to fly the 1800 kilometres (1,120 miles) and we stayed at inexpensive Salvation Army owned holiday units. A hire care helped us to get around.

Cairns is a tourist city in tropical far north Queensland and has tourist attractions to the north, south, east and west. Originally, Cairns was settles as a port for the shipment of tin and gold from the mines in the mountains to the west and the ships brought supplies as well as new settlers and would be miners to the area. Cairns was the fourth port to be settled following Cooktown, Port Duglas and Smithfield on the Barron River.

To the east of Cairns is the Great Barrier Reef which is a must visit for visitors to the Cairns region. The colours and shapes of the corals and the colours, sizes and numbers of fish can not be imagined and documentaries on television or at the movies cannot do them justice.

To the south are sugar cane fields, and sugar mills, banana plantations, Australia’s biggest tea plantations, Queensland highest mountain Mount Bartle Frere, and the wettest part of Australia. It was on a trip to the south, that I put my gephyrophobia to the test. We drove to Paronella Park which was established by an eccentric Spanish immigrant, Jose Paronella. The thing that dominates the park are the ruins of the castle that Jose built. (http://www.paronellapark.com.au/index.html - then click on discover the park). The castle is built beside a waterfall in a creek. Across the creek is a suspension bridge and my walk across this bridge tested my gephyrophobia. I can report it is almost cured. (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/2920899400_9c4a9b83cc.jpg?v=0)

To the north of Cairns is another tourist town, Port Douglas, and beyond that Mossman. The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas gives some sights of the tropical green-blue sea and some beautiful white beaches with coconut trees growing right next to the sand. On the right of the road is the beach and the sea and on the left is rain forest covered hills. After Mossman one gets the sense of driving into the unknown as the patches of rain forest get thicker and the farming properties along the road side look like intruders into the natural way things should be.

Eventually, we reached the village of Daintree where there is on offer boat rides on the river to see wild crocodiles. Just how wild they are, was demonstrated earlier this month when the dominant male crocodile in the area, Fat Albert attacked a tourist boat (http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,26316885-5014090,00.html ).
We did not take this opportunity but drove on and crossed the river in our car on a car ferry. Our destination was Cape tribulation where the rain forest truly meets the sea. It was certainly a beautiful drive.

To the west of Cairns is the Atherton Tableland and the rain forest village of Kuranda is a gateway to the tableland. Many tourists, like us this time, went no further but after visiting several markets and a small museum to view dinosaur bones and other geology exhibits, we had lunch and returned to Cairns.

We did not drive to Kuranda but travelled by train. The train travels fro Cairns and after leaving the city and the sugar canefields, begins a slow climb up the mountain. When I first did this trip almost 50 years ago, the train was pulled by a steam engine. However this time a diesel engine hauled the historic carriages. The carriages are old fashioned country train carriages with leather seats and viewing platforms at the end of the carriage.

As it winds up the mountain along ledges cut into the mountain side, through tunnels and over trestle bridges, it is very difficult to imagine the fact this train track was cut into the mountain by hand. The train stops at Barron Falls Station to allow the passengers to go to viewing platforms on the station to see the Barron Falls. There is now a dam above the falls which regulates the water flow but it is still spectacular. The most spectacular time is when the river is in flood and flowing over the dam wall before tumbling over the falls. http://www.ksr.com.au/the_history/cns_kur_Railway/default.asp

Our return trip from Kuranda to Cairns was by the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. The Skyrail tested my gephyrophobia and my acrophobia (fear of high places). I do not mind telling you I was very nervous at first and hung on tightly. However, the beauty of looking down on the rain forest, the mountains and the Baron River soon overcame my fears.

We got off the Skyrail at both of the two rainforest mid-stations, Red Peak and Barron Falls. These station are right in the rain forest and boardwalks allowed us to explore the amazing environment and scenic look-outs gave great photograph opportunities. The Skyrail lookout is on the opposite side of the river to the train so allows the Barron Falls to be viewed from a different perspective. It is amazing, too, to see the train line across the river valley. http://www.skyrail.com.au

I highly recommend Cairns for a holiday. It is very hot and very humid from November to February and that is also the monsoonal wet season. Torrential and flooding rain often falls most days during the wet and sometimes the rain arrives as destructive cyclones. However, the Australian winter (and really, autumn and spring, too) is an ideal time to visit and escape the cold of the south and enjoy the warm days and nights of the Australian tropics.


Psalm 22 (The Message)
A David Psalm

1-2 God, God...my God! Why did you dump me
miles from nowhere?
Doubled up with pain, I call to God
all the day long. No answer. Nothing.
I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.

3-5 And you! Are you indifferent, above it all,
leaning back on the cushions of Israel's praise?
We know you were there for our parents:
they cried for your help and you gave it;
they trusted and lived a good life.

6-8 And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm,
something to step on, to squash.
Everyone pokes fun at me;
they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
"Let's see how God handles this one;
since God likes him so much, let him help him!"

9-11 And to think you were midwife at my birth,
setting me at my mother's breasts!
When I left the womb you cradled me;
since the moment of birth you've been my God.
Then you moved far away
and trouble moved in next door.
I need a neighbor.

12-13 Herds of bulls come at me,
the raging bulls stampede,
Horns lowered, nostrils flaring,
like a herd of buffalo on the move.

14-15 I'm a bucket kicked over and spilled,
every joint in my body has been pulled apart.
My heart is a blob
of melted wax in my gut.
I'm dry as a bone,
my tongue black and swollen.
They have laid me out for burial
in the dirt.

16-18 Now packs of wild dogs come at me;
thugs gang up on me.
They pin me down hand and foot,
and lock me in a cage—a bag
Of bones in a cage, stared at
by every passerby.
They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,
and then throw dice for my clothes.

19-21 You, GOD—don't put off my rescue!
Hurry and help me!
Don't let them cut my throat;
don't let those mongrels devour me.
If you don't show up soon,
I'm done for—gored by the bulls,
meat for the lions.

22-24 Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.

25-26 Here in this great gathering for worship
I have discovered this praise-life.
And I'll do what I promised right here
in front of the God-worshipers.
Down-and-outers sit at GOD's table
and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God
is here, praising him.
"Live it up, from head to toe.
Don't ever quit!"

27-28 From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses,
are running back to GOD.
Long-lost families
are falling on their faces before him.
GOD has taken charge;
from now on he has the last word.

29 All the power-mongers are before him
—worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
—worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
—worshiping!

30-31 Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news—
that God does what he says.

[Listen: http://salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2972.mp3 ]

Stand up and bless the Lord,
Ye people of his choice;
Stand up and bless the Lord your God
With heart and soul and voice.

Chorus
Praise ye the Lord, hallelujah!

Though high above all praise,
Above all blessing high,
Who would not fear his holy name,
And laud and magnify?

O for the living flame
From his own altar brought,
To touch our lips, our minds inspire,
And wing to Heaven our thought!

God is our strength and song,
And his salvation ours;
Then be his love in Christ proclaimed
With all our ransomed powers.

Stand up and bless the Lord,
The Lord your God adore;
Stand up and bless his glorious name
Henceforth for evermore.
Author: James Montgomery (1771-1854)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 20

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