Kuranda traders buoyant as village comes alive post-Covid

A vibrant new marketing combined with business upgrades and overhauls completed during the dark days of Covid lockdowns have this Far North Queensland village thriving again.

KURANDA is bustling with interstate tourists giving hope to traders that the post-Covid resurgence will gain momentum.

Business owners say while there’s only a trickle of international visitors and few backpackers, there’s plenty of interstate tourists escaping colder climates.

Kuranda was hard hit by the Covid pandemic, with empty shops testament to the severe downturn.

Now, there’s an influx of people with the Kuranda Scenic Railway trains depositing dozens of eager visitors at 10.30am and 11.30am daily.

The revival is underpinned by a solid marketing push from a new group called Kuranda Attractions, which has created a colourful brochure and website and embarked on a local advertising campaign.

Foundation members are Birdworld Kuranda, Kuranda Koala Gardens, Kuranda Riverboat, Kuranda Rainforest Journeys, Kuranda Heritage Markets, Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets, Emu Ridge Gallery and Honeybee House.

Wildlife TNQ sales and marketing manager Angela Freeman, whose company has two businesses in Kuranda as well as Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, said the group aimed to promote Kuranda to self-drive locals.

She said the aim was to promote Kuranda art and culture, Indigenous art, and create a platform for artists.

“Kuranda is not just a quirky hippy town, it is a distinctive place with many passionate and talented people,” Mrs Freeman said.

“We want to find the unloved corners of the village and give them a spruce up with an artistic eye and focus on Kuranda’s potential as an uplifting stay location, as well as creating events which showcase Kuranda.”

She said the group was independently funded and was not part of the Kuranda Traders Association.

Heidi’s Stuff boutique owner Heidi Stiller said it was great to see visitors from the first cruise ship to berth at Cairns.

“I’m not sure if they spent a lot on goods, you know clothing and jewellery and whatnot, but I do know that the cafes and restaurants did really well,” she said.

At the very busy Petit cafe Kuranda, which has relocated from the markets after 13 years to a prime spot on Rob Veivers Drive with a new restaurant incorporating a pizzeria and bar, demand for the signature crepes was creating a hectic pace for chef and owner Aurelian Martin.

“We can feel tourists coming back and it’s positive – it’s a beautiful place and we are ready to welcome tourists back to town,” Mr Martin said.

Kuranda visitors Matt Lobden, Amy Lobden and Karina Lobden, soaking up the atmosphere at the bustling village. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

Kuranda Candy Kitchen has been making lollies with local ingredients for 20 years and manager Chris Top has noticed a slight increase in international visitors.

He’d like to promote that it doesn’t have to be expensive to get to Kuranda.

“It’s not necessarily an expensive day out, and it’s good to see people from Cairns coming up, we’d encourage people to drive up and then they have more time to explore,” Mr Top said.

Rainforestation Nature Park general manager Chris Grantham said although numbers were well below pre-Covid levels, things were improving.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway general manager Richard Berman-Hardman said bumper school holiday crowds were anticipated.

“We’re very happy to see the region booking out fast – it’s incredible to think how far we’ve come after experiencing the darkest days of the pandemic.”

But he added the influx was seasonal and true recovery wouldn’t happen until international travel was flowing more freely.

Mareeba Shire Council Mayor Angela Toppin hinted there would be initiatives for Kuranda in the 2022-23 budget due on July 20.

The colourful Kuranda markets are bustling once again.

Wildlife TNQ’s Angela Freeman said at times, numbers were exceeding those recorded in 2019, which was encouraging.

“We all knew and accepted that there was a need for Kuranda to change and evolve before Covid, and may of the business owners have seized this gap to make changes, move premises or even completely reinvent their offerings,” she said.

“We are just getting on with it and doing what we know needs to be done in light of our 30-plus years of tourism experience.”

KURANDA TRADERS ASSOCIATION

KURANDA Traders Association – itself a breakaway group which formed on the precipice of the Covid pandemic – has refuted claims it is not active.

The new group, Kuranda Attractions, has forged ahead with a media advertising campaign targeting locals and a swish new website, www.kurandaatrractions.com.au.

But Kuranda Traders Association (KTA) president Dei Gould said the group was in the final stages of creating a Kuranda Strategic Marketing Plan, having used grant funds to engage a Cairns consultancy on the project.

She said there were between 40 and 60 members with a recruitment drive planned for next month.

Ms Gould said KTA managed social media and a website – www.kuranda.org -- for the village.

Tablelands Cafe’s Dei Gould at her Sprout Cafe in Kuranda

KTA is planning the inaugural Kuranda Art Prize, a joint initiative with Kuranda Riverboat celebrating its 40th anniversary, and a village-wide event for later in the year.

“Our mission is to engage, connect and support Kuranda traders and the community, to create a thriving commercial and creative hub,” Ms Gould said.

She said KTA was lobbying to ensure infrastructure funds were maintained after Skyrail pulled out of the Mareeba Shire Council’s Kuranda Infrastructure Agreement – creating a $500,000 shortfall.

KTA emerged just before the Covid pandemic, replacing the council-funded Tourism Kuranda body.

Ms Gould said the mood in the village was optimistic.

“As a business owner I can say for myself that things are definitely looking up – whether it’s getting back to pre-Covid times, it is probably too early to tell, but I am optimistic,” Ms Gould said.

Originally published as Kuranda traders buoyant as village comes alive post-Covid