396:. His son, Dr Ken Chapman, is Skyrail's managing director and daughter, Karen Hawkins, is a director. The AU$ 35 million cableway opened to the public on 31 August 1995 with 47 gondolas. A AU$ 2.5 million upgrade in May 1997 increased the number of gondolas to 114, enabling it to carry over 600 passengers an hour in each direction. In 2006, it underwent an AU$ 2.5 million upgrade which included a replacement café, expanded ticketing services and a larger retail store. In November 2013, it introduced 11 Diamond View glass floor gondolas, and in April 2014, the Canopy Glider, a ranger-escorted, open-air gondola, was added. Special guests at Skyrail include
509:
Tourism, 2008 and 2009 Excellence in
Sustainable Tourism, 2000 Hall of Fame Best Major Tourist Attraction, 1997, 1998 and 1999 Best Major Tourist Attraction and 1996 Best Tourist Development Project. Its Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards include 2014 Best Eco-Tourism, 2009 and 2010 Sustainable Tourism, 2004 Hall of Fame Best Major Tourist Attraction, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2013 Best Major Tourist Attraction. International Tourism Awards include 2000 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow International Environment Award, 1999
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513:(WTMA) Cassowary Award, 1996 EIBTM European Greening of Business Tourism Award in the Category of "Most Environmentally Conscious Visitor Attraction" and 1996 Australian Federation of Travel Agents Awards for Excellence in the category "Best Resort or Tourist Attraction" Far North Queensland. It also won the 1999 WTMA Cassowary Culture Award.
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The 32 towers at
Skyrail were built in 10×10 m clearings, and workers had to sterilise equipment and footwear before entering sites. Russian Kamov helicopters were used extensively to carry equipment, materials and cement to tower sites and rainforest stations. Helicopters carried 900 tonnes of
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Before construction, the site was surveyed to make sure endangered and rare species would not be affected. The top soil and leaf litter were collected and reintroduced when construction was complete. Plant seedlings removed during construction were replanted in their original locations. Construction
383:
The
Skyrail concept was put forward in 1987, with construction beginning in June 1994. Pre-construction included consultation with and approval from 23 local, state and federal government agencies and local communities along with numerous assessments including an Environmental Impact Study. It also
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The
Skyrail Rainforest Foundation was established in 2005 to raise and distribute funding for tropical rainforest research and education projects. These include scientific studies of rare and endangered rainforest fauna and flora, canopy ecology and of rainforest species for medical research. The
508:
Skyrail won a number of
Australian National Tourism Awards including 2008, 2009 and 2010 Excellence in Sustainable Tourism, 1997 and 1999 Best Major Tourist Attraction and 1996 Best Tourist Development Project. Queensland Tourism Awards include the 2010 Hall of Fame – Excellence in Sustainable
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It was the only
Australian finalist in the 2014 International Tourism for Tomorrow Award. In 2012, it was the first tourism attraction in the world to receive Platinum EarthCheck Accreditation. It won the 2000 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow International Environment Award, the 1996 EIBTM
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360:. The Edge Lookout, open to the public since March 2019, is located at Barron Falls. The lookout reaches out 160 metres (520 ft) above Barron Gorge floor, with views across the Gorge and Barron Falls. The lookout also incorporates a glass floor section.
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The cableway can operate at a speed of 5 m/s (18 km/h, 11 mi/h); however, its normal operating speed is much slower to provide guests with the maximum time to enjoy their rainforest experience.
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Skyrail holds a number of business and environmental accreditations and certifications, including EarthCheck
Platinum, Advanced Ecotourism Certification: Eco Tourism Australia and Climate Action Innovator.
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Red Peak is
Skyrail's highest station, at 545 m (1,788 ft) above sea level. The Kuranda Station is 336 m (1,012 ft) and Smithfield Terminal 5 m (16 ft) above sea level.
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foundation offers funding for students and educators to research into rainforest protection. Since its inception from April 2014, the foundation has provided AU$ 302,000 towards research projects.
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steel, cement and building materials into the Barron Falls
Station alone. Because no roads were built during construction, workers walked to the tower sites each day with their equipment.
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There is a multi-core communications cable, which runs in the middle of the towers, between the two lines of haul rope. It carries all the voice and safety circuit communications.
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electric motor located at each drive station: the
Kuranda and Smithfield Stations. Each drive station has a backup diesel motor and a further auxiliary Hydrostatic Drive.
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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway has 15 km (9.3 mi) of 40.5 mm galvanised steel rope, weighing more than the equivalent of 100 sedan cars.
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Tribal Aboriginal Corporation for the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage. Skyrail is owned and operated by the Chapman Group, led by
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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway journeys through the Wet Tropics Rainforest, home to the world's oldest tropical rainforest, older than the
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There are two streaming webcams providing live footage and views from the cableway. The cameras are located on top of Towers 7 and 25.
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http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-attractions-shine-at-qantas-tourism-awards/story-e6freoof-1225835674522
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Skyrail operates within the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics area, which is home to the world's oldest tropical rainforest.
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http://www.cairnspost.com.au/lifestyle/special-open-air-gondola-open-for-the-public-at-skyrail/story-fnjzecs6-1226868235833
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Dating back 130 million years, many of the ancient plants in this rainforest existed when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
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European Greening of Business Tourism Most Environmentally Conscious Visitor Attraction Award and the 2008 and 2009
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Award's Hall of Fame for Best Tourism Attraction and in 2010 for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism.
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National Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism. In 2000, it was inducted into the
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There are 32 towers in total. The highest tower is Tower 6, at 45 m (133 ft).
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http://www.constructioninfocus.com.au/index.php/2013/12/17/rainforest-construction/
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http://www.constructioninfocus.com.au/index.php/2013/12/17/rainforest-construction/
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253:. It was the longest gondola cableway in the world when it was completed in 1995.
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Building the Cairns-Kuranda Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
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Building the Cairns-Kuranda Railway and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
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celebrations, the Skyrail Rainforest Cable was announced as one of the
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Australian Financial Review, 20 June 2005, page 5, by Mark Ludlow,
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of Queensland for its role as a "structure and engineering feat".
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The Cairns Post, 1 September 1995, p. 1, by Margo Zlotkowski,
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The Cairns Post, 23 April 2014, pagep. 21, by Nick Dalton,
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began in June 1994 despite protests from conservationists.
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The steepest section of the cableway has a slope of 19°.
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Special open air gondola open for the public at Skyrail
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Earthcheck.org: Skyrail Named As Environmental Leader
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The Daily Telegraph, 6 April 2013, by Chanel Parratt,
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The cableway is driven by a 383 kW (500 hp)
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Queensland attractions shine at Qantas Tourism Awards
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Helicopters were used extensively during construction
1174:"EarthCheck - Skyrail named as Environmental Leader"
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The Cairns Post, Friday, 23 November 2012, page 11,
1003:The Cairns Post, 2 March 2002, p. 2, by Marie Low,
866:The Cairns Post, Thursday, 3 August 2000, page 22,
820:Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Hall of Fame,
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Skyrail rainforest cableway celebrates 5th birthday
805:The Courier Mail, 1 March 2010, by Kate Schneider
689:"Queensland's history—1900s | Historical timeline"
981:The Cairns Post, 30 March 2014, by Nick Dalton,
960:Skyrail clears plans for better rainforest views
134:is a 7.5-kilometre (4.7 mi) scenic tourist
1076:The Cairns Post, 4 October 2005, by Peter Wex,
936:Skyrail a winner for tourists and rainforests.
922:Growing up in Cairns – A Memoir by Alan Hudson
915:
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795:Qantas Australian Tourism Award Winners 2009
404:in March 2002, former Australian politician
1314:Tourist attractions in Far North Queensland
675:The Cairns Post, 31 August 2000, page 21,
84:View from Diamond View glass floor gondola
488:Learn how and when to remove this message
1143:"PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS"
743:The Cairns Post, 1 March 2014, page 45,
712:CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology,
1088:The Cairns Post, 31 August 2007, p. 9,
1015:ABC, 31 October 2004, by Alan Porritt,
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1198:Ecotourism.org.au: Green Travel Guide
1078:Rainforest research gets huge donation
408:in 2004, and Australian tennis player
256:The cableway, which journeys over the
1225:from the original on 27 February 2007
848:from the original on 12 February 2014
719:"CSIRO Corporate Media Release 95/10"
7:
958:ABC, 26 April 2013, by Sharnie Kim,
470:adding citations to reliable sources
392:, who was named one of Queenslands'
1029:Pat Rafter hits waves in Queensland
758:Skyrail has green light from awards
150:in Australia. It operates from the
1251:from the original on 13 April 2015
1090:Money for forest research projects
384:established an agreement with the
246:. It has won more than 25 awards.
25:
903:Cairns Life magazine, July 2001,
793:Qantas News, April 2010, page 7,
1324:1995 establishments in Australia
1289:http://www.skyrailfoundation.org
1283:Wet Tropics Management Authority
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511:Wet Tropics Management Authority
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1017:Julia Gillard rides the Skyrail
1005:Royal revel in rainforest trip,
457:needs additional citations for
1287:Skyrail Rainforest Foundation
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1114:"Sustainability & Awards"
429:Skyrail Rainforest Foundation
1102:Funds offer for researchers
745:Skyrail joins world's elite
132:Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
62:GPX (secondary coordinates)
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714:CSIRO gets into ecotourism
140:Barron Gorge National Park
124:View from the cableway of
1329:Aerial lifts in Australia
1205:23 September 2015 at the
144:Wet Tropics of Queensland
57:GPX (primary coordinates)
32:Map all coordinates using
1064:15 December 2014 at the
969:1 September 2014 at the
827:27 February 2015 at the
663:15 December 2014 at the
40:Download coordinates as:
1304:Transport in Queensland
1054:Construction in focus,
991:10 October 2020 at the
516:In 2009 as part of the
116:At the Red Peak Station
100:The path of the Skyrail
770:"Tourism for Tomorrow"
653:Construction in Focus
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394:2011 Queensland Greats
222:16.8190°S 145.639000°E
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920:Hudson, Alan (2007).
635:List of gondola lifts
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1309:Far North Queensland
948:The sky is the limit
504:Skyrail over Kuranda
466:improve this article
343:Barron Falls station
332:16.8335°S 145.6455°E
288:16.8493°S 145.6695°E
227:-16.8190; 145.639000
174:16.8477°S 145.6950°E
840:Tourism Australia.
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185:Smithfield terminal
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148:World Heritage Area
547:. You can help by
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337:-16.8335; 145.6455
293:-16.8493; 145.6695
244:Atherton Tableland
179:-16.8477; 145.6950
138:running above the
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868:Still riding high
725:on 27 August 2005
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251:Amazon Rainforest
76:View from Skyrail
16:(Redirected from
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335: /
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291: /
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212:145°38′20″E
177: /
164:145°41′42″E
1339:Q150 Icons
1298:Categories
1229:4 February
641:References
522:Q150 Icons
478:April 2021
410:Pat Rafter
370:Queensland
341: (
319:16°50′01″S
297: (
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262:Smithfield
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260:between
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1255:7 April
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1118:Skyrail
889:29 June
852:21 June
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698:29 June
379:History
266:Kuranda
200:Kuranda
198:to the
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572:Trivia
438:Awards
373:Qantas
366:Qantas
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196:Cairns
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