Crowsie

Yes it is quicker than either the train or sky rail so by doing it one way you gain some time.

There are limited services though. I think at 9.00 and 11.00am only so I would call to get a booking if possible.

There is a main public transit bus terminus in Cairns about 3 or 4 blocks up from the markets closer to the waterfront. You catch the bus from there. It is small hotel shuttle type of bus. It picks up just after the bus goes around the roundabout just north of woolworths. The regular buses are yellow and called sunbus. These are not the bus you want. As these will be 99% of the buses you will see it should be easy to pick out the shuttle.

I would imagine it sits there a while so you have time to make sure it is the correct bus. Not like it stops for a second and then takes off so you should not have any problem.

I took some overseas visitors to Kuranda yesterday, up Skyrail, down scenic train. It seems as a promising wet season had died and the weather was bright, sunny and hot all day, so the Barron Falls are not what they usually are at this time of year. To me the point of the trip is the scenery from both Skyrail and the train, which is one of the, if not the most scenic train rides in the country. You can catch a bus one or both ways. White Car (not Sunbus which are blue, not yellow) coaches pick up at the Smithfield roundabout, which is about as far from Yorkey's as the bottom Skyrail station. However, you don't get to see much scenery at all from the Kuranda Range Rd which has quite heavily traffic - in fact there's only one lookout where it's safe to stop.

Kuranda train and its line is of great historical significance to the north, and there's a commentary on train to explain. Sure the train carriages are old, but not "stinky" as mentioned in one posting - the carriages are timber-lined which makes it sound a bit creaky. The material used is silky oak which is a now rare rainforest timber and would cost a fortune to replicate these days. Koala Gardens in Kuranda is miniscule, Cairns Tropical Zoo near Palm Cove has a much wider range of animals and this can also be combined with Skyrail and train. However, this would leave very little time for Rusty's.

Wow Pat , you are so remarkable.
You run a B&B.
You spend all day writing on Fodors to fill that B&B.
And now you are driving Sky rail.
You are taking people on sky rail and the train.
So you are also a guide.
What a woman.
I thought Fodor’s was for people to talk to each other about travel.
We had years and years of ole Liz using this site to buy her BMW which is fine they are a great car.
Now we have you.
If it’s good for you Pat it should be good for a thousand commercial operators to get on here and advertise the way you do.
Come on Pat. Let’s get fair dinkum here.
And now the bleeding hearts will come in who are just Pat in disguise anyway to tell us how wonderful she is.
Well Pat if it’s OK for you it’s ok for every B&B in Cairns to do what you do.
This site should be devoid of all agents, and B&B owners as they constantly present a false impression to feather their own nests.
If you or any one else promotes a product through this site you should also tell the people how much commission you take for booking the product.
Fodors is a place for travelers to swap experiences, not a place for B&B operators to obtain their clients.
Join the tourism association Pat. Type on their web site.
Fodors is for travelers.
Yobfeer

OK yobfeer you have thrown out the challenge regarding Pat and in a small way myself so let us see you put your money where your mouth is.
Firstly what kind of BMW do I own if in fact I actually do have one? Secondly everyone who has been following this site for years knows who I am and where I live, as they do Pat so instead of hiding behind a Fodor's ID of Yobfeer tell us exactly who you are and where you live. Full names please and occupation. I think your statement that you are a cray fisherman is another porkie. Actually everyone who has been writing on this forum for a long time is known to everyone by their real names so join us then and tell us who you are and how you think you know so much about people who have nothing to do with you, other than spend their valuable time trying to help people with information and suggestions for a better travel experience. I personally think you are a pain in the butt so please show me how wrong I am and be "outed".

Wrong, yobfeer - am quite aware of Fodor's commercial promotion rules and have never mentioned the name of my B&B. Other people who have stayed here have, and not always positively, and if you think the positive ones are me in disguise, then I feel sorry for you. Of course I've recommended many trips by name, but only ones I've been on. I accompanied friends from Sydney on the above trip, mainly to re-acquaint myself with Cairns Tropical Zoo and Kuranda Train which I hadn't taken for ages, and was not acting as a tour guide - why would anybody need a guide on such a trip? If I did this trip with every paying guest, I'd be going nearly every day. And I take exception to you calling my guests "bleeding hearts".

As you well know, all tours pay agent's commission for the trips and give famils so the agents know what they're talking about. As all tours pay commission there is no financial reason to favour a particular trip. And there is a certain satisfaction in knowing when a guest comes home they've had an enjoyable day.

Since you mention it I've been a member of CTA for years, and have finalist award, March 2002, "in recognition of excellent service to Tourism Hospitality".

Whitecar only advertise a 10.00am morning service so not good really. Would hardly be worth going into Cairns at all.

As a tourist I find train one way and skyrail the other too full on for one day. Plus Kuranda is full on tourist trap.

We caught train up and shuttle down.

We arrived for the 9.30am train at 9.15am and arrived at 11.30am in Kuranda. Was a nice trip but sooo slow. It is only about 30 kilometres by road. A bus one way gives more time if you plan around the timetable.

My 2c worth and I think it up to the thread author to decide, not other posters. We offer different viewpoints and they can make a decision.

It is really rude to slam other peoples suggestions.

Of course Pat has it occurred to you that 'Yobfeer' or should I put it another way 'Reefboy' could well be one of your opposition B&Bs who is not as successful as yourself and therefore has a bee in its bonnet about you and your success? His pathetic attempts to make you look as though you are getting something out of writing on this forum smack of jealousy and are so petty and childlike that really he is of no consequence at all. Perhaps if we just ignore him he will go away and play silly games with someone else.

lizF
You're right.
This fool who calls himself Yobfeer is an idiot. If he dares to give any more offence to my wife he'll have me to answer to.
Hey Yobfeer - all you have to do is come down the hill and I'll be waiting for you.