If you’ve slept in and missed the train, you can always take the Skyrail cable car – the world’s longest gondola cableway that runs to Kuranda above the rainforest for 7½km from Smithfield, north of Cairns. It is possible to get off at points along the way to explore the rainforest.
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway operates 8.15am–5.15pm daily. As you would expect, this is an expensive transport option at $49 for a one-way, $73 return or $107.50 returning by train.