A butterfly in the butterfly house.
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From Kuranda Atherton Tablelands:
The picturesque mountain retreat of Kuranda Village is just 25km northwest of Cairns and attracts visitors from all over the world who enjoy its superb wildlife attractions, walking trails, river cruises, souvenir shopping and artists’ galleries. Initially, people came to admire the mighty 125m Barron Falls, while artisans were attracted to the region’s natural beauty and decided to call it home, creating a vibrant arts and craft culture.
Make sure you allow plenty of time to visit some of Kuranda’s world-renowned attractions and activities, which include koalas, butterflies, native and exotic birds, kangaroos, reptiles, some of the world’s most venomous snakes, and even come face to face with a huge life-size replica of an Allosaurus Dinosaur.
You can see traditional Indigenous dance performances, voyage on a riverboat along the spectacular Barron River, get your photo taken holding a koala, feed wallabies, and explore an amazing gemstone museum, all amongst the beautiful rainforest that envelops the town.
Kuranda has evolved into a superb place to shop. There are bargains to be had, as well as exquisite artisan pieces at the other end of the spectrum.
The markets in Kuranda are diverse and have been a feature of the village for 25 years, opening all year round except Christmas Day. The best Kuranda buys are the hand-made local products and quality Australiana such as opals, wood-art, didgeridoos, and other authentic Indigenous artifacts. You’ll find delightfully soft and supple kangaroo skins and leather products, and for that souvenir t-shirt for anyone back home, you can’t go past Kuranda’s range and prices!
Historic buildings now house a variety of upmarket eateries and bars to enjoy and relax in. Dine indoors in air-conditioned comfort, or take an alfresco table surrounded by the vistas and sounds of Kuranda at one of the many quality hotels, restaurants, cafes, bar and grills in this exciting village.
History
Kuranda began life in the 1800s as a retreat where locals could escape the heat and humidity of Cairns and the tropical coast. During the ’60s, a new wave of settlers arrived, embracing the alternative lifestyle movement of the day and establishing Kuranda as an arts and crafts nexus. Catering for visitors forms the basis of commerce and lifestyle in Kuranda today. There is plenty of accommodation to be found, whether it be a cosy bed and breakfast, a well-maintained, multi-choice accommodation, and camping park, a historic hotel that harks back to the 1920s or a modern resort with one of the best natural style swimming pools found anywhere.
Entrance Into The Kuranda Market Place with Many Little Market Shops:
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The Butterfly Sanctuary:
The largest butterfly aviary & exhibit in Australia with 1,500+ butterflies & interactive guided tours.
See this awesome website with a YouTube Video of the sanctuary: Australian Butterfly Sanctuary: Things to Do Kuranda
Having A Coffee Break in the Dining Market Down Below:
Our coffee area looks out on a local area of rainforest.
A big lizard makes its presence felt on a step where we were drinking coffee.
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Birdworld Kuranda. See this website: Birdworld Kuranda
We didn’t have time to see this Birdworld as there was so much to see at Kuranda. We wanted to see Barron Falls before we left Kuranda.
Cassowary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cassowaries (/ˈkæsəwɛəri/), genus Casuarius, are ratites (flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bone) that are native to the tropical forests of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia), East Nusa Tenggara, the Maluku Islands, and northeastern Australia.[3]
There are three extant species. The most common of these, the southern cassowary, is the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird, smaller only than the ostrich and emu.
Cassowaries feed mainly on fruit, although all species are truly omnivorous and will take a range of other plant food, including shoots and grass seeds, in addition to fungi, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Cassowaries are very wary of humans, but if provoked they are capable of inflicting serious, even fatal, injuries to both dogs and people. The cassowary has often been labeled “the world’s most dangerous bird”.[4]
This was very interesting as outside the Dining Market there was a big aeroplane set along a rainforest walk.
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain:
Have you seen the plane crash just outside of the Kuranda Heritage Markets? The Douglas C-47 Skytrain has had a long & interesting history, It claims to fame is it’s role in the 1984 ‘Sky Pirates’ before finding its home in #Kuranda
See the website: North Queensland: Kuranda – Australia For Everyone
When Trans Australian Airlines (now the domestic arm of Qantas) began operations in mid-1946, its first aircraft acquisition was two Douglas DC-3s. The shell of one of these aircraft – a C-47 Skytrain registered as VVH-DAS, and the first of TAA’s fleet – is on display in the Queensland town of Kuranda. The shell is a left-over of its role in the movie “Sky Pirates” in 1984, at which time it was given its USAF markings as “6903077/B5”. The remains of DC-3 VH-DAS were assembled into a crash diorama at Kuranda in July 1984. Originally named “Geronimo” by the US Air Force when it began service in November 1942, it was based at Mareeba during World War II. The aircraft was re-named “Cunningham” when it entered service with Trans-Australia Airlines in July 1946.
The C-47 Skytrain was a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. A dozen more DC-3s would be added to TAA’s fleet, all ex-RAAF aircraft originally bought by the Australian Government under lend-lease, which were converted back to carrying passengers. The DC3 was originally designed in America in1935 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for a long range passenger aircraft for American Airlines.
A lady making big bubbles and releasing them.
To see the next activity we were involved with over the week we were up on the Atherton Tablelands, see this post:
ACTIVITIES & TOURS
HIKING & WALKING
What to Pack: The Ultimate Travel Packing Guide for the Atherton Tablelands
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