Barron Gorge National Park

Experience white-water rafting in Barron Gorge National Park, known for its rugged rainforest mountains, steep ravines, and the falls carved out over thousands of years by the Barron River. Enjoy optional pickup from Cairns or Port Douglas before heading to the national park. Meet your guide at Lake Placid, and get ready for your river rafting tour on the river. Enjoy the area’s scenic beauty and a combination of calm water and a series of white-water rapids as well. Spend two hours navigating rapids up to grade three. No experience is necessary, making this a good choice for beginning rafters. There is also plenty of excitement for the more experienced. Please note: $30 per person River Levy payable on the day of travel

The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway takes you on an unforgettable journey over and through Australia's World Heritage-listed tropical rainforest in the Barron Gorge National Park. Glide just meters above the canopy along a 7.5-kilometer span in a comfortable 6-person gondola. Take in views of tropical Cairns, the Coral Sea and lush Cairns Highlands. You’ll stop at Red Peak Station for a guided boardwalk tour with a Skyrail Ranger, to learn about the ancient tropical forests. You’ll also make a stop at Barron Falls Station, where you’ll find pathways and lookouts over the Barron Gorge and Falls, historical displays and a Rainforest Interpretation Centre. Developed in conjunction with CSIRO, the Interpretation Centre features interactive touch-screen computers that provide an engaging and fun learning experience for people of all ages. Multiple winner of the Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is The World's Most Beautiful Rainforest Experience. It is located just 15 minutes from Cairns city center and 50 minutes from Port Douglas. During busy periods, sharing of gondolas with other guests may be required

Prepare for adventure and action on this guided white water rafting tour on the Barron River. Receive all rafting training and equipment needed before venturing into the water to experience grade 2 and 3 rapids. The Barron River is located only 20 minutes from Cairns and offers a great introduction to white water rafting. You’ll get to experience up to 2 hours of rafting with a combination of exciting rapids and calm water paddling. Begin with pickup from your accommodation or self-driving to the starting point at Lake Placid. Once here, meet your river guide and fellow paddlers and get fitted with your life jacket, helmet, and rafting shoes, if you choose to rent a pair.  Follow a short track with your group down to the river where you will board your raft and receive a comprehensive safety briefing and paddling instructions from your guide. You will have the chance to practice in the flat water before it's time to hit the white water. The first couple of rapids you raft through are small and easy, giving you plenty of time to get a feel for how the raft moves through the water before it's time to navigate the bigger, more exciting rapids, including the Rooster Tail. The combination of grade 2 and 3 rapids will ensure you have a thrilling trip rafting down the Barron. At the bottom section of the river, enjoy a flat paddle where you'll have time to admire the stunning scenery and learn about the surrounding rainforest and native wildlife. After arriving at the take-out point, change into your dry clothes. On the journey back to your hotel, find the action photos available for preview to purchase. Please note: $30pp River Levy is payble on the day of travel.

After pickup from your accommodation, begin your journey. Drive up the Kuranda Range, passing through the small village of Kuranda. Enjoy a short driving tour of the village, before continuing to the World Heritage-listed Barron Gorge National Park. Witness the majesty of Barron Falls, which makes for a great photo opportunity at the stunning Wrights lookout. Heading further west, detour off the bitumen and head onto the Clohesy River Road to begin a four-wheel drive journey. Wind through the rainforest and over some of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. View ancient King Ferns before stopping at Clohesy Boardwalk, where your guide will interpret the rainforest surroundings and introduce you to the giant strangler fig tree, which is hundreds of years old. After leaving the Clohesy River area, make a stop at Davies Creek, where you can go for a swim in the crystal-clear waters. Then, stop to try some local ice cream. Finally, head back toward Cairns via the Wet Tropics World Heritage drive on the Kuranda Range. Make one last stop at the breathtaking Henry Ross lookout, before returning to your accommodation in Cairns.

First stop is the Cattana Wetlands, for a guided walk through the heart of a preserved feather palm forest and past picturesque Jabiru Lake. Immerse yourself in the serene atmosphere of this unique landscape, as you gain valuable insights into the distinctive plant and animal life that inhabit this remarkable wetland ecosystem. Next on the itinerary is an exclusive Make Travel Matter® experience. Visit the beautiful Barron Falls, locally known as Din Din. Changing with the seasons, this magnificent waterfall holds profound significance to the Djabugay Aboriginal People. This experience goes beyond the surface, as we receive a warm welcome from a Djabugay cultural guide who will enlighten us about the spiritual and historical importance of the falls in their rich heritage. Skybury - Australia's oldest coffee plantation and largest papaya grower - is our destination for lunch. After a tasty meal, enjoy stunning views from the deck overlooking the Atherton Tablelands, as you sample the wonderful locally grown coffee! Travelling on through the Tablelands rich farming area we arriver at Emerald Creek Ice Creamery where you can delight your tastebuds with a cup of 4 different ice cream flavours, proudly produced on site. In the afternoon you’ll board the famous Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and journey over and through the World Heritage Listed rainforest. You will have a bird's eye view of the rainforest canopy from the gondola and breathtaking views over the lush rainforest of the Barron Gorge National Park. Take the opportunity to visit The Edge lookout - one of two enroute stops - for spectacular views of the Barron Falls. At Skyrail’s Smithfield terminal meet your coach for return journey to Cairns.

Take to the skies on a scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest on Earth. Enjoy a birds-eye view of the reef, the coast, and the rainforest as you fly over the Barron Gorge National Park, the Barron River, and the village of Kuranda. Begin your flight over the Great Barrier Reef and take in the stunning views of the reef from above. Cross back over the coast near Double Island and the resort township of Palm Cove before ascending the coastal rainforest-clad mountains into the heart of the Barron Gorge National Park. As you emerge from the canopy below, see the Barron River and the quaint rainforest village of Kuranda. Keep an eye out for the tracks of the historical Kuranda Scenic Rail and the gondolas of the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. From the top of the gorge, descend over the 250m rock face of the mighty Barron Falls, which, while impressive year-round, provides an awe-inspiring photo opportunity after heavy green-season rain (Dec-Apr). Follow the Barron River for the next 5km as it snakes its way back down the gorge towards the ocean, providing hydroelectricity to the city of Cairns and thrills for rafters riding on its rapids.

Escape the crowds and explore the Wet Tropics Rainforest National Park on a 4WD Tour. See Barron Falls, swim in Davies Creek, and taste some local ice cream. Enjoy the convenience of hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairns. Begin your adventure with pickup from your hotel in Cairns. Drive up the Kuranda Range and pass through the small village of Kuranda. Enjoy a short driving tour of the village before continuing to the World Heritage-listed Barron Gorge National Park. Admire the famous Barron Falls and take a photo at the stunning Wrights Lookout. Head further west and detour off the bitumen onto the Clohesy River Road. Begin your 4WD journey and wind through the rainforest and over some of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. View ancient King Ferns before stopping at Clohesy Boardwalk. Let your guide interpret the rainforest surrounds and introduce you to the giant strangler fig tree, which is hundreds of years old. After leaving the Clohesy River area, stop at Davies Creek and take a swim in the crystal-clear waters. Enjoy a short stop to try some local ice cream before heading back towards Cairns via the Wet Tropics World Heritage drive on the Kuranda Range. Stop at the breathtaking Henry Ross Lookout before arriving back in Cairns where you are returned to your accommodation.