Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

CAIRNS 273
range, and it’s easy to spot ferns and orchids and the brilliant blue butterflies of
the region. As you reach the end of the trip, the gondola passes over the Barron
River and across the Kuranda railway line into the station. A one-way ticket is
A$32 (US$21) for adults and A$16 (US$10) for children ages 4 to 14; a roundtrip
ticket, including transfers from your Cairns or northern beaches hotel, is
A$61 (US$40) for adults, A$31 (US$20) for children, or A$153 (US$99) for a
family, and A$78 (US$51) for adults, A$39 (US$25) for children, or A$195
(US$127) family from Port Douglas. You must make a reservation to travel
within a 15-minute segment. Don’t worry if it rains on the day you’ve chosen to
go—one of the best trips I’ve made on Skyrail was in a misty rain, which added
a new dimension to the rainforest. The cableway operates from 8am to 5pm,
with last boarding at the Cairns end at 3:45pm. The Skyrail terminal is on the
Captain Cook Highway at Kamerunga Road, Caravonica Lakes, 15km (9 1 ⁄2
miles) north of Cairns’s city center.
By Scenic Railway The 34km (20-mile) Kuranda Scenic Railway (& 1800/
620 324 in Australia, or 07/4031 3636) is rated as one of the top five scenic rail
journeys in the world. The train snakes through the magnificent vistas of the
Barron Gorge National Park, past gorges and waterfalls on the 90-minute trip
from Cairns to Kuranda. It rises 328m (1,076 ft.) and goes through 15 tunnels
before emerging at the Kuranda station, which sits amidst an abundance of
ferns. Built by hand over five years in the late 1880s, the railway track is a monument
to the 1,500 men who toiled to link the two towns, and the ride on the
steam train adds to the atmosphere. It departs Cairns Central at 8:30am daily
and 9:30am Sunday through Friday (except Christmas), and leaves Kuranda at
2pm Sunday through Friday and 3:30pm every day. The fare is A$31 (US$20)
one-way for adults and A$15 (US$9.75) for children ages 4 to 14. A pass for a
family of four is A$77 (US$50) one-way.
Skyrail/Train Combination Tickets In most cases, these packages represent
convenience rather than savings. A package combining one-way travel on the
Skyrail and a trip back on the Scenic Railway is A$63 (US$41) for adults and
A$31 (US$20) for children, A$78 (US$51) for adults and A$39 (US$25) for
kids with round-trip transfers from Cairns or the northern beaches. A shuttle
bus operates between the Skyrail terminal and the nearest train station at Freshwater,
7km (4 1 ⁄2 miles) away, for A$5 (US$3.25) adults, A$2.50 (US$1.60) kids
one-way. A three-way package including the Skyrail, the Scenic Railway, and
entry to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park (see above) is A$91 (US$59) for
adults and A$45 (US$29) for kids, or A$106 (US$69) for adults and A$53
(US$34) for kids including transfers from Cairns/northern beaches. A Skyrail/
Scenic Railway/Rainforestation option is A$103 (US$67) for adults and A$51
(US$33) kids. Book packages through Skyrail, Queensland Rail, or Tjapukai.
By Bus The cheapest way, by far, to reach Kuranda is by bus. Whitecar
Coaches (& 07/4091 1855) operates several daily bus services to Kuranda
departing from 46 Spence St., Cairns. The fare is an almost unbelievable A$1
(US65¢) per person.
BROWSING KURANDA’S MARKETS
Kuranda is known for its markets that sell locally made arts and crafts, fresh produce,
boomerangs, T-shirts, and jewelry. There are two markets—the small
“original” markets at 7 Therwine St., behind Kuranda Market Arcade (open
Wed–Fri and Sun), which mainly sell cheap imports; and the 90-stall Heritage