Kuranda, Village in the Rainforest

Written by Admin. Posted in Association

It may seem a little abnormal to call a township of some 5000 residents a village. But it is a village and is known worldwide as the “Village in the Rainforest”. The central residential area of Kuranda only has about 200 residents but is surrounded by many square kilometres of rural residential properties. The area is heavily rain-forested and has what can only be described as an enviable climate. The weather is agreeable with about one frost every decade and rarely five days a year over 35 degrees. The humidity is much lower than the coast. Essentially the summer is cooler than all major capitals and the winter is warmer. Kuranda reputedly has the third cleanest air in the world.
It is situated at an altitude of over 350 meters due west of Cairns - about half an hour drive away. At the foot of the Kuranda range (about 15 minutes) is the residential and commercial area of Smithfield and the Northern Beaches. This ensures that all services and “big city” facilities are available but it also means that residents of Kuranda are separated into a privileged enclave of small town lifestyle.
Kuranda has several world-renowned attractions. They include the Kuranda Scenic Railway; the multi tourism award winner - Skyrail; the Kuranda Markets; the Kuranda Amphitheatre and the Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, The Aviary, Birdworld and Rainforestation. Every year over a million visitors come to Kuranda with the best estimates at about 1,400,000 tourists