Birthday blowout

Walk up a tree lined path and you find yourself deep in the rainforest, 100 yards off main street.

A canopy is stretched above a room the size of a small village hall so it's like sitting in a marquee without walls.  

The sound of the rain drumming on the canopy, the chirruping of the insects, the scent of the candles and above all the resident but camera shy bandicoot combine to create a unique atmosphere 

We began with cocktails: a killer gin martini for me and a basil gin smash for Moira. 

   

And then the food: a seven course taster menu, nothing smart or clever but everything melt in the mouth and full of flavour. 

We dodged the oyster starter and asked for scallop instead; then yellowfin tuna with radish, edamame bean and wasabi. I'm no big fan of 'raw fish' but this was excellent.  Next  giant king prawn in a 'pastry' that was the finest tempura, with a black garlic purée; crayfish with fennel, tomato and asparagus; duck dumplings in a consommé with hoisin and shiitake mushrooms; and beef fillet and rib, with shallot bearnaise and mushrooms. Just room for a sweet and creamy mango soufflé. 

Each course was matched with a perfect wine:  Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Shiraz. The surprise was a Grenache/Cinsault rose with the dumplings. What an experience! 

Earlier in the day we rode the Skyrail cable car to Kuranda. A 7.5km ride above the rainforest canopy with incredible views over the countryside back to Cairns and the sea beyond, plus a stop at a spectacular lookout over the red waters of the Barron Falls. Then back on a one hundred year old narrow gauge railway, brakes screeching as we hugged the hillside.

And the biggest surprise of all was saved for the end of the journey. In an area which gets two metres of rain each year, we were told that the Skyrail had been rained off the day before and the day before that. So we'd have missed out if I'd been born on another day.