Itineraries Home » Queensland Itineraries » Far North Queensland Itineraries » A Day In Daintree & Cape Tribulation
The northernmost part of Queensland, known as the Far North Queensland or Tropical North Queensland, is a tropical region stretching from Cairns to the Torres Strait. The Daintree Rainforest located in Far North Queensland or Tropical North Queensland, is over 135 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world and also the largest rainforest in Australia. The Daintree Rainforest is over 1,200 square kilometres and is home to unique flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the world. The remote headland of Cape Tribulation is where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet – the lush Daintree Rainforest and the mesmerising Great Barrier Reef. This post explains everything you need to know to visit this gorgeous place in the Far North Queensland.
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We started at 7AM to visit the Daintree rainforest and the Cape Tribulation beach. Our first stop was Trinity Bay lookout in Port Douglas. This lookout overlooks the gorgeous Four Mile Beach and we had great views of the beach from here. Port Douglas is a laidback tropical town that boasts itself as the gateway to both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. It’s also a popular resort destination in its own right. If time permits, we would recommend you spend a day or two exploring Port Douglas.
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Our next stop was the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. We parked our car in the Cultural Centre car park (ample parking!) and headed to the cultural centre for our Morning Tea. The scones served were delicious as was the coffee! After our Morning Tea, we headed to the Gorge via the shuttle bus run by the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. Please note that this is the only means of transport to the heart of the Gorge and more details on the shuttle bus timings and tickets can be found in the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre’s website.
Once in the Mossman Gorge, you have options for various self-guided walks and the details can be found here. You can also book their guided tours online here if that’s what you’d like to do while in the Gorge. We took the self-guided walk and visited Mossman River Lookout, Rex Creek Suspension Bridge, and Manjal Dimbi (Mount Demi) Lookout. We also walked the River Circuit Track on the way back to the shuttle bus stop. We then took the shuttle bus back to the Cultural Centre. The gift shop at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre has a range of gifts designed and produced by the local Indigenous community and caters to all budgets. The gift shop at the Centre is a great place to finish your Mossman Gorge trip.
Once in the Mossman Gorge, you have options for various self-guided walks and the details can be found here. You can also book their guided tours online here if that’s what you’d like to do while in the Gorge. We took the self-guided walk and visited Mossman River Lookout, Rex Creek Suspension Bridge, and Manjal Dimbi (Mount Demi) Lookout. We also walked the River Circuit Track on the way back to the shuttle bus stop. We then took the shuttle bus back to the Cultural Centre. The gift shop at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre has a range of gifts designed and produced by the local Indigenous community and caters to all budgets. The gift shop at the Centre is a great place to finish your Mossman Gorge trip.
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It’s time for lunch so we stopped at the Daintree Teahouse. The ambience was quite nice, the people were very attentive and the food was absolutely delicious! The plates came with topical fruit samples and were delicious. It gets really busy here so make sure to book the table in advance so you won’t be turned back.
We then headed to the Crocodile Express Daintree River Cruises. We toured the croc-infested Daintree River for an hour in an attempt to spot crocodiles however we could only spot a couple of them that day as it had just rained and the creatures went for a swim.
After the river cruise, we boarded the Daintree Ferry with our car, which is a cable ferry, to cross the Daintree River. This ferry provides access to the northern Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation connecting them with the rest of Far North Queensland. The Daintree Ferry operates daily between 5AM and Midnight and more details about the ferry including timings and tickets can be found on their official website.
On getting down from the Daintree River Cable Ferry, we drove to Cape Tribulation Beach. It’s a gorgeous beach however do not attempt to swim or go near the water as it’s heavily infested by crocodiles and jellyfish. You can see signboards everywhere and even see vinegar bottles placed everywhere along the walk on the beach to use on marine stings so be extremely cautious! Kulki boardwalk and the lookout are a must to do when you’re here.
We then headed to Dubuji Boardwalk near Myall Beach. This is a rainforest boardwalk where you will discover lush lowland rainforests and fascinating mangrove swamps. It’s an easy 1.2km circuit and we recommend you allow 45 minutes for the walk. Peppermint Stick Insects, Pandans and Cassowary Plums were highlights of this boardwalk!
On our way back, we stopped by the Daintree Ice Cream Company to try their exotic fruit ice cream flavours made on-site using local ingredients. Trust me, you won’t regret this stop! We then boarded the Daintree River cable ferry again to go to the other side of the Daintree river and headed to Hides Hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Lastly, here are a few additional attractions in the area to visit if you have more time:
Please note that this trip to Daintree & Cape Tribulation was part of a 5-day holiday in the Far North Queensland, the itinerary of which is covered in detail in 5 memorable days in Far North Queensland.
Lastly, here are a few additional attractions in the area to visit if you have more time:
- Daintree Discovery Centre and Jindalba Boardwalk
- Myall Beach
- Mount Alexandra Lookout
- Rex Lookout
- Port Douglas
- Palm Cove and Trinity Beach
Please note that this trip to Daintree & Cape Tribulation was part of a 5-day holiday in the Far North Queensland, the itinerary of which is covered in detail in 5 memorable days in Far North Queensland.
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