Kuranda, Queensland
- To the Austrian publicist Ignaz Kuranda see Ignaz Kuranda.
- To the Kuranda National Park in Queensland, Australia, see Kuranda National Park.
Kuranda is a small town in northern Queensland, Australia. It is a tourist town and has about 1600 inhabitants.
Geography
Location
The city lies on the Barron River on the western side of the Kuranda Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, an average of 380 meters above the sea level. It is surrounded by rainforest and is located 25 kilometers northwest of Cairns in the local government area ( LGA) Tablelands Regional Council.
Climate
In Kuranda has a tropical climate. The humidity is not as high as in Cairns, because the place is higher. The maximum temperatures can reach around 37 ° C during the period from November to April. In the remaining months the temperatures drop a bit and the humidity is lower. Due to its location in the rainforest Kuranda experiences only slight variations in temperature. There is a rainy and a dry season.
History
In the rainforest around Kuranda already lived 10,000 years ago, the Tjapukai Aboriginal people. Since the beginning of the 19th century the area was explored by Europeans. Prospectors and loggers moved into the region. A first settlement was founded in 1885. Three years later, a survey by Thomas Behan.
The construction of the railway from Cairns to Herberton began in 1882 and reached Kuranda in 1891. Together with the road to the port of Cairns, the foundation stone was laid for trade and prosperity. Due to the highly suitable altitude of 380 meters has begun in some places with the coffee cultivation to the entire crop was destroyed by frost in the early 20th century. The tin mining and timber extraction but was continued.
Kuranda was destination for domestic tourists, and was particularly popular with wedding couples on honeymoon. The beauty of the Barron waterfall and rainforest had spread. In 1915, the station building still in use was built. During the Second World War troops were stationed in the region and the military use took precedence over the tourism.
The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station was commissioned in 1963. Even today, 60 megawatts of electricity will be produced there with two generators. In the 1970s the village was discovered by hippies and it developed some hippie communes. In the stalls in the open air local produce and handmade goods were sold. Kuranda flourished during this period and experienced a population boost.
Attractions
Among the attractions of the place are the two travel options with the built in 1995 Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a 7.5 km long cable car that starts from Caravonica Terminal near Cairns. The trip takes 1.5 hours and takes a few meters above the rainforest. The Kuranda Scenic Railway departs from Cairns Railway Station 1.75 hours to Kuranda Station. The route has remained unchanged since 1891.
In the village there are several points of interest. This includes the various markets and art shops. Also, you can get a bird park, a butterfly sanctuary and a noctarium where nocturnal animals may be seen visiting. In the immediate surroundings there are several hiking trails and viewpoints, even at the Barron Falls.