Our Final Day in Australia was spent at the Kuranda Village
The picturesque mountain retreat of Kuranda Village is just 25 km northwest of Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia. Surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest, 1,000 feet above Cairns, lies the picturesque village of Kuranda. The journey to Kuranda is an experience in itself. You can take a gentle drive up through the rainforest, float above the trees aboard Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, or catch the world famous Kuranda Scenic Railway.But however you decide to arrive, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to discover everything the village has to offer. There’s the famous arts and craft markets, river cruise, ATV quad biking and rainforest walks, and an abundance of wildlife experiences, tours and attractions. Browse through the quaint village shops for vibrant had crafted silk and cotton clothing, exclusive jewelry, locally made Aboriginal artwork, gifts and more. Then stop for a coffee or lunch at one of Kuranda’s many restaurants and cafes, where outdoor dining is one of the joys of our cooler mountain climate.
Kuranda is a delightful mix of quirky surprises, colorful characters and natural beauty, perched at the top of a rainforest clad mountain. Come for a day, or stay for the weekend, and take a stroll through our beautiful village in the rainforest.
Derek and I took the Skyrail and stopped along the way.
We had fun with Derek’s GO PRO and upgraded to the VIP Skyrail with the glass floor
We had a great time venturing up and down…
…however we were disappointed by the Village and ended up doing some shopping but it was very touristy and we felt we were being taken advantage of that this was a unique Australian experience. Hindsight we should have gone to the Australian Cultural center.
We did however find the perfect Christmas present for my Dad…a didgeridoo!! We know that we did not get an official didgeridoo as it is much smaller however we learned a ton from the salesman and had a really fun time trying to play the didgeridoo and learning what the paintings meant.
Once back in Cairns, we enjoyed the afternoon in the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon. Escape the summer heat at one of Cairns’ best known landmarks, the Esplanade Lagoon. Set on the Cairns foreshore overlooking Trinity Inlet, the 4800 sq metre saltwater swimming lagoon offers locals and tourists a year round safe swimming location. Saltwater is pumped from the inlet and filtered through a state of the art filtration and chlorination system, to meet Australian Standards. The kids can enjoy the sandy edges, build sand castles and play in shallow water. On the other side of the Lagoon, visitors can lounge on the timber decks in moderate shade. Shady trees, landscaped gardens and open spaces all contribute to the leisurely atmosphere on the Esplanade The Lagoon is open 6am-9pm Thursday – Tuesday, Midday-9pm Wednesday all year round.
Once dried we enjoyed Happy Hour at our favorite bar in Cairns we walked over to witness the coolest thing I would ever see!! Bats, thousands and thousands of bats, coming out for the night and heading into the rainforest.
Spectacled Flying-foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) are large fruit bats, famous for the straw-coloured fur which surrounds their eyes like spectacles. … Spectacled flying-foxes are a significant species to the region. They are found in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia.
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