The train trip would have been the highlight of your holiday. The carriages are many years old and takes over an hour up a very steep range that over looks the Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Farms, Sugar Cane fields and Rainforests. Travels at near walking speed and stops at the Barron Falls on the way. There are many spectacular views all the way resulting in good photography chances, especially over the curved bridge. In last carriage you can get photographs of colourful train on bridge. Kuranda Railway Station is an amaze of tropical plant life and Kuranda township has Native Zoos and colourful Australian attactions. Maybe best in North Queensland.
Some Flick photos of Cairns are at URL below.
Organized tours of outback are better than selfdrive. The operators take you to the best areas instead of getting lost looking for them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shebalso/sets/72157611384481502/
I am going to do Cairns again in December with either the Canon 7D or 5D mk II
