Australia > The Skyrail cable car to Kuranda

At night, there are noises from the street. It sounds like someone is sawing concrete. They are probably trying to fix the electricity problem. When I wake up, there is still no power. The air conditioner also didn’t work last night. It was warm in the room. Interestingly, the fridge light is still on. Probably a generator is running, and the fridge is connected to it. I take a shower in the dark. The water gets reasonably warm. I don’t have enough light to shave, so I skip it today. When I come downstairs, there is a cable break in front of the hotel. The receptionist says it’s due to recent flooding and ground subsidence. The entire block has no electricity. They expect the power to be restored within a few hours. We don’t want to wait for that. We walk to the nearby Hilton Downtree hotel, where we are picked up for an excursion to the Skyrail to Kuranda. We take a bus past the airport north of Cairns. At Smithfield, we get off at the cable car station. The cable car is seven and a half kilometers long, stretching over the oldest rainforest in Australia. There are two stops along the way. I decide to get off on the way out at the 540-meter-high Red Peak.

Australia - The 75 km Skyrail leads to Kuranda

Around Red Peak stand giant forest giants — trees that reach tens of meters high. Parasitic plants try to climb up the trunks. In a rainforest, every tree and shrub fights for light and water. It’s a fascinating sight. A walking path runs through the rainforest. I skip the second stop for now. For the return trip, we have a fixed time slot to board. If we went down immediately, we’d be too early. This is a great opportunity to plan the second stop on the way back. The cable car ends in Kuranda, originally a small village in the mountains surrounded by the jungle. Nowadays, Kuranda consists of souvenir shops and restaurants. At a terrace, I order coffee. It’s warm, but it’s comfortable under the trees. I quickly lose interest in the shops. On the other side of Main Street is the Koala Garden. The park houses koalas, kangaroos, and crocodiles. The koalas are sleeping in their enclosure. The side is open, but presumably, they have no desire to leave the cage.

Australia - Halfway along the Kuranda Railway lies the Barron Falls

The kangaroos roam in an open meadow. You can walk among them and feed them. Most prefer shady spots. The wombats and potoroos are also hiding in the shade. Around the crocodile pond is a strong fence. Fortunately, they don’t get a chance to escape. On the way to the exit, I see some iguanas, geckos, and snakes. At half past two, I’m back at the gondola. It’s busy. There is a queue, so I get on later than my scheduled time slot. Still, I have enough time to get off at Barron Falls. An impressive amount of water cascades down. I definitely didn’t want to miss this view. Back down in Smithfield, the bus arrives to take us back to Cairns. Since tonight is the last night of the trip, we all go out for dinner at an Italian restaurant. During dinner, we thank Derk for guiding the trip. He thanks the group for their flexibility and says he enjoyed traveling with us. In the room, I reorganize my luggage. I prepare what I’ll need during the day tomorrow, what I’ll wear on the plane, and what can stay in my travel bag.

Australia - During the last dinner we thank the tour guide