Cairns - day 6

Rafting at Barron River
(photo form www.raft.com.au)

night market

night market
(photo from www.nightmarkets.com.au)

Cairns - day 6
( 3 August 2006 Thu ) Sunny and hot 26C

Cairns - Rafting at Barron River & night market

In the afternoon at around 2:00 pm, the rafting tour picked us to the Barron River- Rapids to Grade 3 . Six of my family joined the rafting ride, we were very exicted. Because it is the first time we try this ride.

All rafting equipments were provided by the company. Our team total 12 people and seperate into 2 small group and just fit 2 rafts. There were a lot of people beside the river and all of them waiting for the excited ride through the Barron River.

firstly, an Internationally-experience river guide taught us the command from him.

PADDLE - forward,
BACK PADDLE - backward,
HOLD - hold your paddle and do not let it drop into the water,
SIT - knne down upon the raft, but do not sit on the raft

It is o.k. at the very begining. Rapids with fairly high waves (1-2 m); broken water, stoppers and strong eddies; exposed rocks; small falls. We can handle and well done.
在剌激的河道中沖浪, 緊張刺激兼而有之!!! 總之 兩字, 好玩, 好玩...

In the middle part, our river guide required to recognise from on the river and inspection from the bank. Then the maneuvering to negotiate the rapids is required. I can really feel the heart thumping ride spears through The Barron Gorge National Park and the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics during this ride.

After 2 hours riding, the last round we were in a strong rapids fall and passed it safety. Our river guide asked us to ride the back paddle to this fall again. Asked two of us sat in front of the ralf and hold. then we all paddle to the repids again.
在激流中逆水行舟, 好玩, 好玩, 好剌激呀! 好剌激呀!

After the exicted trial, I can not see my son on the raft. Where is he??

" He fallsl into the water!!"  someone cried out !!  Fortunately, he held the rope very tight along the raft but cannot get on the raft by himself. The water ran very fast. 真的險象環生!

Our river guide took and help him back to raft immediately. 總算有驚無險! 但是亞媽就 嚇咗一跳 +
嚇餐死啦!

因水流很急, 又有很多大石在水中, 總之好驚啦....他上回來後, 大伙兒才放下心來. 他跟我們說 : " 那潭很深, 水流很急, 抓著繩子, 卻沒有力氣登上來!! 因為巳划到手軟乏力!! "

We were very very tired after the long ride and the shocked experience. In the calmer sections,
" You get to enjoy the ethereal beauty of the worlds oldest rainforest and waterfalls from a unique waterline perspective. 700 meter more, team....paddle, paddle..... " our river guide said. " We have no engery to ride the raft anymore. . Our arms cannot hold or move at the moment.

" 大家出力划啦...老友記! 不是不想划, 只是雙手發軟, 力不從心! 好倦呀... 好倦呀... "

Our reply to the river guide. It really take lots of engery.

We were return transfers to our accommodation at about 5:30pm. What a exicting day!!

At night, we went out dinning and seightseeing at the night market.

Tomorrow, we are going to Kuranda - Scenic Railway, Skyrail , the Rainforestrion Nature Park and the Rustysmarkets at night.


Cairns - CBH


後記: 從前打死都不會玩激流這些玩意, 每次都會用忌和怕水來逃避，但經過一些事情後, 什麼事都變得可以....