Karunda Scenic Railway - Train from Cairns to Karunda

Hi Everyone

I know I read somewhere that when you take the train you want to be sitting on a certain side of the train. But I can't find that information now.

If you are leaving from Cairns station going up to Karunda which is the correct side to sit on?

I know coming down from Karunda to Cairns its the opposite, so I am asking for the side when going from Cairns to Karunda.

Thanks!

Hi Everyone

 

I know I read somewhere that when you take the train you want to be sitting on a certain side of the train. But I can't find that information now.

 

If you are leaving from Cairns station going up to Karunda which is the correct side to sit on?

 

I know coming down from Karunda to Cairns its the opposite, so I am asking for the side when going from Cairns to Karunda.

 

Thanks!

I don't think you can reserve seats so I'm not sure you can influence that. We got them allocated as we checked in at the station.

You can see both sides from any seat as well, so it's not a big deal. The only difference between sides is one you're sitting against the window. The other you're beside the aisle.

You must mean KURANDA scenic rail.

All info under http://www.ksr.com.au

Given the direction the train travels, I would guess you should sit on the left on the way up and on the right on the way down.

There is also the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway you should take a look at!

http://Www.skyrail.com.au

:)

We did a package with the skyrail on the way up and the train on the way down. For the train, the regular class car is long benches of 4 seats on the left hand side (alternating benches face each other). You don't get to pick your seat, it is assigned to you. We were fortunate that the day we went (and the train time we chose) was not very crowded and they had a completely empty car which they used to spread the rest of us out, otherwise it would have been a very cramped ride.

For that reason I'd suggest doing the gold class if you can swing it. I'd also definitely recommend doing the skyrail in one of the directions. It stops off at two points, including at the falls, and you get a much better view of the falls from that side of the river than from the train.

We did a package with the skyrail on the way up and the train on the way down. For the train, the regular class car is long benches of 4 seats on the left hand side (alternating benches face each other). You don't get to pick your seat, it is assigned to you. We were fortunate that the day we went (and the train time we chose) was not very crowded and they had a completely empty car which they used to spread the rest of us out, otherwise it would have been a very cramped ride. For that reason I'd suggest doing the gold class if you can swing it. I'd also definitely recommend doing the skyrail in one of the directions. It stops off at two points, including at the falls, and you get a much better view of the falls from that side of the river than from the train.

YES! for the tip on doing the Gold Class train ride after doing the Skyrail trip up. Just got back from a Jan. 20-Feb. 3 Sydney to Auckland cruise. Below is my live/blog with lots of pictures and added details.

Here is a few more info items, plus pictures from this train ride, etc. Don't be shy. Let me know any added questions or comments.

We did the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway up from nearby to Cairns and then came back on the historic rail train (with lots of flowing wine) that took us right into the heart of the main town. We got a rental car for the next day and went up to Port Douglas, etc. Our scheduled air flight to Lizard Island in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef was moved back a day due to weather needs.

This sky/rail trip might be a little over-priced, but it worked well for our needs on this first day in this region of Australia. From

http://www.ksr.com.au

they summarize riding the Kuranda Scenic Railway: "You’ll meander through a lush green world, a tropical paradise framed by rugged mountains and waterfalls tumbling forever into deep ravines. Authentic timber carriages transport you between Cairns and the pretty village of Kuranda, via hand-hewn tunnels and across towering bridges, through the awe-inspiring Barron Gorge. Your senses will come alive to the exotic beauty of Far North Queensland’s wet tropical rainforests, marvelling at the incredible array of plants and animals encountered all along the way." More details and background from this website.

Did not see any animals along this Sky/rail route, but the rest summarized correctly many of the interesting experiences. Being with friends made a big difference in doing this trip and having it be fun. It's a little long to only ride along by oneself on such a trip.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Just back from doing a 14-day Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on this ship and these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 36,335 views for this fun posting.

For this day in the Cairns area, we got, surprise, some rain while visiting the nearby rainforest areas. It was the sky ride to get up there, with several stop offs to explore these heavily forested areas. The Kuranda rail trip took us back a different routing, plus lots of interesting scenery, dramatic waterfalls, major engineering work, many train tunnels, big bridges, etc. The rail line dates back to 1891. For our group of six, we did the upgrade to the "gold" rail seating with plenty of wine, nice food/snacks, etc., in a wonderful, old-style rail car with great service and attention by the staff The great company and nice sights (plus the flowing wine), made it very much fun on a day with on and off patches of rain.:

Here are a couple of pictures giving more of a sample of our Monday rainforest/rail experience. First, Susan and John riding on the luxury rail car. John is a former college roommate and is filling out a post card that the train provided that they will be mailing back free to the USA. Yes, those are empty wine glasses. Had about three large classes each. Made the trip very, very good and flowing with that "help"!! Plus good wine from the great vine areas near Adelaide. This picture also gives a good sampling for the interior on one of these Second is another sample showing the rail cars making a turn with a big waterfall on the right side. Fun sights!!:

Kuranda was a fun, charming town!! Here is a visual sample for its "style and flavor". Yes, it had lots of both, plus more "character" given its hippie past. It offers a variety of interests for travelers doing the Skyrail and/or rail trip from the nearby base of Cairns. Lots of varied shopping "opportunities", plus lots of food potentials. In the main street of this town, there are large, large banyan trees. This shows one of those massive works of nature in front of a cute drug and photo shop. We also enjoyed talking with a woodworker in his shop next to where we had a great lunch. Good talking with him, seeing his many different wood pieces. Great items he offered and learning what woods can be cut down or now due to their environmental practices there. There was a shop that had various leather items made from Aussie Crocodiles. There were two of these stuffed, full-sized crocs in this shop. Don't see these in Ohio or the USA too much!!: