Top Things to do in Kuranda
Top 9 Nature & Parks in Kuranda, Queensland
Discover the best top things to do in Kuranda, Australia including KUR-Cow Barnwell Farm, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, BatReach, Barron Falls, Kuranda National Park, Wrights Lookout, Birdworld Kuranda, Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda Koala Gardens.
Restaurants in Kuranda
1. KUR-Cow Barnwell Farm
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
G'day mate! Looking for a fun day out for the family? Welcome to Kur-Cow Barnwell Farm - a working cattle station located in tropical North Queensland. We've got activities to entertain the whole family! We are also open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! Bookings essential.
Reviewed By 967garethj
Popped up to KUR-Cow on a cosy winter Saturday morning for a fun activity (we wanted to try ATV quad biking!). The course was great fun, the instructor, Jennifer was lovely and gave us two options of a more basic route... or a more adventurous option... We took the latter through the creek, stopping to feed the bull and cows (and a baby calf) on the way! After the ATV we stayed for lunch, while it was cooking we got to feed the horses, goats, alpacas and ponies as well as have a look at the bird menagerie. The food was epic! We sat with an incredible view of the rainforest... and some of the best ribs I've had in Cairns (we went for the low n slow lunch as we were there early... But talking to the staff they mentioned better for evening BBQ (they also said they host a sunset view, which I think would be nice, so thinking of driving back again one evening). There aren't any signs, but easy enough to find with Google maps or sat nav, at the junction it top of Kuranda range just follow the road opposite (reverse direction) to Kuranda Village. Overall definitely worth a morning trip, and tempted to go back for a horse ride and sunset BBQ!
2. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,329 reviews
The largest butterfly flight aviary and exhibit in Australia - an all weather experience in the heart of the Kuranda village. Home to over 1500 magnificent butterflies, youll be enchanted by the arial dynamics of these elusive wonders of nature as you wonder through the aviary's rainforest gardens.
Reviewed By jesseyf2015 - Paris, France
Incredible, if you’ve never been to a butterfly sanctuary you need to go! They have many different kinds of butterflies flying freely which is amazing to be amongst and watch them dance around the air around you. It’s a really pretty garden too!
3. BatReach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Fruit bat rehabilitation center
Reviewed By Dotticow - Adelaide, Australia
Second visit for us from South Australia and the reason we chose to stay in Kuranda for last couple of nights of our QLD trip. Always a pleasure to hear from Pam and see some of the rescues. Iain also was able to give some interesting facts and give us an unforgettable experience with the bats. They are not currently routinely open and rely on donations so it was lucky and a pleasure to visit briefly. The bats and wildlife rescues come first as they should and are not exploited or hurt in any way. Some of the long term residents that could not be released are used at times to provide education but never for long and not causing discomfort. As a someone who did wildlife rescue for few years I admire Pam's energy and dedication. I don't visit zoos or agree with animals in captivity. I like that Pam's focus remains on rescue,rehab and release. It's refreshing!
4. Barron Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,055 reviews
Reviewed By LeoDeSousa2020 - Brisbane, Australia
Highly recommend even if you don’t do the Skyrail or train you can easily drive to the falls and follow down the natural wetlands to the viewing platform.
5. Kuranda National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By 788brienj - Gladstone, Australia
Very family friendly. We took the train up the mountain and the Sky Rail down. Lots of history about the area. Plenty to see.
6. Wrights Lookout
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By WorldTravla7 - Cairns, Australia
McDonald Track is a great walk for those who want to get out and about and experience some great views and enjoy a good workout. The walk starts at Wrights Lookout which is an easy 200m from the car parking area in Kuranda. Off to the right of the lookout is the start of the track where you will see a gate across the access road. The track is 10km return and takes around 3 hrs. It includes the shorter Surprise Creek walking track for the first 1.6km (3.2km return) which takes you to a nice creek with a swimming area and mini-falls (those wanting a short walk could easily stop here and come back). There is some nice rainforest as well as open valleys on the walk and you get some great views of the Kuranda Range. The track is large and well defined and is actually a 4WD road that follows the power lines up the range and is used for maintenance access. For the extra adventurous, once you reach the end of the McDonald track you can link up with the Douglas track and head up to Glacier Rock for amazing views out to Cairns CBD and Mt Whitfield.
7. Birdworld Kuranda
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 759 reviews
Home to the largest single collection of free flying birds in Australia (some 500 of them!), Birdworld Kuranda in the Australian highlands of the Atherton Tablelands displays no less than 75 species of the most spectacular birds from all corners of the planet - as well as from the earth’s fast diminishing rainforests.Visitors are free to wander through the lush, tropically landscaped bird sanctuary to observe the birds in their own specific - yet natural - habitats. Two lakes connected by a tumbling waterfall for example are home to waterbirds such as stilts, herons and Australia’s own unique Black Swan. In Birdworld's rainforest canopy overhead, blue, gold and scarlet Macaws dazzle with colourful brilliance as they soar above the tree tops. One outstanding Birdworld denizen not to be missed is that rare avian giant, the Cassowary - an Australian bird now officially enlisted as endangered.Designed to "create a centre where birds would be showcased in their natural environment without the barriers of cages coming between them and their admiring public", Birdworld Kuranda is a photographer's paradise. (And without those barriers, visitors often find a feathered friend nestling on their shoulder - a golden photo opportunity!) Birdworld Kuranda can provide guided tours for all group bookings.
Reviewed By bmccl22 - Daintree, Australia
I was visiting Kuranda for work and decided to stop in and say hello to some feathered friends at Birdworld while I was there. I was quite impressed with the variety of species they have. At first the area seems small, but because it is a free flying aviary, I found I had to do about 2-3 loops around the track to see all the different birds. The experience is very interactive, they have several Parrots and Macaws who won’t hesitate to fly over and sit on your shoulder or arm. I would recommend being careful what jewellery or accessories you have on as birds do love shiny things and Tango, one of the younger Macaws, spent a lot of time eyeing off my earrings (though I wasn’t upset because he did a great job posing for me in the process). Overall I found this a much better way to view bird life than seeing them in small cages at a standard zoo, though I would not recommend it to people who aren’t comfortable being up close and personal with animals.
8. Rainforestation Nature Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 608 reviews
Situated in the midst of World Heritage Rainforest in Kuranda, the award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park with three unique experiences. Board a World War II Army Duck for a tour on both land and water through the rainforest. Watch the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience with traditional dance performances and Dreamtime Walk with boomerang throwing, spear throwing and didgeridoo playing. Visit our iconic Australian animals in the Koala & Wildlife Park, now home to the endangered Tasmanian Devil species. Hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies and also have your photo taken cuddling a Koala.
Reviewed By 763damienm - Darwin, Australia
Great place Staff are very friendly and helpful The animal enclosure are excellent 10/10 Highlights are the Army Duck Feeding Kangaroos and holding a Koala ???? Suitable for All ages...
9. Kuranda Koala Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 913 reviews
Kuranda Koala Gardens is situated in the heart of Kuranda and gives you the opportunity to see some of Australia's most unique wildlife up close.We have a variety of wildlife for you to see including:-Koalas: Lots of opportunity to observe our koalas doing what they do best - eating, sleeping and looking adorable. Fossil evidence shows that koalas originally lived in rainforest environments. As Australia became drier, they adapted to eat Eucalypt leaves, which replaced much of the country's rainforests.Koala Photos: Take the opportunity to 'Cuddle a Koala' and receive a great souvenir digital photo (extra cost). Kuranda Koala Gardens is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can actually cuddle a koala. Our adherence to a strict "Government Code Of Practice" ensures the health and wellbeing of our furry friends.Freshwater Crocodiles: Another Australian native - perhaps not as endearing as the Koala but a fascinating part of the eco system, is the Freshwater Crocodile. This is one of the two Australian saurians - the other being the Saltwater Crocodile. The Saltie does not function well in the cooler climes of the mountain regions but is on display at Cairns Tropical Zoo and Hartley's Crocodile Adventures.Kangaroos & Wallabies: Australia has a large variety of these macropods and you will see swamp wallabies, parma wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and red legged pademelons amongst others. Snakes: Australia is home to many snakes, both deadly and harmless. Enjoy a unique 'up close' experience with pythons when you enter their domain in Australia's first 'Walk Through Snake House'.Wombats: This quaint marsupial is an Australian favourite. They are often playful and quick to learn. However, as they sleep quite a lot, their intelligence is often underestimated! They lay claim to being the world's largest burrowing animal and can dig up to two metres of burrow in one night.Lizards, Monitors and other Reptiles: Australia is home to an amazing selection of reptiles and there are lots on display. See Dragons and Monitors with their long forked tongues, and much more. Many of these creatures have great camouflage techniques - see what you can spot in their enclosure!Kuranda Koala Gardens is part of the Freeman Family owned and operated Wildlife Tropical North Queensland Group. Other wildlife experiences under this banner include Cairns Night Zoo, Hartley's Crocodile Adventures and Cairns Tropical Zoo.
Reviewed By zakia19 - Surfers Paradise, Australia
We're kids at heart and are always keen to see koala's and kangaroos. Staff are very kind and amusing. We spent over an hour so quickly. The habitats were well maintained. We paid (less than $30) for a family portrait with charlie the koala. The care takers let us feed him as well. For the kangaroo's and wallabies you get a bag of food upon entry as well included in your ticket
