Waking up at 3:00 a.m. for a balloon ride. The difference in temperature between the inside and outside of a hot air balloon creates buoyancy, so getting up early is a must for a ballooning experience. For the “Cairns Classic Hot Air Ballooning with Round Trip Transfer” (440AUD) by “hot air BALLOON CAIRNS,” we woke up at 3:00 a.m. because a wagon would pick us up at 4:00 a.m. at our hotel. After the pickup, you will watch a video (in Japanese) about precautions and arrive at Mariva in no time. With the morning sunrise, we could see three balloons being prepared. Incidentally, Maribah has a high percentage of sunny days, about 330 days out of the year. The surrounding mountains keep the wind and clouds at bay, and the atmosphere is stable, which is why it is also called “Maribah, the town of balloons. Each group climbs into a hot air balloon that is ready to go. The balloons slowly ascend into the sky. After watching the sunrise, we will head toward the orchards and start looking for wildlife such as kangaroos. The staff will also explain about the agricultural products in the Maribah area. The landing area is different each time depending on the weather and wind direction. We arrived safely on the ground with a thrill in our hearts. But the fun doesn’t end here. Cleanup is also a fun activity. After all the work is done, breakfast time begins. Not only riding, but also cleaning up, eating, and enjoying the rest of the day’s activities. Champagne, juice, and a bite of Maribas fruit, all with a smile. It was a morning full of life that cannot be experienced in Japan. At this point, it is only 8:00 a.m. and the day has just begun. You can go straight back to your hotel, but we recommend staying in Mariva or joining a tour with options.
A walk around Mariba, a famous coffee-producing area. Coffee Works” is the perfect place to take a break and relax. As seen from the sky earlier, Mariba is a peaceful highland area with a thriving agricultural industry. Fruit farms including mango and lychee farms, sugar cane fields, and coffee factories are all here. Coffee Works” is a popular resting place in this area. It is a combination of a boutique roastery and a chocolate store, and was started in 1988 in a corner of Rusty’s Markets. While ordering coffee, what caught my attention here was the tea. Not only coffee, but also local tea is quite tasty. I chose “Hills of Clouds-Full Rounded Body” (6AUD) from the “locally grown highland teas” section of the menu.
Long eyelashes, luscious eyes, and chubby hands are captivating! Maribah rock wallabies are too cute! After a coffee and tea break, it was still before 10:00 p.m., so we decided to head to Granite Gorge Nature Park, where we could interact with wild maribah rock wallabies. So we decided to head to Granite Gorge Nature Park, where we could meet wild mariba rock wallabies. This is a popular place to encounter rare and unique maribas, and there is also a camp site attached to the park. The real explosion of cute rock wallabies had everyone in stitches. Early in the morning, it was relatively cool and they were very active. When they get along with a girl who has the right personality, they let us pet them, and we couldn’t help but be amazed at how accustomed they are to us, as if they were wild (but sometimes they suddenly run away). By the way, it was still mid-morning at this point. So we decided to go to Kuranda in the afternoon. It takes about 30 minutes by car from Mariva, so we were thankful that we could visit two areas in one day!
Experience the rainforest by amphibious vehicle, and enjoy conversation with the plants as they quietly tick by. The next stop was Rainforestation Nature Park (Big Nature Package: 59AUD for adults, 37ADU for children), located within the World Heritage Site. Opened in 1976, this theme park offers three activities at once: Army Ducks, Pamagiri Cultural Experience, and Wildlife Park. At the Wildlife Park, you can enjoy a relaxing time with animals in a tranquil environment. The park is home to koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, and Tasmanians, all of which are representative of Australia. You can also meet the keta, a phantom bird. Incidentally, the koala’s kicking power and toenails are so powerful that its belly can be ripped open when it is kicked. If you suddenly encounter one in the rainforest, do not approach it, but just watch it gently. Next, we will take the “Army Duck Rainforest Tour,” a rainforest expedition in a 1942-1943 U.S. military vehicle! The Duck Captain will explain about the rainforest with a great deal of knowledge. Of course, we will go for a splash in the water! And here we found the lucky butterfly, Eurystomus! By the way, it is said that you will be happy if you see it once a day, normal if you see it twice a day, and rich if you see it three times a day. We also took the “Pamagiri Aboriginal Culture Experience” as a cultural experience. This activity is conducted to respect, pass on, and share the culture, and is guided by a local Pamagiri guide. It consists of two parts: an explanation of how to play the didgeridoo, a hunting experience using spears and boomerangs, and a dance show. As a new experiment, the park has also started a distillery, MOUNTAN GROVES TROPICAL SPIRITS, which produces liqueurs using locally grown fruits. They have a range of distinctive flavors such as mango & chili, pineapple & cinnamon, and passion fruit & pepperberry. You must want to try one of these, right? After a long day at the park, you will be hungry. I headed to OUTBACK RESTAURANT, where a freshly prepared menu awaited me. The menu consists mainly of meat dishes, and there is also a salad bar. The restaurant features “Native Lime Dukkah,” “Davidson Plum Chutney,” and other bush tucker (an ingredient used in traditional Aboriginal people’s cooking). Koala cuddling is also available at the park, but from November 13, it will be possible to take pictures at Cairns Koalas & Creatures in the Shangri-La Hotel’s Pier Shopping Center in Cairns City. This time, we had a session with Lulu, whose fluffy ears are her charm point. I was healed by her sturdiness.
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