Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
The forest beneath the gondolas.
A World Heritage rainforest, the Barron Gorge and a carefully built cableway offer several ways into the story of Skyrail.
On this page
A World Heritage rainforest
Skyrail runs for 7.5 km above Barron Gorge National Park, part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. Its two rainforest stations, Red Peak and Barron Falls, let visitors step down into the forest on boardwalks.
Before construction began, an agreement was made with the Djabugay Tribal Aboriginal Corporation to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage along the route.
Built with care
No roads were built for the cableway. Helicopters flew in the materials for its 32 towers, workers walked to each site, and soil and leaf litter were put back after the work.
Skyrail opened in 1995 and has received environmental awards, and in 2005 it set up the Skyrail Rainforest Foundation to fund rainforest research and education.
The Barron Gorge
At Barron Falls station, The Edge Lookout looks out over the Barron Gorge, and boardwalks lead to views of the falls. The Kuranda Scenic Railway also runs through the gorge.
This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
