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Angela Martin: Hi, I’m Angela Martin and welcome to 26 Barron Falls Road in Kuranda. I am unbelievably excited about exploring what is, in my little baby humble opinion, one of the most majestic rainforest properties that I’ve ever seen. It’s not because it is 6.5 acres of magical rainforest or the fact that you can short walk less than 10 minutes into Kuranda Village, where you can enjoy an exquisite coffee, but it is because it has history and romance from a bygone era. It is unbelievable. Outside world just behind us into magical dreamland. We’re going to have a great old explore and you’re seriously going to fall in love. Before we do, don’t forget to press that little red subscribe button if you want to see more properties like this one. Let’s go in.
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You’re going to be absolutely mesmerised by the history of the place. We, as usual, are going to do a little bit of orientation. As we go through, we’re going to combine what the property was used for and talk about what the brilliant possibilities, dreamlike possibilities that you could use it for today. It is unashamedly all about the rainforest land. We came in and the driveway, as you can see, is completely sealed.
It’s brilliant for driving in, but it was an eco-camping area for the elite, for people who wanted to experience this magical part of the world. We have a couple of buildings on the property. As I said, we’re coming from Barron Falls Road, which is just behind you. The caretaker or the reception area where people who were looking to come camp would book in, sign in, and these are the fabulous steps.
They are all stoned and all organic. We’ll go up there and have a look, and then we head all the way down past rock ponds, past what would’ve been a big camping and parking area. Think trailers, boats, plenty of space for your cars, and then we have another central, little building that was used as a get-together. We’ll unfold and we’ll talk about this as we explore, but we’re going to head up those fabulous, little stairs and I’m going to show you that building that was used as the reception room.
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We’ve got rainforest walkways all the way to the very end of the property. Unlike so many other rainforest properties, it’s all walkable, so you don’t have to fight your way through the jungle even though it’s amazingly– Oh, I get so passionate about this. This really is just brilliant. Back to the story. This is where people who were looking to stay overnight would have registered or would’ve paid the money, came in, but it’s got so much history in terms of the way that it was built.
This, I think, is just brilliant. We’ve got a little colored glass in the doors, but come in and check this out. In terms of the cutest, cutest, cutest of little buildings, even if somebody was living here and as I said, this is not about the buildings. This is about the land and the location. This has just got so much character. We’ve got running water, so mains water and we have mains power.
You can plug things in. You can run taps and it all going to work. Again, fabulous little features. Tongue and groove, but let’s look at this, do a little bit of a– We go up there. The history on these sleepers was from the old, Chlosey bridge, which is for probably about 20, 30Ks from here, but it just goes to show how much love and attention would’ve been put into actually putting these little constructions together.
Of course, I love this. Look at this. I don’t know where in the world you’ll find these now, but they look like complete cast iron, potbelly, burning stoves. You can just imagine this in the rainforest in the wet season. They probably would’ve had that just to help with the moisture and, of course, in the winter. It would’ve been nice and warm. Absolutely just amazing. Of course, little reception, mezzanine. If you just put your little head up there, you can see that it can be used for a bed or it can be used for storage.
It could really be used for, again, whatever you would like to use it for, but this really is a special, special, special spot. Hopefully, you can feel the calmness and the deliciousness of this– I call it a cottage because it looks like a cottage. It feels like a cottage, but it was a reception room. Out here, we would’ve had probably an area where people may have queued or had a cup of coffee while they were waiting to get logged in, but imagine this is an art studio. Imagine this is a reading area. Imagine this is a kid’s retreat.
You can build your house in the middle and be in amongst all this beautiful birdsong. It is just so flexible. If we just run our little eyes down over here, we have cascading rock ponds. Now, we’ve got steps and stairs that go down one side of the building and then we actually have that driveway that goes from the top of Barron Falls Road all the way down to what used to be a car park, but it’s just a big fabulous open space. We’re going to head down around that way and we’re going to start that magic exploring.
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If you’re watching us from interstate and you are in a little house or you’re in a little unit, I want you to be able to buy with complete confidence, so we’re going to show– I know there’s only two buildings on the property, but I want to show you everything about them so that you can rewind and you can watch it as many times as you are comfortable with, but isn’t that just cute? I don’t know if you can see it, but there’s a little water tank. It just collects water from the roof.
Again, from the history, it’s got all these original little paintings of frogs and Aboriginal colors and dots on it. It’s fabulous. I think with properties like these, these sorts of things should be well and truly kept as a memento if not something that is functional. Have another look here. Marvel at those licuala palms. Just have a look up here. They are beautiful in the rainforest. The light just sparkles through them, but we’re just going to head back down and we’re going to look at those rock ponds.
We’re going to wind our way down through the pathways to that next building. Hopefully, you’re getting a sense of how magical– and, again, I’m going to use that word 100,000, million times today because this is exactly how you feel when you are in this part of the rainforest. We’ve only just touched the surface, so hang in there. These little ponds, beautiful rock ponds, have a look here. They were built so that when we get the wet season, the water that obviously falls in here actually cascades over onto the one that is below.
Just watch your feet. They’re all nice and clear, but this is brilliant. Think of the frog song. I don’t know if you can hear the birdsong. Even if you can just turn around and just have a little look up here at the detail, again, of the paths, they are like this all the way from the front to the back of the property, so super easy access. I will, again, go on about access because we can enjoy what we’ve got. Again, it’s just calm and it’s peaceful. It’s just beautiful. Let’s walk down here and I’m going to meet you at that big open flat area.
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I promise we are getting down to that flat area and the other building, but we nearly missed this. We spoke about the art and the nature or maybe we didn’t, but I was thinking it. This is another gorgeous example of what was here originally, wind chimes. You can see some of the original paint on it. Again, this would have been done probably by Tjapukai, which would have been many, many, many years ago. Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. I’m going to head down and we are going to look at that nice, big, flat area.
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We’ve eventually got to the spot where, originally, again, going back to what the history of the property was, this would have been where people parked their cars. We have that huge, great, big sealed driveway from the very front of the property that comes to here. We’ve chosen to come down those gorgeous, little, jiggly steps past that fabulous, little waterfall with two little rock pools to the spot.
Today, modern world, modern living. What are you going to use this for? Plenty of space in the rainforest for your cars or for your shed or a place that you could use to build your house or store your boat. Plenty. Plenty. I don’t know how many cars you would get in here, but it is a really big spot. Of course, you have just got that beautiful canopy above. Again, with our orientation, we’ve got the little reception area just at the top of those stairs that we came down.
We’ve got a driveway that’s come down to this particular spot. This is like little whence upon building. This would have been the communal area. Again, [sighs] art studio, music studio. Just sit and have a cup of tea in the middle of the rainforest. Yoga, Pilates, whatever you would love to do, it’s perfect for there. Absolutely perfect. Head down those stairs and I’m just going to meet you down at the little building.
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We’re starting to get down into– Well, we haven’t actually come very far, but we’re starting to get down into how it feels to be in the rainforest canopy. I don’t know if that’s original or if that’s just been put there, but it’s a bit yam. Now, this has got so much character. Again, people would have come together and they would have had a barbecue or they would have just cooked dinner or just sat and relaxed. Again, the history, have a look at this. I love this.
This would have all been original art. Again, my understanding is that it was the original Tjapukai group that would have done that. You can see the tread marks on the little stairs that go up to the mezzanine and more beautiful artwork on that side. This is just character-filled. It’s hardwood on the floor. It looks to me like there was probably a little bit of silky oak or something in there.
You don’t see this very often in new buildings, but they used to have the tongue and groove that were small planks and it just gave it some extra strength. Running water. Again, we’ve got a sink here, a roller door just to keep the elements out or the rain or the wind. This is what it used to be used for. It’s not what you would necessarily use it for now, if anything at all. It is just too cute and it is just too gorgeous.
It is too character-filled to not think about enjoying the time in the rainforest. When we go back out, in fact, have a look over here now. You’re sitting and you can hear the birdsong. I think it’s over 100, 120 species of birds. You have bandicoots. You have butterflies. You have wallabies and it’s all on your backdoor. I just love, love this. You can just be sitting here again relaxing. How amazing is this?
I don’t care where you are in the world, but it would be hard-pushed for you to be able to sit and relax and have a view that is as stunning, and I mean stunning, as what we have in the tropical wet forest of far North Queensland. Just amazing. What makes this even more special, we’ve got a little gem that is just about two, three minutes from here. I’m going to keep it a secret so that you are just like, “Oh, my goodness,” when you see it. Downstairs, we’ve also got washing facilities, we have got a couple of showers, and we’ve got a couple of Enviro Loos.
We’re going to go round the long way to have a look, but just come this way. I forgot to show you this. Not that you can really see it a lot because we have a cupboard in the way, but again, part of the original building was this fire pole. I know it’s a little bit dark, but you’ve actually got access, indoor access down to that area. How brilliant is that? Head back out. Oh, we didn’t look at the mezzanine. Just put your little eyes up there and have a sneaky peek.
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This was a little balcony that we looked out that just had that really fabulous- my goodness, it’s all fabulous- rainforest view. Again, from orientation, we’ve just walked and meandered our way around all these really open paths. Super easy access. The underside of this little building is where we have washing facilities and shower facilities and composting loo facilities.
This just takes us to under the house. Easy to get up in here. We’ve got sink again. Remember, we’ve got plenty of water. We’ve got mains power, which is really expensive when you are buying a block of land and it is not connected because it depends on how far into the property you actually want your power to go. If we come up here, you’ll see that it is just like a big bit of nostalgia from yesteryear. I say that lovingly because, again, the elements are– they’re all original from many, many, many moons ago.
We’ve got room for our washing machine, our dryer. Of course, as I said, we’ve got– Oops, water’s turned off, but that is water, water tap. We’ve got the power points here. Separate Enviro Loo and shower and a separate Enviro Loo and shower. Again, when these would have been functional, there’s plenty of space. Hang up your shampoo or your ecological shampoo or your eco-friendly soaps. You’ve still got the privacy. Again, these toilets here, composting loos. I have to show you this. I have to.
I’m not going to be able to get in with you in this toilet. On the back of each of the doors, there has been chalkboard, again, from moons ago. People have written all their comments, all the history of people being here sitting, relaxing. They’ve just doodled some little chalk ditties if you like on the backs of both of the doors. You don’t even have to have a look, but when you come and you see and you touch it and you feel or maybe you can– You know what? Go in, close the door, have a quick look, and I’ll meet you back outside.
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How brilliant was that? I just had to show you. One of the things I noticed too when I came in was the fact that these are really big solid chunkers of beams if you like. Big bolts. I don’t know how old the building is, but it’s been here a very long time. Even the style, the way that it’s put together is super-duper strong. I don’t know if you can see. The joists are not straight. They’re at an angle. Robust building. Now, we are going to head down to that very secret– It’s not a secret, but you’ll find that secret when we get there. It’s about a two-minute walk. We’re going to head down the little pathways over there and I’ll meet you there.
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This is the brilliant, little secret. As you can see, it’s actually not such a little secret. We have Jumrum Creek, which is a really beautiful flowing creek most of the year. We have platypus. We have all sorts of wildlife that will come here because of the water. We’ve got about 20 meters-ish of a bridge that half separates the front of the property, which is probably about two and a half, maybe three acres, yes, two and a half, three acres to the slightly bigger part that really takes us into where the camping spots would have been.
There are all sorts of little platforms where they had– We would know. Maybe call it glamping, but they had little nests and little tents with hammocks where you could actually sleep out under the stars. Have a look at this. I don’t know if you have seen something like this before or if you’ve experienced the beautiful, natural– It’s just calmness. The whole calmness of the rainforest. It has to be felt and it has to be seen to be believed. I’m passionate about it. That’s clear. It’s just such a magical, magical natural beauty.
Of course, if we look over this side as well, we have the same. We’re coming from the Barron Falls modern-day living down through that magical pathway into genuine Mother Nature rainforest. I don’t know where else in Kuranda you’re going to find or this whole part of the world where you’re going to find a property that is set out just this way. It is just– again, it’s– I get a bit emotional, but it’s a feel. It really is a feel. Back into the history. The little platforms, they’re remnants of the platforms. That’s a romantic part.
You could just walk along and enjoy the rainforest as your own beautiful part of the world. Those little remnants, I think it just reminds us the fact that people enjoyed ecotourism. They could literary come and enjoy– Can you hear that? The birdsong and the natural gorgeousness of where we live. We’re going to head along here. We’re not going to go to the very back of the property, but I just want to show you a couple of those little platforms and another little central meeting spot that is the remnant of all the joy that would have been here. Let’s go and have another quick wander.
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We’ve just come up from the bridge, which is literary 30 seconds from here. Put your little majestic goggles on and think about black-and-white glamour. This would have been a great, big undercover barbie area. The platform is– Again, I’m talking about remnants because it is. It’s remnants, but it’s just to give you a bit of sense of the history. We have what would have been, again, beautiful, bright, bold art on the decking.
This has clearly survived. I don’t know how many years. Whoops, not joined? You would have sat and had your dinner or your breakfast. Again, little bits of artwork just pretty much everywhere we look. You could just bring your chair up here and sit and read. I don’t know if you’ve decided where you’re going to build your house yet. Are you going to build it on this side of the creek or are you going to build on the other side of the creek?
Because remember, you have got shower facilities and toilet facilities that you can use whilst you’re building your dream, magnificent dream in the rainforest. Now, if you think about a bee and then you think rainforest, this could be your brain forest. It is just calmness and relaxation for your mind. It is actually mind-blowing. We’re not going to walk too much further. All we’re going to do is show you where, again, some of those little nooks where there was about eight in total.
They were just carved out of the rainforest so that people had their own little personal space, little secret spots if you like. That’s where they put the tent and that is where the hammocks were like I mentioned before. It is unbelievably– I don’t know how you can imagine actually sleeping out in the rainforest. There we go. This is pandanus. This is quite a little bit jaggy but beautiful. Eco-tours, nocturnal walks because you can’t– Oh, beautiful bromeliad.
The paths are clear, so you are not going to fall on things. You can get your torch and you’ll see possums and you’ll see bandicoots and you’ll see all sorts of wildlife. It is just unbelievable. Now, this is the last little bit we’re going to look at down here. Again, just to give you a sense of all these little relaxation spots. We’re not going to go down, but the whole of this back of the property has these little nests if you like, little webs, that go along these pathways under those little remnants of balcony and they’re still there.
It’s brilliant. If you have a little look down over here, that one clearly was probably one of the prime spots because you were overlooking the creek and you would see little fish or little things jiggling around. Of course, you can swim or you can jump into the water holes on a really, really warm summer’s day. This– I’m not going to use the word again, but magical, majestical. It is all here for your taking. We’re going to go all the way back around and we’re going to do a wrap-up at the beginning of the property.
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I really hope you’ve enjoyed this little baby film or 26 Barron Falls Road in Kuranda. Hopefully, you have felt what I feel actually standing here chatting about this just magnificent property. A little bit of a recap, not that we probably need it, but we’ll do it. Six and a half acres, why would you buy here? Oh, my goodness. Why wouldn’t you? With what is happening in the world at the moment, this, just have a look. We’re in the far North Queensland, world heritage tropical rainforest.
This property is within walking distance, 10-minute walk into Kuranda Village with every facility that you would need. You have potential for building a business. We’ve got this beautiful rock ponds. We’ve got the organicness of the property and, of course, the history and the romance of that bygone glamping eco-tour era. It’s all there for the taking. [inhales] I spoke about brain forest. That’s my new magic word.
I would like to actually lay claim to that word, but I have to say it was not my word. I did read about it. When you do come and you have a look or you watch this film, you will get a sense of how quiet, peaceful– We have bush tucker food. We didn’t even talk about that. Quandong and Burdekin plum and lemon myrtle, they’re all with red cedar and amongst brilliant, brilliant rainforest.
Of course, behind us, it looks like a little Hansel and Gretel cottage which, again, was the original reception area for guests who came here for their eco-glamping or camping. I don’t know where you are going to build your dream property. I know where I would build mine and it could be almost anywhere on the six and a half acres. Of course, you’ve got the facilities, washing facilities. You’ve got mains power. You’ve got local town water.
[sighs] I get emotional again. Of course, that big creek with platypus and all the wildlife. I’m going to stop there because you can see that this is just a one-in-a-million property. Give me a call, Angela Martin, 0403-788-187. Visit the website, angelamartin.tv. Please don’t forget to subscribe by pressing that little red button there. You’re going to seriously fall in love with this one-in-a-million property.
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Video of 26 Barron Falls Road, Kuranda
