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

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.

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 wrote:

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What is RV friendly,Does it mean they give us thing we want for free.

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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. 

brickies wrote:

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What is RV friendly,Does it mean they give us thing we want for free.

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 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.