QLD - Day 1: Kuranda
This is the first part of our two week trip to Queensland, where we travelled from Cairns to Brisbane enjoying many of the delights (and not so's) on offer on the way down!
The day after arriving in Cairns we had booked ourselves on a trip on the Skyrail to Kuranda (pronouced 'kur-ran-da'), which is a twenty minute drive (we got the courtesy bus at $10 each, one way only!). This trip allows you to take the scenic railway and the longest gondola in the world from the tablelands high into the tropical rainforest. The gondola allows you to stop-off en-route to delay the inevitable tourist trap that awaits!
At Red Peak Station you can take a guided ranger walk along the rainforest boardwalk in search of native critters that lurk in the undergrowth! And guess what, we didn't see anything apart from a snake skin! However, we did learn that if we came across a cassawary and it looked you in the eye, was to raise your hat to make yourself appear bigger. If you didn't have a hat then you had to run!
Next stop was Barron Falls Station. With some nice views across the Gorge and the river. The Scenic Railway stops on the other side of the Gorge on the way back down, where the views are even more impressive!
The final destination was Kuranda Village, with an impressive array of shops, markets, cafes and restaurants. It's only impressive if you like a lot of wooden artefacts and the classic bottle opener made from a pair of kangaroo balls!
For the trip back to Cairns we took the Scenic Railway, which takes about an hour and a half. The journey takes you through amazing scenery, with a commentary on how and why the railway was built. The early transportation into and out of the forest was very interesting. In fact you can still experience something similar at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains!! We saved ourselves $10 each by taking the train straight to Cairns Central, which just happened to be over the road from our hostel, the Travellers Oasis!
Kuranda is a 20 minute drive out of Cairns.
A Kauri Pine at Red Peak Station.
The Gondola coming into 'land'.
There are some amazing views over the rainforest as the 7.5 kilometre cableway stretches into the distance.
More of the rainforest.
A panoramic of Barron Falls. There is a hydro-electric power station, which is controlled by a dam at the top.
The Gondola travels over the Barron River.
The root system of the Banyan Tree!
If there's an award winning pie shop in the area, then you just have to try it for yourself...
...as Joanna demonstates! I still think the pies are a little bit small!
One of the many markets that Kuranda has to offer - it's a nice picture though!
Quick photo just to say that we were there as we head to the station to catch the Scenic Railway.
Fern buds!
Brits Abroad!
Our mode of transport back to Cairns!
Kuranda Signal Box
This is the of Barron Falls from the Scenic Railway, as you can see the view of the Gorge is much better.
'I've seen enough today, you go!' - Joanna just chillin' in the carriage!
We were coach thirteen and there were still a couple more behind us!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trip Review: The Skyrail Experience
Our trip on the Skyrail to Kuranda was excellent, but for the best flexibilty I would recommend to take the Scenic Railway up and the Gondola back. This means that you can spend as much or as little time in the village as you like. We did it the other way round, and were allocated a time to depart (a little bit too long for us). It also means that you should get some excellent views of Cairns and the bay as you head back down!
Accommodation Review: The Travellers Oasis, Cairns, Australia
Our accommodation was a double room in the Travellers Oasis hostel. Our room was small but clean and it had a fridge, fan and air conditioning (coin operated). The 2 kitchens were small, with a single cooker in each - not really suitable for 50 people. The bathrooms were also a little tired looking. A big group of people were up all night till morning shouting and talking VERY loudly which kept us awake, which is not great when you are being picked up for a trip at 6am! The hostel is a little out of town and doesn't feel the safest place to walk back to at night.
The day after arriving in Cairns we had booked ourselves on a trip on the Skyrail to Kuranda (pronouced 'kur-ran-da'), which is a twenty minute drive (we got the courtesy bus at $10 each, one way only!). This trip allows you to take the scenic railway and the longest gondola in the world from the tablelands high into the tropical rainforest. The gondola allows you to stop-off en-route to delay the inevitable tourist trap that awaits!
At Red Peak Station you can take a guided ranger walk along the rainforest boardwalk in search of native critters that lurk in the undergrowth! And guess what, we didn't see anything apart from a snake skin! However, we did learn that if we came across a cassawary and it looked you in the eye, was to raise your hat to make yourself appear bigger. If you didn't have a hat then you had to run!
Next stop was Barron Falls Station. With some nice views across the Gorge and the river. The Scenic Railway stops on the other side of the Gorge on the way back down, where the views are even more impressive!
The final destination was Kuranda Village, with an impressive array of shops, markets, cafes and restaurants. It's only impressive if you like a lot of wooden artefacts and the classic bottle opener made from a pair of kangaroo balls!
For the trip back to Cairns we took the Scenic Railway, which takes about an hour and a half. The journey takes you through amazing scenery, with a commentary on how and why the railway was built. The early transportation into and out of the forest was very interesting. In fact you can still experience something similar at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains!! We saved ourselves $10 each by taking the train straight to Cairns Central, which just happened to be over the road from our hostel, the Travellers Oasis!
Kuranda is a 20 minute drive out of Cairns.
A Kauri Pine at Red Peak Station.
The Gondola coming into 'land'.
There are some amazing views over the rainforest as the 7.5 kilometre cableway stretches into the distance.
More of the rainforest.
A panoramic of Barron Falls. There is a hydro-electric power station, which is controlled by a dam at the top.
The Gondola travels over the Barron River.
The root system of the Banyan Tree!
If there's an award winning pie shop in the area, then you just have to try it for yourself...
...as Joanna demonstates! I still think the pies are a little bit small!
One of the many markets that Kuranda has to offer - it's a nice picture though!
Quick photo just to say that we were there as we head to the station to catch the Scenic Railway.
Fern buds!
Brits Abroad!
Our mode of transport back to Cairns!
Kuranda Signal Box
This is the of Barron Falls from the Scenic Railway, as you can see the view of the Gorge is much better.
'I've seen enough today, you go!' - Joanna just chillin' in the carriage!
We were coach thirteen and there were still a couple more behind us!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trip Review: The Skyrail Experience
Our trip on the Skyrail to Kuranda was excellent, but for the best flexibilty I would recommend to take the Scenic Railway up and the Gondola back. This means that you can spend as much or as little time in the village as you like. We did it the other way round, and were allocated a time to depart (a little bit too long for us). It also means that you should get some excellent views of Cairns and the bay as you head back down!
Accommodation Review: The Travellers Oasis, Cairns, Australia
Our accommodation was a double room in the Travellers Oasis hostel. Our room was small but clean and it had a fridge, fan and air conditioning (coin operated). The 2 kitchens were small, with a single cooker in each - not really suitable for 50 people. The bathrooms were also a little tired looking. A big group of people were up all night till morning shouting and talking VERY loudly which kept us awake, which is not great when you are being picked up for a trip at 6am! The hostel is a little out of town and doesn't feel the safest place to walk back to at night.
Labels: cairns, kuranda, photos, queensland
posted by Nathan at
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