Cairns port to Sky cable station

Hello

Can anyone tell me the best way to get to the SKy cable station from the port of Cairns please?

Thanks

Hello

 

Can anyone tell me the best way to get to the SKy cable station from the port of Cairns please?

 

Thanks

I think some of the ships might have to tender in. We stayed in Cairns last trip and took a van to meet the Sky Tram. Not certain how much time you have or if you are going to rent a car. If you do not want to go on a ship tour do a search for local tour companies that might pick you up. This is a tour I might consider with the ship since they are really only providing transportation. Once on the sky tram the guides are probably the same. We did this last trip while on a land trip. This time we are just going to use the ships transportation.

Karen

Hello

 

Can anyone tell me the best way to get to the SKy cable station from the port of Cairns please?

 

Thanks

Important to know where you dock.

Hire car would be more convenient but prolly only realistic if you dock in Cairns cbd as that's where most of the rental agency offices are besides the airport.

Many ships will dock in downtown Cairns at the cruise terminal but many of the larger ships can't so will anchor just north of cairns at Yorkeys Knob and you tender in.

Skyrail do have a pick up service to hotels in Cairns ( and if you dock in Cairns your not far from the Hilton or Shangri La hotels ) so check their website...you contact Skyrail to arrange and maybe get picked up for the hotel lobby.

http://www.skyrail.com.au/visitor-information/location

if you wanted a bit of a local adventure and to see the local back streets you could get a local public bus. The local commuter bus service is called Sunbus. There is a route from central Cairns that goes past Skyrail and you would then walk to it a short distance. Of course your subject to the vagrancies of a public bus schedule and in Australia that could be half hourly or hourly. The bus service is route 123. See the attached link to schedules and a route map. Your looking for the stop marked 'Skyrail Base station' or ' Tjapukai/Skyrail' which is about half way along each route. By the look of the schedule they run every 30 mins or so (if on time) but do take up to an hour to travel an indirect route that if you had a car might take 15 - 20 mins ( you would just drive straight up the Captain Cook highway past the airport).

http://www.sunbus.com.au/documents/qconnectttCairnsR123133v501WR_000.pdf

My recommendation is to avoid the local commuter bus service. Locals avoid it as being unreliable and unpleasant.

Determine where you are going to arrive in Cairns. If you are docking at Trinity Wharf then you will be in the centre of town and you could see if there is a local company offering shuttles to the Skyrail station. Worst case scenario would be a taxi - cost maybe $30 one way.

If you are tendering into Yorkeys Knob then you will need to find a shuttle bus.

Have you contacted Skyrail direct to see if they are putting shuttles for non-ship excursions on?

It looks like Rhapsody of the Seas will be docking in Cairns port, and not at Yorkeys Knob anchorage.

As suggested above, try Skyrail directly and see if they will have their shuttle bus do a drive by pickup.

Determine where you are going to arrive in Cairns. If you are docking at Trinity Wharf then you will be in the centre of town and you could see if there is a local company offering shuttles to the Skyrail station. Worst case scenario would be a taxi - cost maybe $30 one way.

Do you know if taxis are usually available as we walk off the ship or would we need to call for a taxi?

Do you know if taxis are usually available as we walk off the ship or would we need to call for a taxi?

If you are due to dock at Trinity Wharf at Cairns then I am very confident that taxis will be readily available to whisk you off to Skyrail.

If however you are tendering into Yorkey's Knob then I would not expect taxis to be on hand.

We will be in Cairns on the Rhapsody next week (yay!!). The ship does dock at Trinity Wharf.

We booked our own excursion to Kuranda with Skyrail directly and found it to be much cheaper than the ship's tours. They have tours that include shuttle transfers to and from the station that leave from the wharf or very nearby. We are being picked up from The Sebel Hotel in Abbott Street which, going from the maps I have checked, is just over the road from the wharf. When you book you can select Trinity wharf in the hotel list and they will advise where you will be picked up - it will be very close by.

You can go to the Skyrail website at http://www.skyrail.com.au and book directly there. I think there are also plenty of other tour operators who also organise transfers from various hotels which would be in easy walking distance from where the ship docks.

I hope that is helpful for you.

We will be in Cairns on the Rhapsody next week (yay!!). The ship does dock at Trinity Wharf.

 

We booked our own excursion to Kuranda with Skyrail directly and found it to be much cheaper than the ship's tours. They have tours that include shuttle transfers to and from the station that leave from the wharf or very nearby. We are being picked up from The Sebel Hotel in Abbott Street which, going from the maps I have checked, is just over the road from the wharf. When you book you can select Trinity wharf in the hotel list and they will advise where you will be picked up - it will be very close by.

 

You can go to the Skyrail website at www.skyrail.com.au and book directly there. I think there are also plenty of other tour operators who also organise transfers from various hotels which would be in easy walking distance from where the ship docks.

 

I hope that is helpful for you.

That is all very helpfull. Thank you

Cairns has a very well developed tourism industry and has many options for skyrail tours, all of which will pick you up from your hotel (or ship)

in Cairns, We went to Tourist Information and booked the train up to Kuranda and the Skyrail Gondola down. We got pick up at the Casino hotel which was close to where the ship docked and they drove us to the train station for the 8:20 a.m. Train and then pick us up at 3 p.m. At the bottom of the Skyrail. It cost a lot less what the ship cost and we would of saved an additional 16 dollars if we booked it directly at the train station and they would of bussed us to the Skyrail for the trip up and then come down on the train. The train station was two blocks in the opposite direction from where the ship docked.. both the train and Skyrail gondola ride was very nice, the town was interesting to walk through and the prices of stuff was actually better than what we found later in other ports. Halfway on the Gondola you can get off and take an easy guided walk through a rainforest via a board walk.

we will be in Cairns in late Feb.Should we wait to get there to purchase the tickets to skyrail or should we purchase them in advance?

we will be in Cairns in late Feb.Should we wait to get there to purchase the tickets to skyrail or should we purchase them in advance?

I guess that would depend on if you want to take the train or not. I booked 3 weeks before my trip, I just got back yesterday, and was able to book the gondola up and train down. The skyway up is quite a distance from the ship (if you are docked in town) so a transfer would be best. I booked from the skyrail site itself just for ease but there are several sites that offer it. If you just want to do the gondola up and down I'm sure you can do that when you get there.

If you have any questions about the excursion I'd be happy to answer them.

We are on the Solstice in April and have a feeling we will tender at Yorkey's Knob due to the size of the ship. Any ideas on getting to the skyrail from the tender dropoff point? We are disabled so can only walk a limited distance. We could take the ship tour but it is $60 more (each) but we may not have a choice. M.

We are on the Solstice in April and have a feeling we will tender at Yorkey's Knob due to the size of the ship. Any ideas on getting to the skyrail from the tender dropoff point? We are disabled so can only walk a limited distance. We could take the ship tour but it is $60 more (each) but we may not have a choice. M.

Yes, unfortunately Solstice is too big to dock in town and you will be tendering at Yorkeys Knob.

I would contact the Skyrail office to see if they will do pickups at the drop off point. I can't see why they would not.

A good day trip is the Skyrail one way and the Kuranda Railway the other. AU$114pp.

There are things to see and do in Kuranda during the day.

More details here;

http://www.skyrail.com.au/tours/skyrail-kuranda-rail

I forgot to add, if you do take the Kuranda Train get a seat on the right hand side of the carriage if going up or the left coming down. One side is the mountain the other are the views.

Yes, unfortunately Solstice is too big to dock in town and you will be tendering at Yorkeys Knob.

 

I would contact the Skyrail office to see if they will do pickups at the drop off point. I can't see why they would not.

Thanks for the advice. I will call them directly...

Hi New2Crooze

We're off on the Rhapsody on 18th Feb and wonder if you could answer a couple of questions for me please?

1. We've also arranged a pickup from Sebel Hotel for the Skyrail. Is this pickup on time? Do you meet in receiption?

2. Have read that sometimes the Rhapsody doesn't get into port until 12 noon . Hope this isn't the case for us !

3. Also what time is the muster drill onleaving Sydney please?

Any other tips gratefully received thanks. It'll be our first time in Aus from the UK

Many thanks

We got picked up at 8: 15 at a hotel, I think if you walked over to the train station before 8:30 you could buy a train/skyway ticket with transportating to the sky rail for about $100 per person,

Hi New2Crooze

 

1. We've also arranged a pickup from Sebel Hotel for the Skyrail. Is this pickup on time? Do you meet in receiption? The pick up was a bit late we got to the skyrail ontime. The mini bus pulled up front and we hopped in. We just waited in the circle drive. the bus has the word skyrail and picturea all over the lower half, you can't miss it. The Sebel hotel is easy to find, just note that as you walk away from the ship the hotel is on the left hand side of the street although you will see the words Sebel hotel on something that looks like a parking garage across the street.

2. Have read that sometimes the Rhapsody doesn't get into port until 12 noon . Hope this isn't the case for us ! I just got off the Rhapsody on Dec 18th, we had 2 days in Cairns and were in port by around 8 am.

3. Also what time is the muster drill onleaving Sydney please?

It was at 5 and we were supposed to be onboard by 430 but could leave again after it was over.

 

Any other tips gratefully received thanks. It'll be our first time in Aus from the UK The train from the Airport to the pier is very easy and convienient, I would recommend it if you are going or coming straight from the ship. I'd be happy to give you tips on anyplace or thing more specifically if you have questoins. I spend 2 days in Sydney before we left on the ship and was in Melbourne before that.

Hi New2Crooze

 

1. We've also arranged a pickup from Sebel Hotel for the Skyrail. Is this pickup on time? Do you meet in receiption? The pick up was a bit late we got to the skyrail ontime. The mini bus pulled up front and we hopped in. We just waited in the circle drive. the bus has the word skyrail and picturea all over the lower half, you can't miss it. The Sebel hotel is easy to find, just note that as you walk away from the ship the hotel is on the left hand side of the street although you will see the words Sebel hotel on something that looks like a parking garage across the street.

2. Have read that sometimes the Rhapsody doesn't get into port until 12 noon . Hope this isn't the case for us ! I just got off the Rhapsody on Dec 18th, we had 2 days in Cairns and were in port by around 8 am.

3. Also what time is the muster drill onleaving Sydney please?

It was at 5 and we were supposed to be onboard by 430 but could leave again after it was over.

 

Any other tips gratefully received thanks. It'll be our first time in Aus from the UK The train from the Airport to the pier is very easy and convienient, I would recommend it if you are going or coming straight from the ship. I'd be happy to give you tips on anyplace or thing more specifically if you have questoins. I spend 2 days in Sydney before we left on the ship and was in Melbourne before that.

 

Hi Ski Ninja

 

Many thanks for all your help. Yes, we were thnking of getting the train from the port on our return. I may well come back to you before we leave if I think of any more questions ! Thanks

Is Kuranda itself worth doing without doing the Skyrail and the train? What are the must do there? The Solstice has a coach tour just providing tranfers to and back from Yorkey's Knob and Kuranda