I ask this question as last week, we took a picnic BBA with us for a drive up the range. As pensioners, we are unable to pay the exorbitant fee for the train, or equaly the sky rail. We drove up, had a great look around the town, enjoyed the pretty station and spent money at various market stalls.
We then drove out to Barron Falls (bit of a disappointment, only a trickle currently), had a walk to Wrights Lookout, then, in the absence of a BBQ out there, decided to go back into Kuranda. Bit of a look around, but could not see any BBQs, so we asked at the info centre. We were told that council don't encourage picnickers at the request of the local shops, as they want the custom themselves (no different to a caravan park you might say). We eventually found a lonely little bbq under some trees, supported by the Lions. Bit grubby, fortunately we had our butane stove with us so proceeded to make our hamburgers. Thank you Lions for this little park, no thanks to the council or shop and market holders
Another thumbs down was the toilets near the info centre. Some were blocked with toilet paper, however there were few toilet rolls on the wall. Water on the floor everywhere, paper towel caddies empty.
Kuranda had been on my bucket list for quite a while, done now, wont be back in the near distant future.
Not sure Kuranda is classed as RV friendly, but is definitely not "picnic" friendly.
Anyone care to share their experiences here?
rockylizard said
10:59 AM Jun 15, 2017
Gday...
I can feel ya angst Dunmowin.
I visited Kuranda three times last year - with my wife travelling with me for once as we visited our son in Mareeba. We stayed at the Mareeba Rodeo Ground.
Loved the 'original' markets ... so 1960s and hippy
However, on each occasion the place was wall-to-wall tourists - busloads of Asian visitors, all the car parks were full - even by 9am - and so many of every type - young couples, young families, older families and old pharts like us.
We found the stall holders in the markets very friendly but at other 'shops' not as approachable - especially the food shops. Their businesses were definitely going gangbusters and they had no time to scratch themselves let alone take the time to chat or be friendly. Their prices were not too expensive.
I am not sure, but I think caravans are not at all encouraged - there may have even been a sign or two or mention in the 'tourist brochures' suggesting caravans stay away. There definitely is no parking facilities for vans or large motorhomes that I saw.
Regarding the 'lack of picnic areas' - there are quite a few 'parks/green areas' where one can sit - usually on the grass because the few seats provided were taken - and eat/drink the products purchased at the food outlets. There were no 'picnic tables' and definitely no BBQs I saw.
Our attraction was only to the markets and buying the hippy clobber and bling. It held no attraction to me personally but my wife bought heaps.
Would I return? Quite probably not - unless my wife insisted on replacing the bling she bought last time.
{edit: If one likes shoulder-to-shoulder tourists then it may not be a bother ... me ... too crowded for me.}
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Thursday 15th of June 2017 11:01:53 AM
bill12 said
12:02 PM Jun 15, 2017
You will laugh at this. We were walking near the railway to look at the falls, and were disapointed as it was a trickle- then there was a whistle, and the kuranda train went passed, and, lo and behold, the falls came on also. The operaters let the water flow to give the tourists a good view. Perhaps you should have waited for the train.........Also beware, there are Crocs in the dam at Kuranda. I have seen them. Perhaps they feed them on tourists..........Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Thursday 15th of June 2017 01:53:48 PM
Dougwe said
12:08 PM Jun 15, 2017
Phew! I had this vision spring to mind of Rocky with hippy cloths on and bling all over him.
Edit.....ooops, don't know what I was thinking earlier today.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Thursday 15th of June 2017 04:10:20 PM
Dunmowin said
03:16 PM Jun 15, 2017
bill12 wrote:
You will laugh at this. We were walking near the railway to look at the falls, and were disapointed as it was a trickle- then there was a whistle, and the kuranda train went passed, and, lo and behold, the falls came on also. The operaters let the water flow to give the tourists a good view. Perhaps you should have waited for the train.........Also beware, there are Crocs in the dam at Kuranda. I have seen them. Perhaps they feed them on tourists..........Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Thursday 15th of June 2017 01:53:48 PM
To be honest bill12, I did not believe you, but I just mentioned this to our house sit hosts, who are long term Cairns residents. They concur to what you say. Still it is a bit hard to believe.
BigRig said
04:48 PM Jun 15, 2017
I believe "they" , the crocs , are called "Johnson River Crocodiles". Could be wrong . But they get further sth than that too.
bill12 said
06:02 PM Jun 15, 2017
Some of the crocs are freshies, but a few are salty crocs, released pets I believe, so swimming could be hasardous.......
Santa said
07:14 PM Jun 15, 2017
Kuranda was way too touristy for me back in the mid 1980's, shudder to think what it is like now.
Guess if you like that sort of thing, I wouldn't bother stopping there now.
brickies said
09:39 PM Jun 15, 2017
What is RV friendly,Does it mean they give us thing we want for free.
Dunmowin said
09:46 PM Jun 15, 2017
brickies wrote:
What is RV friendly,Does it mean they give us thing we want for free.
Brickies, I did not ask if the town was RV friendly, nor that I was looking for anything "free" We were not there with our caravan, but I did ask if it was classed as RV friendly. My observation was that if you did not spend money in town, that they did not want you there.
Woody n Sue said
09:53 PM Jun 15, 2017
If memory serves they have been turning on the waterfall for the train something like 20 years ago when we were there with the kids
Woody
hako said
07:03 AM Jun 16, 2017
brickies wrote:
What is RV friendly,Does it mean they give us thing we want for free.
I wondered that as well brickies so I googled it and at the RACQ site I found their description of the requirements etc and has a link to the CMCA where there is a list of places that qualify to be RV friendly. Yowah in Qld is on of them!! :
The RV Friendly Town scheme is an initiative of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia and is a helpful way for caravanners to identify small towns to plan a stopover.
To qualify as an RV Friendly Town, a locality must offer a selection of services including:
A 24-hour medical service or pharmacy
A mechanic or service centre that can offer basic vehicle repairs
Access to a visitor information centre and a town map
Access to potable water and a dump point
Long-term parking available close to the town centre at a reasonable rate.
An RV Friendly Town will display a sign near its borders beside main entry routes into the town. A full list of towns in Queensland and across Australia can be found by clicking here.
SouthernComfort said
08:33 AM Jun 16, 2017
Maybe as a compromise, towns that provide suitable day-tripper parking for the rig while visiting & spending money could be classed as RV tolerant??
Warren-Pat_01 said
08:37 PM Jun 18, 2017
The only good time to see the north (from Townsville, north) & its falls is in the wet season - if we ever get one again. Cairns & the Tablelands have received a bit more rain than Townsville but the levels are down all the same.
Yes, they do release water for the tourist train but remember too that the dam also runs a smallish hydro plant too & water is quite precious at the moment.
Kuranda - I'd leave the van elsewhere & travel independently, giving you more freedom. The town has good markets but is a bit too "hippy' for my liking. Yungaburra is better!
I ask this question as last week, we took a picnic BBA with us for a drive up the range. As pensioners, we are unable to pay the exorbitant fee for the train, or equaly the sky rail. We drove up, had a great look around the town, enjoyed the pretty station and spent money at various market stalls.
We then drove out to Barron Falls (bit of a disappointment, only a trickle currently), had a walk to Wrights Lookout, then, in the absence of a BBQ out there, decided to go back into Kuranda. Bit of a look around, but could not see any BBQs, so we asked at the info centre. We were told that council don't encourage picnickers at the request of the local shops, as they want the custom themselves (no different to a caravan park you might say). We eventually found a lonely little bbq under some trees, supported by the Lions. Bit grubby, fortunately we had our butane stove with us so proceeded to make our hamburgers. Thank you Lions for this little park, no thanks to the council or shop and market holders
Another thumbs down was the toilets near the info centre. Some were blocked with toilet paper, however there were few toilet rolls on the wall. Water on the floor everywhere, paper towel caddies empty.
Kuranda had been on my bucket list for quite a while, done now, wont be back in the near distant future.
Not sure Kuranda is classed as RV friendly, but is definitely not "picnic" friendly.
Anyone care to share their experiences here?
Gday...
I can feel ya angst Dunmowin.
I visited Kuranda three times last year - with my wife travelling with me for once as we visited our son in Mareeba. We stayed at the Mareeba Rodeo Ground.
Loved the 'original' markets ... so 1960s and hippy
However, on each occasion the place was wall-to-wall tourists - busloads of Asian visitors, all the car parks were full - even by 9am - and so many of every type - young couples, young families, older families and old pharts like us.
We found the stall holders in the markets very friendly but at other 'shops' not as approachable - especially the food shops. Their businesses were definitely going gangbusters and they had no time to scratch themselves let alone take the time to chat or be friendly. Their prices were not too expensive.
I am not sure, but I think caravans are not at all encouraged - there may have even been a sign or two or mention in the 'tourist brochures' suggesting caravans stay away. There definitely is no parking facilities for vans or large motorhomes that I saw.
Regarding the 'lack of picnic areas' - there are quite a few 'parks/green areas' where one can sit - usually on the grass because the few seats provided were taken - and eat/drink the products purchased at the food outlets. There were no 'picnic tables' and definitely no BBQs I saw.
Our attraction was only to the markets and buying the hippy clobber and bling. It held no attraction to me personally but my wife bought heaps.
Would I return? Quite probably not - unless my wife insisted on replacing the bling she bought last time.
{edit: If one likes shoulder-to-shoulder tourists then it may not be a bother ... me ... too crowded for me.}
Cheers - John
-- Edited by rockylizard on Thursday 15th of June 2017 11:01:53 AM
You will laugh at this. We were walking near the railway to look at the falls, and were disapointed as it was a trickle- then there was a whistle, and the kuranda train went passed, and, lo and behold, the falls came on also. The operaters let the water flow to give the tourists a good view. Perhaps you should have waited for the train.........Also beware, there are Crocs in the dam at Kuranda. I have seen them. Perhaps they feed them on tourists..........Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Thursday 15th of June 2017 01:53:48 PM
Phew! I had this vision spring to mind of Rocky with hippy cloths on and bling all over him.
Edit.....ooops, don't know what I was thinking earlier today.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Thursday 15th of June 2017 04:10:20 PM
To be honest bill12, I did not believe you, but I just mentioned this to our house sit hosts, who are long term Cairns residents. They concur to what you say. Still it is a bit hard to believe.
I believe "they" , the crocs , are called "Johnson River Crocodiles". Could be wrong . But they get further sth than that too.
Kuranda was way too touristy for me back in the mid 1980's, shudder to think what it is like now.
Guess if you like that sort of thing, I wouldn't bother stopping there now.
Brickies, I did not ask if the town was RV friendly, nor that I was looking for anything "free" We were not there with our caravan, but I did ask if it was classed as RV friendly. My observation was that if you did not spend money in town, that they did not want you there.
Woody
I wondered that as well brickies so I googled it and at the RACQ site I found their description of the requirements etc and has a link to the CMCA where there is a list of places that qualify to be RV friendly. Yowah in Qld is on of them!! :
The RV Friendly Town scheme is an initiative of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia and is a helpful way for caravanners to identify small towns to plan a stopover.
To qualify as an RV Friendly Town, a locality must offer a selection of services including:
An RV Friendly Town will display a sign near its borders beside main entry routes into the town. A full list of towns in Queensland and across Australia can be found by clicking here.
Yes, they do release water for the tourist train but remember too that the dam also runs a smallish hydro plant too & water is quite precious at the moment.
Kuranda - I'd leave the van elsewhere & travel independently, giving you more freedom. The town has good markets but is a bit too "hippy' for my liking. Yungaburra is better!
Warren