General News
31 October, 2026
New era for tourist icon
NEW panoramic gondolas with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing visitors even more rainforest views have been revealed by the operators of Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
Full operations of the Smithfield to Kuranda section resume on Wednesday 4 November.
The state-of-the-art new six-seat gondolas have been designed with ultimate passenger comfort, expansive views and inclusivity in mind.
They feature:
Improved space and comfort
Step-free floor-level boarding and wider entry doors and panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows for more immersive rainforest views.
Skyrail chairman Ken Chapman said it was “an exciting milestone to see the first of our brand-new gondolas launch on the rebuilt state of the art Smithfield to Red Peak cableway line”.
“These new and improved cabins are more spacious with improved comfort, panoramic windows and step-free boarding to elevate the guest experience and make the World Heritage-listed rainforest more accessible and immersive than ever before,” he said.
“We are recommencing full normal operations on November 4 and are thrilled to offer guests the unique opportunity to experience this exciting transition period, gliding along our whisper-quiet new Doppelmayr system on the Smithfield line, while blending the original Skyrail experience on the journey to Kuranda.”
“The Kuranda to Red Peak cableway line and gondolas will be replaced at the same time next year,” he said.
Fast facts:
The cableway was closed for the upgrade from July 2026 with a Kuranda to Barron Falls loop experience operating while works continued on the Smithfield to Red Peak line.
Wednesday 4 November 2026: Normal operations recommence with new cableway line.
Looking ahead: Works continue behind the scenes into 2027, with stage two major works commencing from July 2027 to upgrade the Red Peak to Kuranda line.
