World Class Trains: The Great South Pacific Express

Brisbane, Australia's third largest city and the capital of Queensland since 1859. The city lies on both sides of the Brisbane River and it is here, along the riverbanks, that the city has developed over recent years into a more cosmopolitan and relaxed metropolis. There is no better way than taking one of the many river buses to see the waterfront sights of Brisbane. This is Breakfast Creek Wharf, famous for its seafood restaurants. Taking a leisurely cruise along the river, one can see that the hustle and bustle of city life is almost deceptively disguised by a sedate and palm-fringe lifestyle. At times, passing by the many luxury yachts and waterfront apartments, it feels as though you could be in the south of France. As the river bends, the skyscrapers of the city centre loom up into the skyline and the ambience changes. This could be the Mississippi or the River Seine in Paris. This is the South Bank, Brisbane's cultural centre, buzzing with markets and restaurants, galleries and exhibition halls. Yet even here, you are aware that Brisbane is blessed by nature. Its year-round warm climate allows for the residents of Brisbane and visitors to enjoy a semi-permanent summer. The South Bank even has its own rainforest, typical of the many rainforests along Queensland's coastline. The city itself has a colonial feel about it. The locals call their city big, bold and beautiful, and even in the centre itself, it's easy to see why the relaxed lifestyle of Brisbane has become popular amongst tourists, in contrast to the more hectic cities of South East Australia. Of course, one of Brisbane's main attractions has to be the sun-soaked coastline. Brisbane lies at the hub of an endless string of holiday resorts and white sandy beaches. To the south is the Gold Coast, famous for its Surfers Paradise Resort, amongst many others, and to the north is the Sunshine Coast, a little more sedate and refined. In recent years, the area has been developed into a thriving tourist industry, but not overly so. The Gold Coast is one of Australia's best-known holiday regions, and along with its numerous luxury hotels and resorts, offers every conceivable facility for leisure activities, entertainment, sport and shopping. Brisbane, however, now has a new attraction for the more discerning travellers. It is home to one of the world's most luxurious trains, and the first of its kind in Australia, the Great South Pacific Express. Eastern Australia is a world of lively cosmopolitan cities, tropical rainforests, untamed nature, white sun-soaked beaches and the spectacular Great Barrier Reef. The train, sister train to the world-famous Venice-Simplon Orient Express, makes all the diversities of Australia's eastern seaboard accessible, offering a fresh experience for the questing traveller. And what's more, being one of the elite few world-class trains, it offers that traveller the chance to experience the adventure in sublime luxury. The train is in the workshop in the town of Ipswich, just outside of Brisbane. Last-minute preparations are underway for its scheduled journey from Brisbane to Cairns. Staff from Queensland Railway are on board making final checks. The Great South Pacific Express is a joint-run operation between the Venice-Simplon Orient Express Company and Queensland Railways. The long train of gleaming carriages will be pulled by two powerful diesel locomotives. Pulling away from the workshop, the train sets off for the half-hour run to Roma Street Station in Brisbane, its scheduled point of departure. The Queensland Railways engineers, who were responsible for building the train, will be monitoring the track throughout the journey, pinpointing any bumps or faults on the line in order to repair them later. There are four cameras mounted underneath the train, which give the engineer a clear view of the track and the wheels, and the train's exact position at all times. Meanwhile, the crew are still busy with last-minute preparations. This is one of the train's two bars, which is being stocked. Once the crew have completed their jobs, they will change into their uniforms in time to greet the passengers on their arrival at Brisbane. Everything on this train is checked and perfectly laid out, down to the very finest detail. Each cabin has its own individual bathroom, with all the amenities one would expect in any five-star establishment. This is one of the two commissioner's suites, offering those passengers who wish to pay a There are only two of these superb cabins in one sleeping carriage, each with its own double bed and lounge area. The interior details a period reminiscent of the early days of railway heritage. Grand and sumptuous Edwardian-style furnishings, accentuated by the solid red cedarwood walls and delicate stained-glass clerestory roofs. Looking around this splendid cabin, it is hard to believe that this is in fact a new train, and not a lavishly restored vintage example. Meanwhile, at Roma Street station in Brisbane, the train's head chef and his staff are busy preparing for the journey. Although most of the food is cooked fresh in the train's own kitchens, they use this kitchen, which belongs to the Queensland Railway, to plan and prepare some of the dishes which will be served during the two nights on board. The food that is pre-cooked is sealed and vacuum packed before being taken on board. This is the Hotel Grand Chancellor. Situated on the crest of Spring Hill, the highest point in the city, this is one of Brisbane's many fine hotels. There are 180 well-appointed rooms in this superior hotel, including 18 of these spacious suites. This is an informal hotel, comfortable and friendly, giving you a feeling of being in a home away from home, and yet with all the amenities and facilities of any quality international hotel. From both of the suite's two balconies, one gets a magnificent view over the city of Brisbane. The surviving 19th century buildings lay in sharp contrast to the high-rise buildings of reinforced concrete and reflective glass, which tower above the commercial district of the city centre. The Hotel Grand Chancellor also overlooks Roma Street station, the departure point for the Great South Pacific Express. It's almost time for the train to arrive in from Ipswich. Gliding up to the station platform, the gleaming coaches in their red and cream livery, with glistening brasswork, sparkle in the midday sun. This is truly a train that exudes all the promise of becoming an aristocrat amongst trains. Hearing the train arriving, the chef and his crew wheel out the scores of chilled containers of food for the forthcoming journey. There's about an hour to go before the passengers are due to arrive. Time to make sure that even the minutest detail has not been overlooked, and that the train is ready to welcome its new complement of passengers. Fresh flowers are brought in, adding a final touch to the already exquisite interior. Great care and attention is given to ensuring that everything looks just right. The train can cater for up to 90 passengers. That many people over two days and nights can consume a lot of food, but even considering feeding the crew as well, there does appear to be enough food to satisfy the appetite of three times that number. Another member of staff makes last minute adjustments to the train's public address system. This is the first ever train to cover the 3,000 kilometre length of Queensland's eastern seaboard. Australia now has its very own Orient Express. I've been with the company for the last six months, based up here in Brisbane. We're obviously putting it all together. I think that we've probably still got another two or three months before we'll have everything we want, but we believe what we've created here is definitely something that's Australian. We've gone out of our way to get a chef that will create what we're calling a fusion of Asia and Australian food, and I think you'll see that on board that it really is a lovely mixture. The staff that we're employing here are very different to those from Europe and those that are in Asia. Australians seem to have this very much outgoing charisma about them, and we hope that they will interact in a formal way, but in a nice friendly way with the passengers on board. The route of the Great South Pacific Express takes in some of Australia's finest sights. To start with the country you're running through, you're going to see everything from temperate through to subtropical, then into the proper tropics as you head north. So the landscape changes dramatically from when you wake up the first morning when you're heading north into Proserpine, you're in a lot of fairly open cane country with the mountains in the distance. What we've done as well by putting in the reef journey is giving everyone that's on board a chance to fly out over the reef, and that is pretty spectacular. You're certainly not going to see that in any other part of the world. And then you jump to the next area, which is the following morning after Cairns, and you're doing the trip up the mountain up to Coranda, you're some of the most spectacular country, and it's a very steep, very slow trip up the mountain, but scenically beautiful. Just how do the Australians feel about this new train, and how has it been received? We would see it as being the new icon for Australian tourism. It's an opportunity to bring the top end of the market into Australia and take them on a journey through the country in this sort of comfort, and I don't think Australia's seen that before. So just what is the unique experience that the Great South Pacific Express offers the traveller? A diversified experience. I think from the interaction with the staff, from seeing the reef, from the type of cuisine, to the entertainment, it's very much Australian flavour. Check-in for the train currently takes place at the Heritage Hotel on Brisbane's waterfront. The passengers' luggage has arrived at Roma Street station prior to their arrival, and is now being loaded by the crew onto the train and placed in the passengers' respective cabins. It's almost time to depart, and 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time, the passengers arrive. They are greeted by the train staff on the platform. The train's manager welcomes them and directs them to the correct carriage number. Once on board the train, the passengers have a few moments to settle into the opulent surroundings of their cabin. Good morning, welcome aboard Great South Pacific Express. I'm Peter Yeo, cabin steward. I'll be looking after you on your tour up to Karanda. If you've got a few moments, I wouldn't mind just explaining a few of the features of our cabin and the train. First of all, the light switches right beside the door there for your entry, and then during the night, either side of the bed, there's also light switches. If during the trip you need me for anything, 24 hours a day, there's also right beside the bed a cabinet tenant's call bell, and also one in the bathroom in case you have an emergency. During your trip, if at all you need any more water, I supply water beside the bed every night. I'll keep that topped up for you. Behind you there, we have an in-room safe, which is at your disposal. It has instructions on the complimentary minibar on your right there, and that is available to you at any time. We'll restock that as we go. Now inside the bathroom there, you have full amenities available to you, which also will be restocked. So while you're traveling through the train, if you need to go to the observation car where we have our daytime drinks as such, it has an outside deck area. If you'd like to go two carriages down that way, you'll arrive at that one. Going down this way, three carriages, you'll come across the lounge carriage and the two dining cars where you'll be seated for dinner. The matron, you'll be coming along this afternoon, and he'll take your seating times. There's either an early seating or a late seating, depending on what you prefer. Okay, so like I said, if there's anything you need during the journey, just press the call bell, and I'm here to look after you, and I hope the journey goes very well with The train also has two other classes of berths, state compartments and poolman compartments. These have single beds or pull-down bunks and sleep two people to a cabin. All are up to the same exacting standard as the commissioner's suites. The only difference is in space. It's time to depart. Some of the passengers have gone to the rear observation car to witness the departure from the open deck. The anticipation of waiting to leave is always one of the memorable moments when traveling on these great railway journeys. And this magnificent train has all of the hallmarks of being one of the world's greatest. An adventure is about to unfurl along two parallel rails of steel. An adventure which will take us back to the days when traveling itself was the rather than the final destination. This promises to be one of the world's few remaining journeys where the passenger becomes a real traveler, experiencing and rediscovering firsthand one of the most noble forms of transport ever invented. A trip back to a time when countries were discovered for the first time by the world's great pioneers and novelists. A journey by luxury train in a living recreation of the golden age of rail through a country steeped in spectacular scenery and untamed nature. As the great South Pacific Express snakes its way out of Rose Street Station, we leave behind the city of Brisbane. Our next stop will be the town of Prosopine on the following morning. The first thing you notice as the train starts to move is just how smoothly it runs on the tracks. The wheels sound as though they're made of rubber. Gliding gently and sedately along the rails, it's almost as though you are coasting on a conveyor belt. Which for this part of the journey was quite fortunate, for nobody wanted to spill a Ron Telfer has been involved in the project from the day they started construction. We have six luxury sleepers, they're four bedrooms each. There'll be six deluxe sleepers which are four bedrooms each. There's one commissioner's car which has two bedrooms, that's the ultimate. And then our public cars consist of a lounge car, two dining cars and the observation car. We have a power car which naturally gives you your comforts and we have a galley car. We took a chassis that had been used before and we built a steel frame brand new and then we've clad it in Australian timbers. The exterior is as though it looks like it is timber, it's aluminium, mainly for wear and tear but you still get the same effect as the old style wooden. The interior we've tried to combine the 20th century with the ambience of the early 1900s. The designer was a woman called Denise Corcoran from South Australia. The furniture was custom made for the train to Denise's specifications. All the timber work was cut to the specifications. Everything's hand fitted, there's nothing sort of brought in from the outside, it's all hand fitted by the craftsmen in council. You've got the luxury of the early 1900s and what we've done is we've added electric light, air conditioning, your comforts that you require in this modern day and age and you get that feeling that you've stepped back in time. Ron's favourite carriage is the observation deck and daytime bar car with its pale turquoise woodwork and cane furnishings. This is art deco at its very finest and one could well imagine the likes of Somerset Maugham sitting here drinking a cool glass of gin and tonic watching the passing countryside unfurl along the way. The pale woodwork panels and mouldings were intricately moulded and hand carved by Queensland Railway's craftsmen in Townsville. The ceiling, although at first sight appears to be made from wood and plaster, is in fact made from pressed aluminium and the decorative work is airbrushed. Each of the carriage roofs are fitted with handmade stained glass skylights which transform the bright sunlight into a kaleidoscope of colour. Moving further along the train through the surprisingly wide deep red cedar wood corridors with their ornate brass fittings we come to the train's boutique. Here you can buy a whole range of souvenir items all embossed with the great South Pacific Express logo. The service on this train as with the European Orient Express and the Eastern and Oriental Express is friendly, courteous and discreet. Nothing seems too much trouble for any of the train's crew. Most of them have been chosen because of their background in hotel trade and most of them were carefully chosen not just for their standard of experience and ability but also for the hospitable and amiable personalities. Further along the train is the bar car complete with its own baby grand piano. Once again the style is traditional 1930s with the deep red wood accentuated by the rich blue upholstery. This is the very heart of the train, the place where during the evening you get a mix of seasoned travellers, drinks dispensed by a friendly barman and romantic melodies played by an inexhaustible pianist. There are two restaurant cars on the train each with similar though not identical decor. Dinner is served from 7.30 in the evening and is served in two sittings. Because this is a train and therefore has limited space those passengers which are travelling alone are seated with other passengers. This only adds to the overall train experience, a chance to enjoy good conversation and meet fellow travellers. Many an evening has been spent by learned train travellers enjoying opulent surroundings, good service, excellent cuisine amidst crisp white linen and shimmering crystal, sharing anecdotes of previous adventures over a glass of vintage wine. And for those who are travelling on this calibre of train for the first time, evenings such as those are something to look forward to and remember forever. Our journey has taken us along the Sunshine Coast through towns with unfamiliar sounding names such as Nooserheads, Gympie and Bundaberg and we are now heading north towards the coastal town of Gladstone. It's now late afternoon and we've been travelling for four hours or more. The sun is beginning to set on the horizon, the bright blue skies of the afternoon give way to the pinks and oranges of the early evening. The perfect place to enjoy this spectacle is out on the rear observation deck. There is nothing quite like watching the skies change colour as you roll through the ever-changing landscape. Another memorable moment in the train experience. The low rays of the early evening sun pour through the windows of the train. The rich and deep red woodwork is magically transformed into a bright and radiant shade of amber. The highly polished brasswork glistens in the shimmering sunlight. There is something about travelling by a luxury train which is unique. It's not only the comfortable surroundings or the service, they can be experienced in any fine hotel. But combine that with the rhythmic sway of the train's motion, the exclusive club-like atmosphere and the ever-changing scenery topped off by the thrill of adventure and you are coming close to the encounter. With the sun almost extinguished, it's time to join the rest of the passengers who've gone to their cabins to change for the next instalment. The chance to sample the fine cuisine of the train's kitchen. The Great South Pacific Express boasts a simple recipe for their culinary performance. Combine the freshest, finest produce with the most talented chefs, stir with inspiration, expertise and flair. Equal to the standard of food on this train is the standard of service, which can only be described as formal but not stuffy, yet it's also informal but not intrusive. Whilst the passengers are at dinner, the cabin stewards make up the rooms for the night. Once again, as with everything else we've seen so far on this train, the job is carried out with perfection in mind. By the time the passengers are finished eating, their rooms will be ready for the night. That is for those who wish to retire relatively early. For others, it's time to go to the bar to enjoy the rest of the evening's entertainment. For some, the piece of the observation car was made even more welcoming with a glass of fine brandy. Some people, especially those trying it for the first time, find it difficult to sleep on a moving train. But by the time the brandy had taken effect, coupled with the rhythmic gentle sway of the carriages, even the lightest of sleepers was unable to stay awake. In a short while, as it rolled into the night, the Great South Pacific Express was asleep. During the night, the train continues northbound, travelling through the towns of Rockhampton, Marlborough, Serena and Mackay, before reaching its next port of call, Proserpine, the next morning. The sun is coming up on the second day of our journey. It's the monsoon season, and there's been heavy rain during the night. Some of the fields are flooded. By dawn, most of the staff are up and working. The first job is to clean and polish the train before any of the passengers surface. Breakfast is served on this train in the comfort of the cabins. Well, if there is a seven-star deluxe service, it's what we try to achieve. We always try to push as up as possible. And I'm pretty confident now that we're going to achieve that, because the staff is extremely good. I found that they're extremely reliable, and knowing that most of the people have been working in hospitality, most of the people think that Australians are laid back, but when they are really into it, I think they put the effort of trying to achieve something, and I think most of the staff is like that. I've been working for six years on Orient Express in Europe, and a few months on Eastern and Oriental Express, and they are very different, even in the service way of doing things. And I think this one will be very different from the two others. We just try to be associated as the standard of service would be good, but the way we're doing service is in a sort of Australian way. It doesn't mean that the people are laid back. I think the fact that they're reacting in front of the passenger, they're always reacting in a very smiling and want to achieve something when somebody is asking them. I think the fact that it's a very new train and really building from scratch, he hasn't got that history, but when I've been on board the VSOE, when you actually enter the Orient Express in Europe, you really feel that there is a history behind. Here you've got the sort of spirit that you've got something, but you don't know what it is. If you look at the bow, for example, the launch car is very similar to the one in Europe, and you really have a feeling that it's very cosy and very rich in colour, and you've got exactly the same feeling when you're on board the Orient Express in Europe. The details are different, but most of the people who want to train don't know that this train has been built from nothing, and it's quite amazing, and there is a very big difference between those two trains as far as that is concerned. The fact that the Orient Express has been built in the 20s and 30s, and this one has been built in the year 2000, doesn't mean that there is a big difference in sort of atmosphere and ambience. We'll do Brisbane to Cairns, Coranda, sorry, twice a week. We'll take two overnights and three days, and we'll start from April on Ustugo every two weeks down to Sydney, and we already have demand to go around Melbourne and eventually Perth. So most of the people who travel here will experience the fact of being able to see the scenery, and a very different scenery from the European train or from the Asian train, but a beautiful one, because it's not like you basically think that when you go out of a city it's sort of boring. It's not the case. The scenery is very varied, and you see a lot of different things, a lot of different fruit growing, a lot of different animals along the tracks, and it's a very, it's a sort of very exclusive way of traveling, because you are within an air-conditioned environment as well as a beautiful train and beautiful market area, and you actually see the real Australia, and I think it's a great opportunity to visit Australia. We're approaching the town of Prosopine, which is a little over midway between Brisbane and Cairns, and close to a group of islands called the Whitsunday Islands. It's now 9.30 in the morning as we glide into Prosopine station. The staff are quickly off the train as it stops to be ready to assist the passengers. Prosopine is the first scheduled stop on our journey, and with the passengers being taken off for the day, the train will remain here in a siding. Whilst the crew await their guests, the train manager makes last-minute checks on the day's weather forecast. This day's excursion is reliant on fair weather conditions. During the monsoon season and adverse weather, which can include cyclones, with the safety of the passengers of ultimate importance, the train does offer an alternative venue. With the passengers now off the train, the staff are busy cleaning and servicing it in preparation for the return in the evening. The water tanks are refuelled, fresh supplies are taken on board, the laundry is changed, and the refuse is dumped. Meanwhile, the passengers are about to experience the adventure of a lifetime. They are taken in an airborne convoy by a fleet of helicopters across the Whitsunday Islands. From there, they continue out across the Coral Sea to land on a private floating pontoon, where they are served lunch, followed by a day of sunbathing, swimming and diving. The pontoon floats above the largest coral reef in the world, and one which is often heralded as one of the wonders of the world. sits at the platform at Proserpine. The crew are waiting to welcome the passengers back on board. The passengers arrive back to their travelling hotel after a long and eventful day on the Great Barrier Reef. It's been one of those days you remember forever. Having seen such a wondrous sight in secluded privacy, shared only by your fellow passengers, you feel as though you are part of an exclusive club. Coming back to the train is like returning to your own personal five-star haven, a luxurious sanctuary amidst the unrestrained nature of Australia. Pulling away from Proserpine, the Great South Pacific Express continues on its journey north. The afternoon sun is giving way to the twilight of the evening, as it starts to disappear over the horizon. We've been lucky with the January weather. Storm clouds are beginning to gather once again. But the weather is of no importance to the passengers inside the air-conditioned train. Most of them have retired to their rooms for afternoon tea and a chance to relax before dinner. The bar car is empty save for the pianist and crew. It's been a long and eventful day. Before long, as the storm clouds get darker, day turns to night and it's time for dinner. Time once again to share the day's experiences with the other passengers and staff, and time to enjoy yet another superb meal prepared by the chef. Accompanied by a glass of vintage Australian wine, makes the ending for a perfect day. It's only when you look out beyond the few lights of a passing town and observe the complete landscape shrouded in total darkness, that you realize just how vast this country really is. We are continuing northwards through the night towards Cairns, passing through Townsville, the town where this train was built. Dawn on the final day of our journey. As the early morning sun rises, we are approaching Cairns, the most northerly town in Queensland, with a small population of only 68,000 inhabitants. Cairns has a superb location between the Great Barrier Reef and the dark hills of the Atherton Tableland, with numerous beautiful beaches and lush tropical vegetation. The varied scenery and the relaxed lifestyle in this tropical climate all contribute to the charm of this town. We are stopping briefly at Cairns to take on board fresh supplies of seafood for the train's return journey. The next leg will take us to Karanda and our final destination. Karanda lies amid tropical rainforest, 30 kilometers or 19 miles west of Cairns, but although it's only a short distance away, the spectacular journey will take us over two hours. Karanda is famed for the scenic railway line which we shall be taking from Cairns, which was constructed at the cost of enormous labor in 1888. It is a steeply graded line, twisting and turning through tunnels and bridges under and over the vast Atherton Tablelands. Construction of the Cairns-Karanda railway was and still is an engineering feat of tremendous magnitude. This enthralling chapter in the history of northern Queensland stands as a testimony to the splendid ambitions, fortitude and suffering of the hundreds of men involved in its construction. It was extremely dangerous work due to the steep grades, dense jungle and native aboriginals defending their territory. It also stands as a monument to the many men who lost their lives on this amazing project. The men tackled the jungle and mountains, not with bulldozers, jackhammers and other modern equipment, but with strategy, fortitude, hand tools, dynamite, buckets and bare hands. Great escarpments were removed from the mountains above the line and every loose rock and overhanging tree had to be removed by hand. Earthworks proved particularly difficult. The deep cuttings and extensive embankments that were removed totaled a volume of over 2.3 million cubic meters of earth. The slopes averaged 45 degrees and the entire surface was covered with an eight meter layer of disjointed rock, rotting vegetation, mould and soil. Bridges such as this were all constructed by hand, high above ravines and waterfalls. The reason for building this railway was a result of public demand. During the wet season, tin miners on the Wild River near Heberton, just south of Kuranda, were unable to obtain supplies and were on the verge of famine. The boggy roads proved impossible, as a result of which the settlers raised loud and angry protests and began agitation for a railway to the coast. In all, 93 curves and 15 tunnels were carved out of the rock face. During construction, navies camps mushroomed at every tunnel and cutting, the narrow ledges supporting stores, canteens and sleeping accommodation. Settlements began to grow from these camps and during the building of the tunnels, even small townships with hotels began to spring up. At one point, no less than 1500 men, mainly Irish and Italian immigrants, were working on the project. As we approach Stoney Creek, we're about to cross the famous Stoney Creek Bridge, which was completed in 1890 and the last of the big bridges constructed on the run-up from Cairns. It was a truly amazing spectacle. of the line. Kuranda is the end of our journey on the Great South Pacific Express. As we glide onto the station platform, with its lush green plants and palm trees, this train somehow looks at home. If you were to take one photograph to capture the splendor of this magnificent new addition to the elite aristocracy of world-class trains, Kuranda station would be the ideal backdrop. It's time to leave one of the world's most exclusive trains, with the memory that this was no ordinary train ride, more a stylish and sedate adventure aboard an elegant haven, through a magnificent and remote landscape shaped by an eternity of evolution. For the discerning traveller, it's a revival of the romantic age of rail travel, representing the very apotheosis of railborne luxury, combining the splendor of an age-old style with modern-day comforts. But as we say goodbye to the train and its attentive crew, we do not say our goodbyes to the adventure, for there is still one more leg of the journey to experience. We are going to travel by cable car across the vast Daintree rainforest back to Cairns. Our luggage will be delivered separately to our hotel by the train staff. Skyrail operate the world's longest gondola cableway across this world heritage listed tropical rainforest. Gliding above the treetops, this cableway offers a rainforest experience like no other. Australia's tropical rainforest receives up to 400 centimetres of rain a year. Less than half the rainfall falls directly on the ground. Leaves block out most of the sunlight falling on the rainforest, and only a small amount reaches the forest floor, where the struggle for light is intense. Cyclones, lightning strikes, and storms create gaps ranging in size from the space where a single branch is broken off to a large gap created by a number of trees falling simultaneously, because they are tied together by vines. Once a gap is created, the light stimulates the growth of many different kinds of plants. Beneath the canopy is a place of life, supporting many plants as well as a vast array of fruits, which in turn provide food for the numerous rainforest birds and animals. The rainforests of the world are home to more than half of all the animal and plant species that live on this earth. Skyrail is a world first in environmental tourism, enabling passengers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the rainforest without roads, cars, buses, and without noise and pollution or harm to the sensitive rainforest environment. The complete journey from Kuranda down to Cairns, taking into account stopping off at the two stations on the way, is about an hour and a half. This is not in fact another rainforest, but the lobby of the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Cairns, which is our last port of call for this journey. The cool interior of the hotel lobby is reminiscent of a tropical hideaway, with a unique ambience designed in a traditional Queensland style. Situated right on the waterfront overlooking the Cairns Marina, this five-star hotel promises an escape far from the ordinary. Each spacious and luxurious suite features individually controlled air conditioning and ceiling fans, minibar, and spacious bathroom with inlaid timber and cool Italian marble. While the room may invite you to linger, outside your door the splendor of tropical North Queensland beckons. The relaxed Queensland design flows through into each room, with open balconies inviting in the marina views and gleaming Trinity Inlet beyond. The Great South Pacific Express sits at Kuranda Station. A new complement of passengers have boarded to take the train back to Brisbane and are awaiting departure. They're about to embark on the return journey through the sensational untamed nature of Australia's Queensland. An adventure aboard the most luxurious train in the Southern Hemisphere, the truly magnificent Great South Pacific Express.