Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
The Australian rainforest is home to a diverse ecosystem. Its dense jungle is home to many species of animals, plants, and insects. It’s essential since they also filter carbon dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
The Australian government has embarked on activities that seek to protect and preserve these rainforests. One of these rainforests is the World heritage site in the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Northern Australia. The area covers more than 900,000 hectares of lush, green, and pristine tropical rainforest.
How do get to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway?
The rainforest has been a top-rated destination for tourists and locals due to the Skyrail Rainforest cableway. Guest usually start their journey from selected locations in Cairns and then going to Smithfield Terminal or the Kuranda Terminal. Travel will take around 1 1/2 hours from the Cairns Terminal and 3 hours from the Kuranda Terminal.
How was the Cableway built?
The 7.5-kilometer cableway began construction in 1994 and travels over the Baron Gorge National Park and Macalister Ridge. The construction team tried their best to adhere to the strict environmental rules required for the project. The team used several innovative construction techniques for the new cableway project.
The construction was challenging since there were no access roads. Swat clearing of the forest was also not allowed during the construction since only minimal rainforest interference was allowed. The cableways towers are only allowed to be constructed in the natural clearings in the rainforest.
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway was completed in 1995 and was the longest Monocable Detachable Gondola system globally. It has undergone a series of improvements, most notably upgrade was in 2013 with the installation of eleven Diamond View glass floor cabins.
Start your adventure
The Gondola ride starts at the Smithsfield terminal around 15 minutes north of Cairns. Smithfield is the jump-off point that passes at Red Peak Station and Barron Falls Stations, going to Kuranda village. This trip is an adventure in itself since visitors can already have a glimpse of the rainforest below them.
Visitors will have a guided tour by a Forest Ranger at the Red Peak Station. They will walk along a boardwalk and have access to the Barron Gorge’s lookouts and falls on the Barron falls Station. Visitors will have a spectacular view over the rain forest inside their Gondolas, moving at a leisurely pace.
As the Gondola moves over the forest, visitors will have a unique view of the rainforest canopy. The ride will eventually end in the Kuranda Village. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway tour was awarded with multiple tourism and environmental awards for its sustainable tourism standards.
The one way trip in the Skyrail is around 1.5 hours, and the roundtrip will last for 2.5 hours. Visitors can enjoy the local Australian wildlife, delicious local food, and beautiful handcrafted jewelry. Please get to know the Indigenous Kuranda People in the village who has made the rainforest their home for at least 10,000 years.
Visitors can also choose a combination of Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway Tour. The Kuranda Railway is the original train system built 120 years ago that connects the Kuranda Village to Cairns. Experience both the view above the forest and the view on land while riding the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway tour will give you the unique experience of seeing animals and plants that can only be found in Australia’s rainforest. Walk around the centuries-old rainforest and see how the animals and plants adapted to their ecosystem.
The Skyrail offers a very convenient way to visit an entire rainforest in just a few hours under any weather condition. Marvel at the towering trees that existed for hundreds of years. See the raging waters of rivers and waterfalls.
Visitors can also choose to have a birds-eye view of the forest using the Diamond Glass Viewing Gondolas. The 7.5 km ride will let you have a unique view of the lush greenery below your feet. Take a picture of the forest canopy inside a comfortable Gondola.
Rest assured that the staff and operators make sure of all their passengers’ safety while doing the activities. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway also makes sure it’s taking care of the World Heritage-listed site and have received EarthCheck’s Certification.
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