Hi, <BR> <BR>I'm staying in a hotel in Palm Cove and want to go to Kuranda one day. Can I just get the hotel shuttle to Cairns and get to the skyrail/train station from there? Or do I need to arrange for other transport (I will not have a car). <BR> <BR>What are the opinions on whether the train or skyrail is better in the morning? The train times seem more limited, both in am and pm. <BR> <BR>Has anyone done the Army duck dive? is it good to do? <BR> <BR>I'm also confused where the Abirigonal center is - is it in Kuranda or on the way? <BR> <BR>Any help is appreciated, thanks!

meegan- The Skyrail station is between Palm Cove and Cairns, so you are best to take a bus or taxi directly there. The Tjapukai Aboriginal center is right next door to the skyrail base station. We love the Tja.. center. Very authentic and sincere employees. Take time to talk with them as they walk around between shows. The gift shop had some of the best (real)aboriginal art anywhere and at very reasonable prices.it is aboriginal owned, so we felt good supporting them. <BR>We took Skyrail up the mountain on the first ride of the morning to avoid the tour bus crowds. It was incredible! At the first change station, we got out and took the boardwalk tour with a park ranger named Milton. It is free and he gives a great talk about all the wild and scary plants. There are some nice lookouts at both stations as well. In Kuranda, we visited the Butterfly sanctuary (nice) and night zoo (not a must see!)and did some shopping. We took the train home, but found it boring. The scenery is rather limited for most of the ride, so unless you love old tains, it was a loooong trip. I'd do the skyrail home if I had it to do over.

Meegan, <BR>We took an All In A Day tour of Kuranda and the Tjapukai Cultural Center. It worked out great. They pick you up from the hotel in the a.m., take you to the rail station (there is a narration about the railway and its construction on the way up, but not the p.m. trip), walked around Kuranda (very touristy, but okay), rode the skyrail down, walked over to the Tjapukai Cultural Center and did everything there, then waited for the All In A Day bus to pick us up. You can pick how/what you tour (i.e., whether you do the train, or if you want to not do the cultural center, etc.), but All In A day will schedule it all for you. Just check with the travel desk at your hotel. Also, All In a Day can take you into Cairns for shopping so you don't have to rent a car. The shopping in Cairns is okay. There is no public transportation from Cairns to Port Douglas - you would have to rent a car or pay tons of $$$ for a taxi.

Hi Meegan! <BR> <BR>We took the train up to Kuranda & really enjoyed the experience. Amazing to think of the people that put the track down all those years ago. It is a slow windy trip up to the top but I think it is worth it. In Kuranda had plenty of time for a look around the market, butterfly park & shops before having lunch and heading back down on the gondola (great views coming over the top for your final drop back to 'earth'. <BR> <BR>If you ask at the hotel desk, the staff are sure to know the best way into the station & back. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your holiday. <BR> <BR> <BR>nzers

Just to correct one of the earlier posts, there IS public transport between Cairns and Port Douglas. See www.great-barrier-reef.com/coralcoaches/

There are many tour companies that arrange Kuranda tours/transportation. I took the train up and skyrail back, and if I did it again would skip the train and take skyrail both ways. There is not that much to see from the train, it takes quite a while, and we felt like cattle. The skyrail is worth doing, it's really an amazing engineering feat. You fly above and look down into the forest. I went to the aviary, the noctarium and to batreach while in Kuranda, not leaving any time for the market before my trip down on Skyrail. Since shopping in Cairns/Port Douglas is limited, I wish I'd spent more time in the market. I was informed during my trip that Tjabukai is owned by a caucasian and not aboriginees. I found it very Disney-like and would not specifically recommend it. We took a rainforest walk later from the aboriginal village in Mossman Gorge, the proceeds of which actually did support the village.