← Cairns Marathon·Day trip

Kuranda: By Train Up, By Cableway Down

A heritage train up the Barron Gorge to a rainforest village and a 7.5 km cableway back over the canopy, with nearly the whole day spent sitting down.

DurationDay trip
TransitKuranda Scenic Railway, about 1 hr 50 min from Cairns; Skyrail cableway 7.5 km back to Smithfield
DepartsCairns

After the Cairns Marathon: Kuranda

The Route: Cairns → Kuranda → Smithfield → Cairns Logistics: Kuranda Scenic Railway up, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway down, transfer back to the city. A loop inland into the Wet Tropics and back. Marathon Month: July Duration: Day trip

Cairns ──(about 1 hr 50 mins Kuranda Scenic Railway)──> Kuranda
   ▲                                                        │
   │                                    (Skyrail cableway, 7.5 km, about 1 hr 30 mins with stops)
   │                                                        │
   └──────(about 15 mins by transfer bus or car)──── Smithfield terminal

The Cairns Marathon finishes at Fogarty Park, and two days later Kuranda is the best way to see the rainforest behind the city without a hike. The train and the cableway do the climbing; the legs only have to manage a village main street.

July in the Wet Tropics: the dry season. The rainforest is at its most comfortable for visitors, warm rather than steamy, and afternoon downpours are far less likely than in summer. The trade-off is at Barron Falls, which both the train and the cableway pass: in the dry season the falls carry much less water than after the summer rains, so expect a thinner cascade over wide bare rock.

The Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway combination costs about A$145.50 (£77) for adults. Trains leave Cairns at 08:45 or 09:30 and take about 1 hour 50 minutes to Kuranda, with extra trains from Freshwater station. The combination can be booked either way round; train up and cableway down suits a marathon runner, because the cableway's last departure from Kuranda at 15:15 gives a firm end to the day. Bookings are flexible with no cancellation fee, which helps if the legs are worse than expected. Book online before travelling; July is a busy month.

The Train

The Kuranda Scenic Railway climbs from the coast up through the Barron Gorge in heritage carriages. It is 1 hour 50 minutes seated, and the line itself, cut through the range in the 1880s and 1890s, is the attraction: tunnels, bridges over ravines, and a stop at Barron Falls station for the view across the gorge.

Kuranda Village

Kuranda is a small village on the edge of the rainforest, with markets, cafés and wildlife attractions along a short main street. The village is compact, so distances between the station and the markets are short. Allow two to three hours, spend a good part of it sitting over lunch, and head for the Skyrail terminal with time to spare.

The Cableway

Skyrail runs for 7.5 km above the rainforest canopy from Kuranda down to Smithfield, in six-person gondolas. The journey takes about an hour and a half including stops at two mid stations. Barron Falls station has boardwalks with views of the gorge and falls and an interpretation centre; Red Peak station has a short boardwalk loop through the forest with rangers on hand. Neither stop is compulsory: stay on board if the legs have had enough.

Getting Back

The Smithfield terminal is about 15 minutes north of Cairns. Transfer buses run to selected Cairns hotels when booked with the ticket; otherwise take a taxi back to the Esplanade.