Kuranda: The Village in the Rainforest

Kuranda, perched on the edge of the Atherton Tablelands above Cairns, provides one of Australia's most theatrically arrived-at tourist destinations. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, descending from the Barron Gorge into Cairns over 7.5 kilometres of rainforest canopy, and the Kuranda Scenic Railway, climbing through the rainforest on a 19th century rack railway line that took five years of convict labour to build, offer two experiences of the forest that complement rather than duplicate each other and that together justify the return trip to Kuranda as one of Australia's great tourist day activities.

The Skyrail's gondolas carry passengers over the unbroken rainforest canopy at speeds slow enough to observe the canopy birds and the forest structure, with stops at Barron Falls and Red Peak stations that allow passengers to descend to the forest floor and walk interpretation trails that provide the close-up rainforest experience that the aerial perspective of the main cableway cannot provide. The Barron Falls lookout, when the falls are running at full volume during the wet season, provides one of tropical Queensland's most spectacular views.

The Kuranda markets are the commercial heart of the village, providing the craft, art, and produce stalls that draw visitors who have arrived by either Skyrail or railway and who spend time in the village browsing the market and the surrounding shops before beginning the return journey. The market's combination of local craft producers, Indigenous art, and tropical produce reflects the community that has made Kuranda its home, including the arts and crafts community that the village's reputation and affordable living has attracted over decades.

The Rainforestation Nature Park at Kuranda provides wildlife encounters including kangaroos, koalas, and crocodiles alongside an Army Duck rainforest tour and Aboriginal dance performance that creates the comprehensive nature and culture tourism package that international visitors in particular find valuable as an introduction to tropical Australia's natural and human heritage.

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