A taste of the tropics at Cairns Airport

z TRAVSTAR NEWS - Tablelands News Feed

A taste of the tropics at Cairns Airport

Visitors to Cairns Airport Domestic Terminal can get a real taste of the tropics now Skybury Coffee is the exclusive coffee served by HMSHost at its first airport cafe.

The cafe’s fit out draws heavily on the coffee plantation vistas from Skybury’s location on the Great Dividing Range and will serve hundreds of cups of Skybury coffee each day. Skybury Coffee’s Managing Director Ian MacLaughlin, said the airport cafe was an exciting partnership for Skybury and a major aspect in the forward development of the Skybury brand.

Skybury, Australia's oldest coffee plantation is one of Tropical North Queensland's newest tourist attractions on the Atherton Tablelands. The multi-award winning attraction is located 10kms from Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland/Cairns Highlands, approx. 1 hour's drive from Cairns, Cairns International Airport and Port Douglas. Here visitors can taste, tour and take home Australia's purest coffee.

You can choose to self drive or take a day tour which incorporates Kuranda village, the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic railway. Please click here  for further details...

Baby Cassowary Saved!

Canopy Rainforest Tree Houses - The Canopy News Feed

One of our cassowary chicks who arrived in June has had a rough start to life!
 
We came across it one morning in the forest, trying to walk on a broken leg - an injury that would normally prove fatal. But with the help of our local vet, neighbours and the community, its leg and life were saved...

As you know this year Tui came back with 2 chicks however after a few weeks he was only seen with one and we assumed he had lost one as can happen.

About a week later the missing chick was spotted near one of our Treehouses with an severe compound fracture to its leg. Basically the foot was hanging loose and the poor chick was limping around on the bone in extreme pain as you can imagine.

We managed to capture the chick, (somehow keeping his very distressed and agitated dad at bay during the procedure), and it was immediately taken to the local wildlife vet Wendy.

Wendy put in an amazing effort, (a 6 hour operation initially with subsequent back-up operations), including some very advanced orthopaedic surgery to try and save the leg and also donated dozens of hours of her time, her surgery, and all the extremely expensive surgical pins and equipment at no charge.

EPA were informed, and gave their consent for this to take place; (caring and dealing with endangered native species is a very sensitive and highly regulated issue, however no beaurocracy at all for this one just cooperation), and were kept up to speed at all times.

At this stage the chick is doing very well and it is expected to be taken to the cassowary rehab unit at Mission Beach once it is fully recovered in preparation for release back into the wild.

In summary this was a very well organised and successful effort by a number of people and govt agencies to save a very distressed young bird and an outstanding example of cooperation and commitment by all concerned to save one of our endangered animals.

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