The Kuranda Scenic Rail was a leisurely way to see the rainforest, hear how the history of the area impacted the build of the rail, and get to a remote part of the country. The train ride is about 90 minutes from Freshwater Station. The cars have assigned seats so that you aren't jockeying around other people, nor is it terribly crowded as a result. You'll scale the mountains through the rainforest beholding the waterfalls and beautiful valleys as you go. The end point is Kuranda where you can spend an afternoon exploring the markets, eating, or engaging with wildlife like birds and koalas. We personally didn't love the markets as it was all touristy trinkets and overrun with people, but the wildlife exhibits did provide experiences you wouldn't find at home.

You can't say anything 'bad' about a train. Many old and beautifully crafted carriages and filled with surprisingly large numbers of people, so it is obviously very popular. My only criticism of the train carriages is that the original timber windows have been replaced with aluminium ones. I kind of understand why but they destroy the authentic look of the carriages. The train trip is very scenic (up and down; we stopped here on the way down the week before when the Savannahlander stopped at Barron Falls). Kuranda station is a wonderful classic old station with lots of lovely plants and gardens. Kuranda is just a touristy mecca unfortunately with repeat clothing and opal shops - ho-hum. The scenic sky rail was a delightful trip with treetop canopy experience and dazzling views. We booked on the 8.30 am departure and returned from Kuranda at 2.30 pm. This was far too long for us, especially in Kuranda. We could have spent less time. Depending who you book with defines your time there. So be careful about what you want to do and how much time you want to spend there.