Australia > Kuranda

• Drive from Cairns via the Captain Cook and Kennedy Highways. The trip takes approximately 40 minutes.
• Hop on the Kuranda Scenic Railway for a (very) leisurely two-hour trip 300 meters up and 34 kilometers out from Cairns, going through 15 tunnels and over more than 30 bridges.  One or two services daily in each direction.
• Catch the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from just outside Cairns for great views of the rainforest canopy. This runs between Caravonica to Kuranda, above the Barron Gorge National Park
• Catch the shuttle bus between Cairns and Kuranda.
• Many visitors combine the two, taking the Railway there and the Skyrail back.

Get around

Kuranda is a small village, although somewhat hilly.  Walking 3 kilometres will take you from one end of town to the other.

The wildlife exhibits run a courtesy bus between the skyrail and scenic railway stations at the south end of town and the wildlife attractions at the north of town.  The bus departs every twenty minutes.

See

• Bird World is a large mesh canopy naturally landscaped with waterfalls, lakes, exotic and native plants, and is open to natural light in which you can wander among free flying birds armed with an identification sheet to pick them out.  The birds are divided evenly between colorful parrots and drab quails and doves with the addition of some cassowaries fenced away from people wandering around the circuit.
• Kuranda Koala Gardens is located right in the heart of Kuranda Village and is a small wildlife zoo housing Australian native animals.  In addition to koalas, there are kangaroos, crocodiles, snakes and lizards. Visitors can hold a koala and have their picture taken. A Free shuttle bus operates from the Skyrail and Kuranda Train stations every 10 - 15 minutes.
• Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly enclosure in Australia containing over 2000 tropical rainforest butterflies, Birdwings Ulysees and more.  It's great for kids and is open every day except Christmas.
  

Buy

Kuranda is famous for its markets.  They run everyday, not just Sundays (that was in the past) and have a wide range of handcrafted goods and Aboriginal artifacts.  It's just a short walk from the Skyrail or the Train to the village.  Kuranda is also home to many art galleries and has a variety of restaurants and coffee shops.