We spent 3 days exploring the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. If you are time poor, you can easily see the popular spots within a one day trip, however we strongly recommend spending a few days here to really enjoy the area. You also really need a car to get around unless you book a tour - we highly recommend a car hire if you don’t have a vehicle already.
So lets begin with how to get there..
Transport - Crossing The Daintree River Via Ferry
There are 2 routes to get to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. Firstly, the most common route (and the only 2WD accessible one) is to catch the vehicle ferry from Daintree Village (approx. 40 mins from Port Douglas). The ferry cost $47 for a return ticket or 10 tickets for $120.
The alternative route is a far more difficult, a 4WD only track that leaves from Cooktown heading south via the Bloomfield track - more on that below.
We opted for a 10 pass ferry ticket as it was a far more affordable option for us for a few reasons (1. Towing our trailer across is so much more expensive, 2. It was school holidays so the campgrounds were x5 the price and pretty much everything was booked out already). We instead camped at Daintree Riverview Van Park in the Daintree Village which was affordable and surprisingly very quiet.
Cow Bay Swing
The Cow bay swing (located on Cow Bay Beach) is a well known spot for its beach swing, while also being a beautiful beach to explore.
The swing is located about just 15 metres from the carpark (follow the small track heading left from the carpark and you can't miss it) We recommend going early in the morning to get the low light from sunrise for a perfect photo op. The rest of the beach is pretty standard for far North Queensland, its beautiful, but of course comes with the risk of crocs, so swim at your own risk.
Masons Swimming Hole
Located next to the Mason Creek Cafe - approx. 45 minutes drive from the ferry.
You have to walk through the cafe to get to the creek, which can be a bit awkward if you're not staying for lunch, but they have a $2 per person donation box to swim on the property, so no need to eat there.
The walk down is only about 20 meters and very easy. There isn’t a lot of room at the bottom of the stairs so we would recommend heading down early as it gets busy. The creek is open from sunrise to sunset.
Walking Tracks
There are multiple walks to be done in the Daintree Rainforest; ranging from mountain hikes to wetland boardwalks, leaving from various areas throughout the national park. We did all of the boardwalks but one (as it was closed). They were all easy, flat walks that took minimal effort. Here is the info on the boardwalks and our thoughts
Walk 1 - The Jindalba Walk
Leaves from: The Daintree Discovery Centre Carpark
Length & time: 700 Metres, allow 30 Minutes Thoughts: This walk was half closed when we were there due to some serious flooding in the area, so we could only walk a short distance, nevertheless it was still a nice, well shaded walk that showcased some amazing plants and wildlife.
Walk 2 - Madja Board Walk
Leaves from: Madja Carpark (near Noah Beach)
Length & time: 1.25kms, allow 1-1.5 hours
Thoughts: A beautiful walk, possibly our favourite in the area. There is lots of amazing plants including our fav circular Ferms (see image) its a loop track that is very flat and easily accessible for anyone.
Walk 3 - Dubuji Board Walk
Leaves from: Boardwalk carpark Near Myall beach
Length & time: 1.2kms, allow 45minutes
Thoughts: A nice, simple and well shaded walking track. It takes you though the wetlands before opening up to the beach at the end of the track.
Walk 4 - Kulki Boardwalk
Leaves from: Boardwalk carpark north of Cape Tribulation
Length & time: 600 metres, 15 minutes
Thoughts: a nice peaceful walk with a sturdy board walk - a gentle ramp up to a lookout that overlooks Cape Tribulation beach
Emmagen Creek
This stunning creek is located partway into the Bloomfield track, following the road north of Cape Tribulation, the sealed road will end and the Bloomfield track begins. From here its about a 10 min drive (5.5km) to the creek. Its a popular spot for a dip, but has very limited parking so be warned you might have to walk.
There are several spots you can set up for the day, so we recommend taking a walk down the creek to find the perfect spot.
Daintree Ice Creamery
No trip to the Daintree is complete without a visit to the Daintree Ice Creamery. It was so good we went 4 times. A standard cup costs $6 and was full to the brim so you get your money's worth.
They also have an option of a tasting cup which includes 4 flavours - these change every day so you can experience all the flavours they have on offer. The best part is that the flavours are made from local ingredients and fruit grown on the property. My personal favourite was the chocolate coconut and the mango sorbet.
It’s the perfect way to end the day, so we went in the arvo, as we were heading back to the ferry.
Daintree Discovery Centre
This was a well recommended attraction when visiting the Daintree Rainforest. Its also the first main stop when you get off the ferry.
It costs $39 per person to enter, but if we are being honest we think it was a bit overpriced for what it is. We have been to so many discovery centres around Australia (all free) so this was a bit of a let down just because of the high price point.
Despite this, it was still very informative and we learnt a lot about the area and animals, so if you are after an informative and educational experience you should check it out. Once you have purchased your ticket, you can visit for 5 more days if you let them know you want to come back, so you can try and get your money's worth with multiple visits.
Bloomfield Track
Usually people do this on their way to Cape York or Cooktown, we did it as a day trip as we didn’t want to take the trailer. It is not recommended to bring a caravan or trailer on the track - but we still saw plenty of people towing them, so it can be done.
There are 3 main creek crossings, they were not very deep (we were there in July) but this heavily depends on the time of year - so do your research before you go. The track was pretty easy and smooth, just a few very steep inclines (25% and 30%)
Daintree Croc Cruise
There are multiple croc cruises leaving from the Daintree and surrounding areas. We opted for the Daintree Express (on the village side of the Daintree River) as it was amazing value and we heard some great reviews from fellow travellers.
It was $38 per adult and you get 2 cruises on the Daintree river, one upriver and one down further. The best part is that you can go again as many times are you like within 30 days of ticket purchase so it’s really great value for money.
We saw plenty of crocs on both cruises so we didn’t feel the need to go again, but planned to if we had the extra time. The operators were great and full of knowledge so were perfect hosts.
We couldn’t recommend a trip to the Daintree more! If you only have a day you can still see and do so much, but we highly recommend spending at least 3 days there so you have time to really see it all. If we could do it again, I would book a hotel or airbnb in the area instead of driving back and forth everyday.
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