Places named by Frommers to see before they disappear talks lists Kuranda, North Queensland.
I have not read the article but I can only assume that it suggests you see it now before someone gets in there and makes it something to be proud of instead of a dreadful missmash of Asian tacky shops and dreadful eateries with equally dreadful waiters.
That is not to say that the place itself is not nice - it is and it has some lovely and interesting places to visit like the Bird World and the Butterfly House etc BUT I was disgusted at the tacky Chinese rubbish in the shops which can be seen in just about every tacky market in Austral-Asia. I doubt you could even find anything that tacky in China itself - is it only made for tourist consumption in Australia?
Why can't Kuranda have and sell local products? There are plenty of them.
Kuranda Chamber of Commerce - for heaven's sake do something about your image!
Perhaps too a look at some of those people who are working in the locality as well because the "Nordic type" waiter I had at a restaurant had a personality and serving manner like a zonked out hippy drug taker. It was not a good look at all.
Australia's premier destinations need something better than this particularly when it most certainly lets down the natural attractions of the place.

Sadly, Lizzie's right about this

It is highly touristic and one can only expect that, but they also have designated market days, Wednesday and Sundays, but possibly both weekend days and they are the days when you can expect to find local producers, but many also probably opt for their own roadside stalls rather than pay a stall fee.

Actually Wednesday to Friday and Sunday - http://www.cairnsconnect.com/region/kuranda.php
Links are Lovely, ain't they Lizzy!

Your website is out of date Bushranger, Kuranda Markets, for better or worse, are open every day and have been for ages.

There's very little, if anything, available at roadside stalls around the village these days, and State Government's draconian health regulations have put paid to many of the local cottage industries which found a market in Kuranda.

Whilst no doubt the tourist trade has many vendors there every day of the week Pat and they have been at that for many years, have you actually done a personal audit to see that there are no more there on "market" days for if so it is more than one site that needs up dating, such as another - http://au.travel.yahoo.com/guide/aus...editorial.html

And then for roadside stalls I am refering to Atherton Tablelands generally and nota practice of setting up just outside of the village.

But one way or another the tourists seem to get the message that there must be something worthwhile going there for, and whereas most markets can have a certain ammount of commoness, as Lizzy says, Kuranda has some fixed attractions as well.

Here's an accurate website regarding Kuranda Markets, Bushranger - www.kuranda.org/?p=28 (Heritage Markets) and www.kuranda.org/?p=117 "Original" markets. You will see that both markets are open 7 days a week from 9.00am to 3.00pm (the last train leaves Kuranda at 3.30pm and the last Skyrail at 3.45pm) and Kuranda Village "dies" after that.

Seeing I live less than half an hour's drive from Kuranda, am pretty familiar with what stalls and shops have to offer; last week I did buy an Indian cotton bedspread in Kuranda which I thought attractive, but if I was a tourist from overseas don't think I'd be too interested in buying Asian goods.

I will be a tourist visiting Kuranda in 2009 and am definitely not interested in shopping for Asian made goods there. However, I would love to see some local artisans work.

You will see some local work in Kuranda galleries, both from indigenous artists and others. I think Lizzy is referring to the general impression she experienced from many of the market stalls and shopfronts which do display a lot of fairly tacky bits and pieces.

Also, Lizzy was unlucky to strike a surly waiter, people in Kuranda are normally friendly and pleasant.

And check the Tjapukai shop for Aboriginal work (next to the Skyrail station at the Cairns/Smithfield end).

We were rather hurried when there but I do recall a terrific gallery selling Aboriginal and ethnographic things from all around Asia and the Pacific but as far as the rest of town it is pretty ordinairy ( cane toad coin purses )after that spectacular cable car ride up there .

I enjoyed Kuranda and thought the area was lovely, Tjapukai stuff was great from a tourist point of view.

I have to agree that some of the stuff for sale in the stalls and shops was crap, but that goes with the tourism territory I suppose.
But in saying that the tourists will buy stuff there whether its crap or not so its probably not strictly necessary to spoil such a gorgeous area with tacky stalls selling rubbish.

Skyrail was fab too.




Muck

<<You will see some local work in Kuranda galleries, both from indigenous artists and others.

And check the Tjapukai shop for Aboriginal work (next to the Skyrail station at the Cairns/Smithfield end). >>

Thanks Pat, that's encouraging.