Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Coordinates: 16°50′53″S 145°41′41″E / 16.84806°S 145.69472°E
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is a scenic cableway running above the Barron Gorge National Park from the Cairns suburb of Caravonica to Kuranda, Queensland. The development of Skyrail was controversial as some local residents believed that damage may be done to World Heritage listed rainforest.[1] Following seven years of planning and approvals, and 14 months of construction, Skyrail opened to the public in August 1995.
Skyrail offers packages where visitors can return from Kuranda via the Kuranda Scenic Railway or also visit the Tjapukai Aboriginal and Cultural Park, located next door to the Caravonica base station.
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[edit] The Skyrail Experience
Spanning 7.5 km over Barron Gorge National Park, the Skyrail experience includes a scenic cableway ride and stops at two rainforest mid-stations. Here, guests alight from the cableway onto rainforest boardwalks, where interpretive information is provided through guided boardwalk tours, signage and an interpretive centre.
Skyrail may be experienced either as a one-way [in either direction] or return journey. A one-way experience takes approximately 1.5 hours, while a return experience takes approximately 2.5 hours.[2]
Skyrail offers packages with Kuranda Scenic Railway, in which guests travel one-way on Skyrail to Kuranda, and return via Kuranda Scenic Railway, or vice-versa.
Numerous packages are available with other popular attractions in the region, including:
- Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
- Rainforestation
- Kuranda Wildlife Experience
[edit] Stations
There are four Skyrail stations:
[edit] Caravonica Terminal
Caravonica Terminal is located in the suburb of Caravonica, 15 minutes north of Cairns, and 50 minutes south of Port Douglas. Guests may begin or end their Skyrail experience here.
[edit] Red Peak Station
Skyrail’s Red Peak Station is the highest point of the cableway, at 545 m (1788 ft) above sea level. Here, Skyrail’s Rangers conduct guided boardwalk tours on a 175 m rainforest boardwalk.
[edit] Barron Falls Station
Skyrail’s Barron Falls Station is situated adjacent to the Barron Falls. Skyrail’s boardwalks here lead to three lookouts of the Falls. This station also features a rainforest interpretation centre, which was developed in conjunction with Australia’s national science organisation, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation).[3]
[edit] Kuranda Terminal
Skyrail’s Kuranda Terminal is located in the rainforest village of Kuranda, adjacent to the Kuranda Scenic Railway Station.
[edit] Construction
The original Skyrail concept was conceived in 1987 and was followed by seven years of pre-construction feasibility studies, an Environmental Impact Study and numerous other reports and assessments, and consultation and approval processes with local, state and federal governments and local communities.
Skyrail’s construction required the development of world-first construction techniques to ensure minimal impact on the World Heritage listed rainforest in Barron Gorge National Park.
Construction commenced in June 1994, and Skyrail opened to the public on 31 August 1995.[4]
[edit] Awards
Skyrail has received numerous tourism and environmental awards, including:
- Australian National Tourism Awards
- 2009 Winner - Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
- 2008 Winner - Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
- 1999 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1997 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1996 Winner - Best Tourist Development Project
- Queensland Tourism Awards
- 2009 Winner - Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
- 2008 Winner - Excellence in Sustainable Tourism
- 2000 Hall of Fame - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1999 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1998 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1997 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1996 Winner - Best Tourist Development Project
- Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards
- 2009 Winner - Sustainable Tourism
- 2004 Winner - Hall of Fame - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 2003 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 2002 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 2001 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- 1998 Winner - Best Major Tourist Attraction
- International Tourism Awards
- 2000 Winner - British Airways "Tourism for Tomorrow" International Environment Award
- 1999 Winner - Wet Tropics Management Authority Cassowary Award. Awarded for demonstrating best practice in ecotourism during construction and ongoing operation, and for providing a high quality rainforest ecotourism experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
- 1996 Winner - EIBTM European Greening of Business Tourism Award in the Category of "Most Environmentally Conscious Visitor Attraction"
- 1996 Winner - Australian Federation of Travel Agents Awards for Excellence in the category "Best Resort or Tourist Attraction" Far North Queensland
[edit] Accreditations
Skyrail holds a number of business and environmental accreditations and certifications, including:
- Green Globe Gold Certification
- Environment Management System ISO 14001:2004
- Quality Management System ISO 9001:2000
- Ecotourism Australia - Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation
- Planet Safe Partnership[5]
[edit] Facts
- The cableway is 7.5 km (4.7 mi) long.
- It has a total of 114 gondola cabins, each capable of seating 6 passengers, providing a carrying capacity of 700 passengers per hour in each direction.
- The cableway can operate at a speed of five metres per second (18 kilometres per hour, or 11 miles per hour); however its normal operating speed is much slower to provide guests with the maximum time to enjoy their rainforest experience.
- There are 32 towers in total. The highest tower is Tower #6 at 40.5 m (133 ft) high.
- Red Peak is Skyrail’s highest station at 545 m (1,788 ft) above sea level. The Kuranda Station sits at 336 m (1,102 ft) and Caravonica Terminal is only 5 m (16 ft) above sea level.
- The steepest section of the cableway has a slope of 19 degrees.
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway has 15 kilometres of 40.5 mm galvanised steel rope weighing more than the equivalent of 100 sedan cars.
- There is a multi-core communications cable which runs in the middle of the towers, between the two lines of haul rope. This carries all the voice and safety circuit communications.
- The cableway is driven by a 383 kW (500 hp) D.C Electric Motor located at each drive station, the Kuranda and Caravonica Stations. Each drive station has a back-up diesel motor and a further auxiliary Hydrostatic Drive.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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