Daintree
Visiting the Daintree Rainforest exposes tourists to a wonderful outdoor experience:
- Untouched tropical rainforest
- Golden beaches with calm water
- Hiking tracks
- Thousands of species of birds and other wildlife
- Remote wilderness
- Ecological information about the most diverse ecosystem in the world
The one hundred and thirty-five million years old Daintree Rainforest in Tropical Far North Queensland Australia is one of the most diverse and beautiful examples of Mother Nature in the world. It is home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth, and all are found within the largest chunk of rainforest in Australia - an area spanning approximately 1200 square kilometres. This World Heritage Listed area contains the highest number of plant and animal species that are rare, or threatened with extinction, anywhere in the world.
For tourists, this unique corner of the world offers an outdoor holiday that few other places on the globe can match. There are hiking trails, scenic lookouts, camping sites, picnic tables and swimming holes to be explored in the Daintree. In addition, visitors to the area can stay in eco-friendly accommodation and eat at cafes and restaurants that specialise in local delicacies.
The total travelling time from Cairns to the Daintree Rainforest is about 2 hours. Simply drive north from Cairns on the Cook Highway past Port Douglas. This section of road offers spectacular views of the Coral Sea and is among the great coastal drives in the world. Continue through the small township of Mossman until you reach a road that turns off on the right side of the road. There is a small sign indicating this road and it is easily missed, so keep a good lookout. From this turnoff, it takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the Daintree River where the ferry is waiting to take you deep into the rainforest. After crossing the ferry, speed limits on the bitumen road are slow and speed bumps are frequent. The speed bumps are designed to slow traffic in the Cassowary habitat; don’t be in any hurry. A few miles north of the Daintree River ferry crossing is the Alexandra Range Lookout where gorgeous views of the Daintree River mouth and the Coral Sea are located.
