Cairns: How to do the Skyrail/train combo if arriving by ship?

[fstuff1]

Will be in Cairns this Tues on ship, 8am-5pm. (Last tender 4pm)

I can get priority tender so be on 1st tender off ship.

 

skyrail/train combo:

https://www.skyrail.com.au/plan/skyrail-kuranda-train/

 

i am confused as to how to do this myself.

 

Which one to start? Skyrail first or train first?

How do i get there?

Do i need a bus transfer?

Where does it drop me off at?

How to get back to cruise ship?

 

Thx

Edited October 22, 2023 by fstuff1

[yarramar]

That will be at Yorkeys Knob. It is 10 minutes by car to the Skyrail. Catch a cab if you are first off the ship or prebook a transfer. Go up the cableway, spend time at Kuranda, then return via the train or visa versa. There is a shuttle between the two. When finished catch cab or Uber back to the cruise terminal.

[possum52]

You will need to get yourself to the Smithield Skyrail Terminus by taxi or shuttle - check if the ship is providing any. A bus will transfer you to Freshwater Railway Station to catch the train. To be able to do both the train and skyrail  this will be the best option due to time constraints with the timing of the train - the train leaves Freshwater Station at 9.55am and will arrive in Kuranda at approx. 1130am. You will then have some time to explore Kuranda and return to Smithfield on the Skyrail and then on to Yorker’s Knob for your tender. The Skyrail trip is approx 45 minutes direct from Kuranda back to Smithfield. There are two stations you can stop at to look at the scenery.

Kuranda Railway and Skyrail

 

 

[fstuff1]

12 hours ago, possum52 said:

You will need to get yourself to the Smithield Skyrail Terminus by taxi or shuttle - check if the ship is providing any. A bus will transfer you to Freshwater Railway Station to catch the train.

To be able to do both the train and skyrail  this will be the best option due to time constraints with the timing of the train - the train leaves Freshwater Station at 9.55am and will arrive in Kuranda at approx. 1130am. You will then have some time to explore Kuranda and return to Smithfield on the Skyrail and then on to Yorker’s Knob for your tender. The Skyrail trip is approx 45 minutes direct from Kuranda back to Smithfield. There are two stations you can stop at to look at the scenery.

Kuranda Railway and Skyrail

 

 

Train going up in the morning is sold out due to cruise ship excursions.

😞

i called up the train company directly since they are separate from skyrail: (https://www.ksr.com.au/Pages/SecureBookingEnquiry.aspx)

 

since my last tender is at 4pm, they dont recommend the 2pm train. it's arrives at freshwater station at 330pm. then need to take their bus transfer to smithfield.

then i need to get from smithfield to tender pier.

 

Looks like i'm only doing skyrail. (roundtrip)

So how much time do you recommend to spend at Red peak and barron falls stations?

and how much time to spend at Kuranda station?

 

edit: skyrail times

 

note:

there's also a 129pm  but it's sold out for my day. thats why it's not listed. that's the last skyrail back to smithfield

Edited October 22, 2023 by fstuff1

[possum52]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

Train going up in the morning is sold out due to cruise ship excursions.

😞

i called up the train company directly since they are separate from skyrail: (https://www.ksr.com.au/Pages/SecureBookingEnquiry.aspx)

 

since my last tender is at 4pm, they dont recommend the 2pm train. it's arrives at freshwater station at 330pm. then need to take their bus transfer to smithfield.

then i need to get from smithfield to tender pier.

 

Looks like i'm only doing skyrail. (roundtrip)

So how much time do you recommend to spend at Red peak and barron falls stations?

and how much time to spend at Kuranda station?

 

edit: skyrail times

 

note:

there's also a 129pm  but it's sold out for my day. thats why it's not listed. that's the last skyrail back to smithfield

That is why I recommended the train up because there was no way you would have time to get back to be on the last tender. The train is very popular and is usually booked out very early. Usually not something you try to book the day before. 
 

When you arrive at the Skyrail terminal at Kuranda, you can walk up the hill to the shops and markets where there are also cafes and restaurants where you can have a cup of coffee or lunch. Read up on what you will see at the Skyrail stations and decide if want to spend time there. I would suggest if you do stop, do it on the way up and come directly back on the return trip. Then you won’t be worried you will miss the last tender. 

[yarramar]

13 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

since my last tender is at 4pm, they dont recommend the 2pm train. it's arrives at freshwater station at 330pm. then need to take their bus transfer to smithfield.

then i need to get from smithfield to tender pier.

Why do you need to take the shuttle back to Smithfield? You can catch a taxi from Freshwater to the tender terminal. 15 minutes.

[fstuff1]

8 hours ago, yarramar said:

Why do you need to take the shuttle back to Smithfield? You can catch a taxi from Freshwater to the tender terminal. 15 minutes.

oh.. that makes sense.

instead of freshwater shuttle to smithfield then catching an uber to yorkey knob, get an uber at freshwater.

 

anyway, we decided that with a 4pm last tender, it was cutting it too close.

we're just doing the skyrail roundtrip with 115pm going down. (the last time slot of 130pm is sold out)

[yarramar]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

anyway, we decided that with a 4pm last tender, it was cutting it too close.

we're just doing the skyrail roundtrip with 115pm going down. (the last time slot of 130pm is sold out)

It's a shame to miss the scenic railway. Find out if there is a waitlist or call them 24 hours before your dates to see if there has been a cancellation in bookings.

[fstuff1]

33 minutes ago, yarramar said:

It's a shame to miss the scenic railway. Find out if there is a waitlist or call them 24 hours before your dates to see if there has been a cancellation in bookings.

My Cruise ship took all the morning bookings :(

[fstuff1]

Uber from Yorkie to Smithfield station is 17aud.

 

Uber driver suggested it'll be cheaper for a group to Uber to kuranda (40 Aud) then one way skyrail to Smithfield than to do roundtrip for the group 

Edited October 24, 2023 by fstuff1

[possum52]

1 hour ago, yarramar said:

It's a shame to miss the scenic railway. Find out if there is a waitlist or call them 24 hours before your dates to see if there has been a cancellation in bookings.

The OP is in Cairns today.

[yarramar]

45 minutes ago, possum52 said:

The OP is in Cairns today.

Thanks, I realised that after posting. 

 

[fstuff1]

At the top of the skylift is the town of Kuranda.

Unfortunately, I found it to be like the gift shop at the end of a Disney ride.

So many shops selling stuff. That's not me.

 

There was a koala habit place about 8 min walking into the town. It costs 21aud but it was around 1230pm and I didn't have time with a 115pm sky lift ticket back.

it looked like you can have pics taken with a koala

 

Protip:

Theres a free guided tour at the Red Peaks stop, every 30min.  It was crowded in the morning so I skipped it.

At 130pm I was the only person so I got a private tour of that area of the rainforest.

So if you're taking the skylift back, do the tour then

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by fstuff1

[cargig21]

On 10/23/2023 at 1:50 AM, possum52 said:

That is why I recommended the train up because there was no way you would have time to get back to be on the last tender. The train is very popular and is usually booked out very early. Usually not something you try to book the day before. 
 

When you arrive at the Skyrail terminal at Kuranda, you can walk up the hill to the shops and markets where there are also cafes and restaurants where you can have a cup of coffee or lunch. Read up on what you will see at the Skyrail stations and decide if want to spend time there. I would suggest if you do stop, do it on the way up and come directly back on the return trip. Then you won’t be worried you will miss the last tender. 

I'm just looking at booking tickets for the scenic railway up, Skyrail back for our cruise in March/April. The departures in the morning say 8.49am or 9.49am - is that the train departure time or the bus from the Smithfield terminus to the train? We dock at 8am & it's a tender port so would it be cutting it too fine to do the 8.49am departure? Would this then get us up there for 10.30am? The last departure down on the Skyrail is showing as 1.14pm so if we ended up taking the 9.49am up, would this give us enough time up there before coming back? Really not sure what to do?!

[possum52]

What website are you looking at to book on?  What time does your ship leave? 

Edited January 8 by possum52

[triplem67]

2 hours ago, cargig21 said:

I'm just looking at booking tickets for the scenic railway up, Skyrail back for our cruise in March/April. The departures in the morning say 8.49am or 9.49am - is that the train departure time or the bus from the Smithfield terminus to the train? We dock at 8am & it's a tender port so would it be cutting it too fine to do the 8.49am departure? Would this then get us up there for 10.30am? The last departure down on the Skyrail is showing as 1.14pm so if we ended up taking the 9.49am up, would this give us enough time up there before coming back? Really not sure what to do?!

Hello @cargig21
Can I make a suggestion for you to consider?  This comes from a lot of personal research I've done for my own privately arranged Kuranda excursion in late February (also arriving into Yorkey's Knob by a tender).  

Consider switching to Skyrail up and Scenic Train back if that combination is available. I was told by a friend that on her excursion, she did train up and they had issues with the train losing traction due to wet slippery conditions.  The staff were constantly having to stop and put sand on the tracks so the train could get traction.  My friend had booked the 9:30am train that was due to arrive at 11:25am but the trip up took much longer than usual.  Once they arrived in Kuranda, they had very little time and had to go back as they had booked the 2:00pm train back.  Keep in mind that Wet Season runs from November to May.  

By taking Skyrail up to Kuranda first, it gives you flexibility that if the the Tender situation from your Ship has you running late, you will not miss the Skyrail.  There are Gondolas leaving every 30 seconds.  You may just have to wait for some free space to board a Gondola in between other bookings.  When you book Skyrail, the departure windows are spaced 15 minutes apart and it's okay if you miss your booked time.    March April is low season so it won't be that busy and they can easily slot you in once you arrive.  This was the advice I was given directly from Skyrail staff.  

Then, you can book the the Scenic train back (if seats are available on your date).  There is a 2pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 3:32pm or Cairns 3:55pm.  Or a 3:30pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 5:02pm or Cairns 5:35pm.

You will need to line all this up with your Cruise Ship Tender arrival and departure times.  On my cruise we have an overnight stop in Cairns (anchored off Yorkey's Knob) and I have planned to do Kuranda on Day 1 so we're not racing to get back to ship before it departs.  I have also arranges private transport for our group so we're not stressing about catching taxi's or Uber which can be hard to come by at Yorkey's Knob.

* Note that it should affect you with March / April but the Scenic Railway is currently closed until 11th February while track and bridge damage is repaired after the Cyclone that hit in mid-December *

I happy to answer any questions you might have.  

[cargig21]

5 hours ago, triplem67 said:

Hello @cargig21
Can I make a suggestion for you to consider?  This comes from a lot of personal research I've done for my own privately arranged Kuranda excursion in late February (also arriving into Yorkey's Knob by a tender).  

Consider switching to Skyrail up and Scenic Train back if that combination is available. I was told by a friend that on her excursion, she did train up and they had issues with the train losing traction due to wet slippery conditions.  The staff were constantly having to stop and put sand on the tracks so the train could get traction.  My friend had booked the 9:30am train that was due to arrive at 11:25am but the trip up took much longer than usual.  Once they arrived in Kuranda, they had very little time and had to go back as they had booked the 2:00pm train back.  Keep in mind that Wet Season runs from November to May.  

By taking Skyrail up to Kuranda first, it gives you flexibility that if the the Tender situation from your Ship has you running late, you will not miss the Skyrail.  There are Gondolas leaving every 30 seconds.  You may just have to wait for some free space to board a Gondola in between other bookings.  When you book Skyrail, the departure windows are spaced 15 minutes apart and it's okay if you miss your booked time.    March April is low season so it won't be that busy and they can easily slot you in once you arrive.  This was the advice I was given directly from Skyrail staff.  

Then, you can book the the Scenic train back (if seats are available on your date).  There is a 2pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 3:32pm or Cairns 3:55pm.  Or a 3:30pm Train departure arriving Freshwater Station 5:02pm or Cairns 5:35pm.

You will need to line all this up with your Cruise Ship Tender arrival and departure times.  On my cruise we have an overnight stop in Cairns (anchored off Yorkey's Knob) and I have planned to do Kuranda on Day 1 so we're not racing to get back to ship before it departs.  I have also arranges private transport for our group so we're not stressing about catching taxi's or Uber which can be hard to come by at Yorkey's Knob.

* Note that it should affect you with March / April but the Scenic Railway is currently closed until 11th February while track and bridge damage is repaired after the Cyclone that hit in mid-December *

I happy to answer any questions you might have.  

Thank you this is really great & helpful advice. I will put the feelers out on the Roll Call & see if anyone else is planning to do their own trip to the Skyrail & see if they would like to share some transportation. I would feel much happier knowing that if you miss your booked gondola for whatever reason, they will fit you into one of the next few rather than having to wait around for a train that could still be unreliable - I had no idea about the slippery tracks thing! Thank you so much 🙏🏼

[triplem67]

1 hour ago, cargig21 said:

Thank you this is really great & helpful advice. I will put the feelers out on the Roll Call & see if anyone else is planning to do their own trip to the Skyrail & see if they would like to share some transportation. I would feel much happier knowing that if you miss your booked gondola for whatever reason, they will fit you into one of the next few rather than having to wait around for a train that could still be unreliable - I had no idea about the slippery tracks thing! Thank you so much 🙏🏼

@cargig21 You're welcome.  I didn't know about the slippery tracks either but doing this journey in wet season, I think it's good to know about the potential for problems / delays.  

Let me know if you need a great contact for private transport.  My contact Nicky, has been amazing to work with.  We have a large group and booked out her entire fleet on the day.  She has an 11 Seater mini bus, as well as vehicles that can seat 4 and up to 6 people comfortably.  

[cargig21]

2 minutes ago, triplem67 said:

@cargig21 You're welcome.  I didn't know about the slippery tracks either but doing this journey in wet season, I think it's good to know about the potential for problems / delays.  

Let me know if you need a great contact for private transport.  My contact Nicky, has been amazing to work with.  We have a large group and booked out her entire fleet on the day.  She has an 11 Seater mini bus, as well as vehicles that can seat 4 and up to 6 people comfortably.  

That's super helpful thank you! I've put a message out on our Roll Call to see if anyone is booking it separately & would like to share transport with us so if I hear anything, I'll come back to you for the details. Thanks so much!

[Jaymom]

On 1/8/2024 at 4:58 AM, triplem67 said:

@cargig21 You're welcome.  I didn't know about the slippery tracks either but doing this journey in wet season, I think it's good to know about the potential for problems / delays.  

Let me know if you need a great contact for private transport.  My contact Nicky, has been amazing to work with.  We have a large group and booked out her entire fleet on the day.  She has an 11 Seater mini bus, as well as vehicles that can seat 4 and up to 6 people comfortably.  

We have already booked this for our January cruise. Going up Skyrail and train down. We have two days in port, so no worries about missing the ship. Can I get more info on your private transport? What is the cost for a car? Do you contact her once you get a tender? We don’t have priority but are early risers so will be in line as early as possible for tickets. I

[mauimary]

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from Yorkeys Knob to Cairns? We will be overnight on Celebrity so it makes my options easier.  Where is the drop off?  I’m looking at some independent excursions. 

[possum52]

4 hours ago, mauimary said:

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from Yorkeys Knob to Cairns? We will be overnight on Celebrity so it makes my options easier.  Where is the drop off?  I’m looking at some independent excursions. 

There are shuttles into Cairns CBD(central business district), which in the past dropped off near the lagoon. It is about a 30 minutes drive into Cairns.

[triplem67]

On 4/10/2024 at 12:19 AM, Jaymom said:

We have already booked this for our January cruise. Going up Skyrail and train down. We have two days in port, so no worries about missing the ship. Can I get more info on your private transport? What is the cost for a car? Do you contact her once you get a tender? We don’t have priority but are early risers so will be in line as early as possible for tickets. I

Hey there @Jaymom
I can get all this info to you and share how it worked for us on the day. Send me an email at triplem67 @ gmail.com (take out the spaces) and I'll send you all the info and the contact details for the Transport I used.  

We started with a large-ish group and booked an 11-seat mini bus which was cheaper, but the group grew and we ended up adding another THREE private cars.  The service was excellent and I would definitely recommend them. 

I'm happy to share our experiences from the day.  😃👍

[triplem67]

On 4/10/2024 at 2:35 AM, mauimary said:

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from Yorkeys Knob to Cairns? We will be overnight on Celebrity so it makes my options easier.  Where is the drop off?  I’m looking at some independent excursions. 

Hi there @mauimary
I did the Celebrity GBR itinerary in late Feb / early March at Yorkey's Knob.  There was a Shuttle bus provided and I think it was free, but some people weren't happy with the service. 

The challenge was/is that there is a shortage of buses in the area post-COVID.  So on the first day of our Yorkey's overnight stop, many people were caught short when they had lined up for the shuttle bus in mid-afternoon to return to Yorkey's... but then the buses arrived, dropped off and left without taking anyone back to Yorkey's.  The problem was that the buses have long-standing bookings for the after school pick ups in the area and had to leave to meet that commitment.  

For some passengers who had been waiting in line for some time... this REALLY upset them... and I get it. January is wet season and this year it was a REALLY WET season.   There was also false gossip spread in our cruise group about Celebrity being "too cheap" and not paying to dock at the Cruise Terminal in Cairns.  If you're on Celebrity Edge, she's too big to dock so tendering at Yorkey's is the only option. I personally know the Marine Pilot we used on our cruise and chatted to him onboard about it.  The person who spread the "I spoke to someone in the know who told me blah blah" was total BS 😑🤦‍♀️ 

So you just need to be careful in planning what you're doing on those two days in Cairns.  I'm happy to answer questions and I can also ask others from my cruise how they arranged things.  You can also check the Roll call for the Celebrity Edge 25th Feb GBR Cruise for lots of great info.  

Let me know if you need any information.  

[mauimary]

14 hours ago, triplem67 said:

Hi there @mauimary
I did the Celebrity GBR itinerary in late Feb / early March at Yorkey's Knob.  There was a Shuttle bus provided and I think it was free, 
So you just need to be careful in planning what you're doing on those two days in Cairns.  I'm happy to answer questions and I can also ask others from my cruise how they arranged things.  You can also check the Roll call for the Celebrity Edge 25th Feb GBR Cruise for lots of great info.  

Let me know if you need any information.  

Thank you Triplem67. I actually did look at your Roll Call for the Feb 25 Edge. It was quite helpful and you were very helpful. There was lots of info on it.  At that time j was looking to get from Arlie Beach to the Whitsunday’s  on Celebrity tight schedule and following your  roll call on how you tried to get it all to come together.