Kuranda is surrounded by World Heritage listed wet tropics rainforest with approximately 1,200 species of flowering plants, 800 of which are rainforest trees.
There are many things to do whilst staying at Honeybee House and the Kuranda Visitor Information Centre has all the information you need to make your visit a memorable one. Below are just a few of the options:
• Hop onto the Kuranda Riverboat for a 45 minute relaxing and informative cruise on the Barron River.
• Enjoy The Barron Falls and treetop boardwalk, as well as bush walks within the rainforest around the village.
• Take a relaxing, slow and easy ATV ride through Barron Falls Estate in Kuranda with Kuranda Rainforest Journeys.
• Explore the Kuranda Arts Co-operative Gallery in Coondoo Street.
• Travel on the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
• Meet the largest collection of free-flying birds in Australia at Birdworld Kuranda.
• Cuddle a koala, feed the kangaroos and wallabies, see snakes and freshwater crocodiles at the Kuranda Koala Gardens.
• Marvel at the amazing tropical butterflies in the walk-through rainforest enclosure at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.
• Visit the Original Kuranda Markets and the Heritage Markets.
• Taste the delicious Kuranda Homemade Tropical Ice Cream.
• Sample the sweets made at the Kuranda Candy Kitchen.
Half an hour’s drive west from Kuranda is Mareeba where the rainforest meets the outback. Below is a list of just a few of the things you can do on the Atherton Tableland and beyond. More information can be found at Tourism Atherton Tablelands.
• There is Jaques Coffee Plantation and the Golden Drop Mango Winery where you can relax and taste their products.
• Spend some time at Granite Gorge getting up close with the rock wallabies and enjoy great bush walks or a swim there.
• Visit the towns on the Atherton Tableland and the many majestic waterfalls, such as Millaa Millaa Falls.
- Have a swim in the crater lakes of Eacham and Barrine.
• Mungalli Creek Dairy offers award-winning bio-dynamic milk, yoghurt and cheeses and welcomes visitors.
• Gallo Dairyland at Atherton produces gourmet cheeses and hand-crafted chocolate.
Speewah Circuit Walk
Speewah Conservation Park gives visitors many opportunities to explore and enjoy the rainforest of the adjacent Barron Gorge National Park.
In seasons past, local Djabugandgi Bama people walked these Djabugay tracks in search of seasonal foods and to trade with other tribes along the Coral Sea coastline. When gold was discovered on the Hodgkinson Goldfields west of Cairns in the late 1870s, two explorers - Douglas and Smith - blazed trails up the range to link the mines with the coastal port. Parts of these routes followed existing Aboriginal pathways and today, a circuit trail links these two historic tracks, providing a shady hike through rainforest, along dry eucalypt ridgelines and across clear, cool streams.
It’s a good idea to wear boots on this hike and plenty of insect repellent to deter ticks and leeches.
Distance: 13 km.
Time: 4 hours.
Start/Finish: Speewah camp ground.
Nearest Town: Kuranda.
Best Season: March to November.
Maps: Sunmap 1:25,000 topo; 8064-32 (Redlynch).
Getting there: Follow the Captain Cook Highway north of Cairns to Smithfield, turn left up the range to Kuranda, then follow the Kennedy Highway towards Mareeba for 6 km. Turn left on to Speewah Road, and after 3.2 km, left again on to Stoney Creek Road. Beyond the bridge, turn left on to Smiths Track (Road) and continue to the camp ground.
Terrain: A mixture of rough, steep trails and broad logging tracks.
Food/Drink: Fuel, supplies and meals are available at Kuranda (10 km away) or at the Speewah Tavern, 5 km from the camp ground.
Copyright - Melissa Clinton 2024