Daintree Rainforest

This is one of Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here, the rainforest comes down to the Great Barrier Reef and it is the only place in the world that has two UNESCO sites right next to each other.

This rainforest is the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest and contains the most species in Australia of plants and animals. This rainforest is spectacular yet is accessible to travelers. The southernmost part of the rainforest is about 2 hours north of Cairns and 1 hour north of Port Douglas. The access to this lowland part of the rainforest is by the only cable ferry in a tropical area of Australia. This is a vehicle ferry that operates from 6am to midnight each day.

A popular excursion is to take a cruise down the Daintree River where you can see the jungle homes of reptiles including estuarine crocodiles, pythons, animals and birds.

The Daintree Rainforest is known for its superb wildlife and through a number of eco-tourism operators you can explore this region through fascinating itineraries that give you insights into the wildlife that inhabits this beautiful yet remote river-system.

Not far along a bend of the Daintree River is the small town of Daintree Village. You will find several small hotels and B&B’s, some shops and a couple of restaurants. As you leave Daintree Village you will pass through tropical and lowland rainforest until you get to Cow Bay and Cape Kimberly. These two areas make an excellent lookout to see where the rainforest is next to the reef.

Coconut Beach is the main beach in the area and you can take trips out to the Great Barrier Reef from here. An activity in this area that is becoming very popular with travelers is jungle surfing or ziplining as we know it.

Going further north from here along the Bloomfield Track, you drive through the canopies of the rainforest alongside the coast to reach the more isolated towns of the far north of Australia.

At Cape Tribulation are a couple of isolated resorts located along beautiful stretches of beach. From here you can take boat trips out to the Barrier Reef. Many travelers take day trips up to the Daintree from Cairns area or Port Douglas. However if you have the time it is very rewarding to experience staying inside the Rainforest region.

Continuing north of here you will eventually reach the Outback town of Cooktown. However the travel is rough and you must have a 4-Wheel Drive vehicle. This whole region is an experience that you will get nowhere else in Australia.