Reef and Rainforest Coast

Around 17,000 hectares between Daintree River and Cape Tribulation is declared National Park and much of the area is also World Heritage listed to ensure protection of the rainforests which have been evolving for the past 135 million years. Plants representing all stages of the evolution over the last 400 million years are found here.

The only cable ferry in tropical Australia, the Daintree Ferry provides the southern access into the lowland Daintree Rainforest. This is your first taste of the unique nature of this very ancient region. An exciting variety of day trips to the region are available, as well as many local tour options within the area. To truly understand this spectacular rainforest, stay and listen to the night sounds. Hidden in the wilderness is a range of comfortable accommodation, with imaginative restaurants.

From Daintree to Cape Tribulation and Bloomfield River, you can experience the most unique rainforest in the world. No trip to the tropical north is complete without visiting this natural wonderland. The sealed road north of the Daintree River meanders through the lush rainforest covered Alexandra Range, to spectacular lookout points and glorious tropical beaches. It is here that the rainforest meets the reef.

Under the forest canopy a menagerie of animal life includes many varieties of insects, birds, over seventy identified mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The Daintree/Cape Tribulation region is home to over 3,000 plant species including trees, vines, palms, ferns, epiphytes, as well as the world's largest and smallest tree ferns and cycads. Unknown plants and animal species are still being discovered. Many of the animals come alive at night and the region has many nocturnal activities, which are especially enjoyable in the green season.

Make a day trip to the region or stay for a while in one of the comfortable Rainforest accommodation choices. Enjoy bush walking or kayaking, horse riding treks as well as reef cruises to take you diving and snorkeling, massage, fruit tastings, river cruises and even 4WD Safaris. The area has many activities to offer.

 

The township of Daintree, perched on a bend of the Daintree River, is just further on from the turn off to the Daintree Ferry. Lunch on freshly caught barramundi at one of the local restaurants, browse the art and craft shops, and enjoy the ambience of this laidback village.

Wildlife of every kind flourishes on the magnificent Daintree River and its banks. The area's most infamous inhabitants are the estuarine crocodiles. There are a number of river cruises where, from the safety of a boat, you can watch crocs sunning themselves on the mangrove lined banks or gliding through the water. 

The timber milling history of this riverside town is well reflected in the Timber Museum; a must-see attraction featuring an artist’s turnery and exquisite wood gifts. Daintree is a funky village today, with a delightful string of store fronts presented in the style of yesteryear. Behind them are some excellent art and craft shops – handmade pottery that brings to life the pixies and elves of the rainforest, superb textile art and painting, local jams and produce, souvenirs and tropical clothing.

A river cruise in the waters of the Daintree River is the activity du jour. Seeing the rainforest and mangrove shores from a quiet, peaceful vantage point as your river guide glasses for crocodiles is an experience not to be missed. There are fishing and photography tours, a river train, walking and 4WD safaris into the Daintree Rainforest.


For more information visit www.daintreevillage.asn.au

Home to the world's most ancient forests and framed by the spectacular Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree is unique. To truly experience what this amazing region has to offer...

“YOU NEED TO STAY MORE THAN A DAY”

The Daintree River with its picturesque cable ferry is the entrance to the world’s oldest rainforest where you may immerse yourself in another world. A sealed road winds northwards through spectacular rainforest with windows of coastal scenery that display where the rainforest meets the reef.

The World Heritage Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef meet between the coastal stretches of the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation to showcase a panorama of breathtaking beauty and exceptional biodiversity.

Visitors from around the world travel to this premier destination of spectacular white sands to take the wonderful cruise out to the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef. Returning from the magnificence and colour of the coral reef abounding with marine life, they can see the distant sweep of lush rainforests cascading like emerald mantles from the mountaintops and plunging dramatically into the sparkling blue water of the Coral Sea.

For over one hundred and thirty-five million years the Daintree Rainforest, a world-renowned living museum, has evolved a richness of rare and primitive flora and fauna that is not paralleled anywhere on the planet. It is humbling to stand in the heart of an ancient rainforest that has survived the changes wrought by time.

In the Daintree Cape Tribulation area there is accommodation at Forest Creek, Cape Kimberley, Cow Bay, Alexandra Bay, Cooper Creek and Cape Tribulation ranging from four-star resorts, to boutique resorts, backpacker resorts, self-contained units, unique bed and breakfasts and camping grounds, all in superb natural settings.

Activities include day and night walks in the rainforest guided by enthusiastic local experts who will interpret the amazing complexity of the lowland forests for you, reef trips to the Great Barrier Reef from Cape Tribulation, river cruises on the Daintree River and Cooper Creek, crocodile watching, fishing tours, sea kayaking, horse riding, 4WD tours to Bloomfield and Cooktown and Daintree Cape Tribulation tours.

High quality restaurants and cafes in tropical gardens, beach and rainforest settings between Cow Bay and Cape Tribulation provide delicious food using local produce. Residents, resorts and businesses intermingle with the rainforest to become added tourism attractions in their own right. These are the custodians of the Daintree Rainforest.

North of the Daintree River has it all – the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and a rainforest community that offers accommodation, activities, restaurants, local produce, arts and crafts - everything contributing to a memorable Daintree experience.

For more information visit www.dctta.asn.au

The Daintree National Park is the oldest living rainforest on earth at approximately 140 Million years with the southern boundary located at Mossman Gorge and the northern boundary at Bloomfield River.

Daintree National Park is divided into three main areas;

Mossman Gorge (Daintree National Park)
Popular section around a steep-sided valley on the Mossman River. Includes lush Tropical rainforest and Creek scenery. Good bird watching and wildlife viewing. Aboriginal heritage sites in the region and Aboriginal guided walks from the Kuku Yalanji Mossman Gorge Community. No camping.

Daintree National Park
Incorporating the region between Mossman Gorge and the Daintree River, this region is known for its long stretch of lush tropical rainforest. The Daintree River is home to unique bird life and is a haven for crocodile spotting.

Cape Tribulation (Daintree National Park)
Tropical rainforest and coral reef meet in this scenic coastal section of Daintree NP which lies north of the Daintree River. Sandy beaches, mangroves and swamps. Wildlife viewing. Camping available at Noah Beach only.

The age of the Daintree Rainforest varies from one section to the other. It is estimated that the Mossman Gorge section of the National Park is approximately 60,000 years old. The ancient Daintree Rainforest is contained within the area between Daintree Village and Cape Tribulation and includes freehold land and privately protected rainforest. This area is said to be some 140 million years old and is the oldest living tropical rainforest on earth.

The Wet Tropics Management Authority was first formed in 1990 by a joint initiative of the Commonwealth and State Governments. Based in Cairns, the authority is responsible for managing the wet tropics according to Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention. This government department has the distinction of reporting to both state and federal levels of Government and is directed by an independent board of directors appointed by the Ministerial Council.