A Day Trip to Kuranda

Today, I did a trip that is a "must do" if you are in the Cairns area - a day trip to Kuranda. Andrew dropped me off at Skyrail, a gondola system (just like the ski areas) that skims over the top of the tropical rainforest. It feels like a nature special on TV, in that you are viewing the forest from the canopy. It also gets you over a range of mountains, dropping you off at 2 stations for forest walks and viewing.














One of the stops gives you the opportunity to view Barron Falls and the surrounding Barron Gorge - spectacular!


















The gondola then sails high over a wide tropical river, and "sets down" in the inland town of Kuranda. Kuranda used to be a hippy haven years ago, but like many a similar place, tourist have really changed the town. It is actually really nice, a bit of an upscale tourist town with nice restaurant, shops and galleries.

The train arrived about the same time I did, and the hordes came out. Fortunatly, the town is big enough to disburse everyone.

I wandered around town, had a nice lunch, and browsed some galleries and shops.



























We returned to Cairns in a completely different fashion - the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The line was build for the gold rush in the 1880's, and is now used for a wonderful tourist train.

The route was spectacular, stopping at Barron Falls to give the view a completely different perspective. We wound along the Barron Gorge, going through a total of 15 tunnels.














The train took me all the way back to the centre of Cairns, so I used the opportunity to check out the town, before returning to Kewarra Beach in the evening.














If you come to this part of Australia, I strongly recomment this tour.