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Cairns Rainforest Tours – Kuranda Full Day & Half Day Tours

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Sophie Tabouel

An Amazing Day: Kuranda Scenic Railway, Butterfly Sanctuary, Koala Gardens, Kuranda Markets, Djabugay, Skyrail Gondola… and SO MUCH MORE!

Myself & my 11 year old son Ezrah were lucky enough to travel with Kuranda Scenic Railway & Skyrail gondola up to the quaint little village of Kuranda recently.

We booked the 8:50am Kuranda Scenic Train departing from Freshwater Station, making sure we were there by 8:10am – to ensure an early check in, good parking, and also some time to visit Red Lynch’s cottage and the historical museum at the Southern end of the platform.  It was a fantastic introduction to the day and the amazing engineering feat that went into the construction of this iconic rail journey up the mountain.  It set the scene for the journey ahead and gave my son plenty of landmarks and points of interest along the way to keep his eye out for thru the trains open windows.

The Kuranda train was right on time and we boarded our carriage, making sure we checked the carriage number to see if it was one of the three oldest carriages still in operation that we had read about at Lynch’s cottage.  Whilst we weren’t in the oldest of the carriages, we were in a beautifully restored carriage with comfortable seats right at the front of the train which was fantastic as we could see the rest of the train as we wound our way around the bends making for great photography opportunities .

It may have been a wet June day, but this certainly did not take away from our train journey at all.  After we went past the historical Redlynch Station, we were ready for the first big point of interest, Horseshoe Bend.  As we rounded the bend and began our climb up the range, we were able to get some fantastic photos of the carriages following behind.

The on board commentary along the way kept us informed of each point of significance both cultural & historical and provided plenty of warning for the great photo opportunities coming up ahead.
Stoney Creek Falls was one such opportunity with the beautiful waterfalls to our left and the view from one of the most unique rail bridges in the world out over the valley to our right.

As we went past Glacier Rock & Red Bluff, the cameras were clicking over time as even in the dry season the view is simply breathtaking.  We continued past the incredible Robb’s monument and stopped at Barron Falls Station to disembark for some great photos.  I can’t wait till the green season at the end of the year as I will be boarding the train again to see the amazing Barron Falls in full flight.  The dry is just as incredible as you can truly see the incredible volumes of water which must flow over those cliffs during the mighty wet.

Things to See Things To Do In Kuranda Village

 Not long after our stop, we pulled into Kuranda Village Station.  The gardens here  and the little station is worth the time to view and visit.  The walk to the village of Kuranda was an easy one – with the added plus of the first shop being a provider of free samples of fresh Spanish Doughnuts.  They certainly have their methods right because we only made it another two steps before my Son decided he was going back for morning tea and got to watch his doughnut created from start to finish!

We made our way to the Butterfly Sanctuary first.  Just past the Heritage Markets, on a rainy day it was lovely to walk into the warm environment and the peacefulness of the hundreds of tropical butterflies.  The first point of interest is the sign identifying the butterflies within and their characteristics and lifespans.  Regular tours run from this point onwards and you can join as you arrive, or walk through and return to catch the next one.  Whilst not a huge area, we found we easily spent 45 minutes walking through, marvelling at the beautiful butterflies.  If you wear a red, pink or white shirt, they really will be attracted to you, particularly the Cairns Birdwings.  Make sure you visit the breeding area as we were lucky enough to see the Hercules moth emerge from it’s cocoon.  Unique to Tropical Far North Queensland, these huge moths live only 72 hours and they do not eat, rather they live off their own body fats.

We left the Butterfly sanctuary and continued to the Koala Gardens where you can have your photo taken cuddling a koala.  Walking through the Herritage Markets, there is time to stop and browse or grab a coffee.  We entered the Koala Gardens and immediately spotted the Freshwater Crocodile pond below the walkway.  This was a big surprise and a great vantage point, even with the cooler weather.  We then headed past the turtles and lizards and onto the sleepy Koalas, with their Pottaroo friends below.  The opportunity is there to stop for a cuddle and a photo and definitely worth the experience.  The wombat feeding takes place at 2:30 pm so we were a bit early, but did get some cute pictures of them asleep in their logs.  The wallabies were happy to see us for breakfast and very friendly.  The surprise was the opportunity to walk through the next enclosures with the variety of snakes – one or two free to roam as they pleased!  Whilst I couldn’t get quite close enough to pat the amazing python, it was fantastic to watch as they slid around freely.

We exited the Koala Gardens and continued on to Birdworld.  The staff were quick to point out that it is best to remove expensive jewellery and to remind us as we grabbed a bag of bird feed that the Macaws were mating and could be a little naughty.  But – do not miss this!  An Eclectus parrot claimed my son as soon as we walked in and bravely fought off any usurpers.  Not interested as much in the food as it was in muttering sweet nothings to Ezrah, it planted itself on his shoulder for the remainder of our visit.  The birds approach fearlessly – ringnecks, conures, black cockatoos, eclectus parrots & the naughty macaws.  Once we left the main area (Eclectus firmly attached) we walked down to visit the ducks and swans and the Cassowary – and his new lady friend which was very exciting.  I can easily say we spent an hour or more here, feeding the birds and laughing at their antics as each wave of visitors arrived.

Skyrail Gondola Ride

 After a brief walk through the old and new market sites, and several bites of lunch (the surprise of the day was German Tucker Kuranda – getting an amazing vegan feed for me and an awesome Crocodile sausage for Ezrah), we made our way via the Candy Shop to the Skyrail Station and boarded our gondola for the return journey.  I watched with envy as the Diamond Class passengers boarded through their dedicated gate and hopped into their special gondolas with see through perspex floors, but was more than satisfied with the view from our standard gondola.  The climb to the Kuranda side of the Barron was fun and then the view as we crossed is breathtaking!  The bird life and rainforest flora is beautiful.  Seeing it all from upon high is unbeatable!

We arrived at the Barron Falls Station with time to disembark and enjoy the boardwalks.  We then made our way to the Interpretive Centre to view the exhibits and history of Gondwanaland.  The microscope exhibit was of great interest to Ezrah.

We met Aaron, our guide for the Djabugay Guided Walk – without doubt a highlight of our day!  The walk through the rainforest is unpaved but of reasonable ease.  Aaron had bug spray at hand, and was quick to introduce us to the traditional plants the Djabugay people historically used and still do.  As we made our way into the rainforest we were introduced to the use of the traditional plants for both food and medicine.  We were shown the tradition rainforest hut, and the day to day tools used by the Aboriginal people.  Aaron was at ease and quick to point out the way that nature became the peoples’ calendar and guide.  He answered all questions from young and old and his sense of humour and dedication to the introduction of Djabugay culture to the world was wonderful.

As we shook hands and left Aaron to meet his next group (or eat the last of the raspberries), we boarded our gondola and headed on to Red Peak.  At this stop it is necessary to stop and ‘change lines’ and I would highly recommend the walk for photos and to see the incredible Kauri Pine.

We stretched our legs and boarded again for the final part of our journey.  As we crossed the Kuranda range, the view of the Coral Sea and Northern Beaches was breathtaking.  We had time for plenty of photos and to view the birds and butterflies from up high.

Once we arrived at Caravonica, we made our way through the gift shop and to our coach waiting at the front to transfer us back to Freshwater train Station.  Absolutely an incredible day!  Charge your phone or camera or BOTH before your go and be sure to pack a long sleeve shirt or jumper as Kuranda was a bit chilly.  All in all a must do rainforest tour whilst in Cairns and a fantastic way to get incredible views and a better understanding of the local culture, flora & fauna.

Ask The Tour Specialists team about the best Kuranda full day or half day tour to suit call them on 07 4059 59 59 or select a tour on-line.

Author: Tanith – Cairns Holiday Specialists