Range Road closure rant by caravanning content creators
Kuranda Range Road
Full time Australian caravaners and travel content creators, Miriam and Chris of Aussie Destinations Unknown, have highlighted to their more than 100,000 online followers an issue local travellers have been dealing with for 18 months… delays on the Kuranda Range Road.
The couple tour Australia and post about their experiences, hidden destinations and the products they use to keep them on the road… and they can be quite controversial at times.
Posts covering issues like annoying kids in caravan parks and creating family free zones, and taking a shot at South Australian locals the couple says are the issue at isolated beach sites - not off-grid travellers like themselves - have got them plenty of attention online.
While the post made over the weekend doesn’t take a shot at locals - perhaps given Chris has family at the top of the range - it hints at being displeased at the situation of road repairs on Kuranda Range Road.
“It took us 34 minutes to get from the bottom sign to the top of the Kuranda Range Road today,’’ writes Miriam.
“I looked it up – turns out it’s undergoing some pretty major reconstruction after the damage caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper back in December 2023.
“Apparently they’re working on over 30 landslips, putting in geotechnical fixes, stabilising slopes, and aiming to boost the road’s long-term resilience. The plan is to have it all wrapped up by mid-2026, with night closures and traffic control in place to minimise disruptions.
“Minimising disruptions might be a bit of a stretch. Half the road seems to be single lane right now.
“Chris’s family who live up top said they’re avoiding the road altogether unless absolutely necessary – and we don’t blame them!
“I did try to soak in the beauty of the drive – had plenty of time for that.’’
The post has received dozens of comments and a mixed reaction, the most revealing being details released in a recent report on the damaged road suggesting much of it was the result of water penetration of the road sub-base where Main Road contractors installing the smart signage trenched their conduits.
The latest online update from the Queensland Transport and Main Roads Department states Kuranda Range Road experienced numerous major landslips and road damage caused by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023. The priority on Kuranda Range Road is to carry out repair and recovery works, it says.
The recovery works are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, to the value of more than $260m.
“In the meantime, we are developing a Kuranda Range Road Upgrade Strategy to determine and prioritise suitable treatments to improve safety and resilience,’’ the update adds.
“Construction of safety and resilience treatment is expected to start after the recovery works are completed.’’
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