Mist in the air, sunshine spearing through canopies of tangled vines and layers of bright green palm fronds…sounds like the Daintree Rainforest!
What better way to spend a few days exploring, than being surrounded by the beauty and of the Daintree Rainforest? Where it can sometimes be just you out there, on a track where you can smell the Earth beneath your feet, and wildlife all around you.
The Daintree Rainforest is old as the dinosaurs, and a nature wonderland
Many people know that dinosaurs existed between 66 and 245 million years ago. However, ask them what is the oldest continually surviving rainforest on Earth, and they might think of Papua New Guinean or Amazon rainforests. When you’ll find it right here in Australia.
At 1,200 square-kilometres, The Daintree Rainforest is the largest rainforest in Australia and is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. It is also the oldest continually surviving rainforest on Earth, estimated to be more than 180 million years old. It’s incredible to think that once up a time, plenty of dinosaurs would have been roaming about this stunning region.
Two major gateways to the Daintree are Cairns and Port Douglas, and the low-impact tourism that the Daintree generates (walking, exploring, picnicking, zip-lining) are tremendously beneficial to the many inland and coastal towns and villages in the area. This is ideal for nature lovers, and those who have come from overseas, to see the native wildlife in and around the Daintree Rainforest is enough to get anyone excited.
From more common creatures such as the saltwater crocodiles, pythons, possums and green frogs, to lesser-known species such as the cassowary (the largest native vertebrate in Australian rainforests and the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich) and Bennet’s tree-kangaroo, marvels of Mother Nature are in abundance. It’s also a Twitcher’s idea of paradise, with more than 430 bird species calling the Daintree home.
Getting there and exploring the Daintree Rainforest
Regular ferries take vehicles across the Daintree River, where there are plenty of boat tours exploring the Great Barrier Reef, which is also UNESCO-World-Heritage listed. Both the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef are one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Australia, and Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage sites exist side by side.
The Daintree is also bursting at the seams with trails ranging from casual 30-minute hikes the whole family can enjoy, to more challenging ones such as the six-hour tour of Mount Sorrow Ridge – great for those who want to push themselves. The amazing trail climbs from the coastal lowlands of Cape Tribulation, right up to the rainforest-clad ridge of Mount Sorrow. The lookout there has some of the most beautiful views of the Daintree coastline, Snapper Island and beyond.
For a touch of modern history, fit in a visit to Daintree Village – a timber-cutting village established in the 1870s that has been maintained throughout its many incarnations as an industrial hub, a cattle and fruit farming region, and a tourism attraction.
The quaint row of store fronts has maintained its brilliant 1800s style, but today you can chill out and indulge in some freshly made scones with tropical fruit jams and a cuppa of locally grown coffee and tea. The Daintree Rainforest also has a few local chocolate producers, including Daintree Estates. In 2011, the company became the first company to make chocolate from single origin cocoa beans grown in Australia, and one of only a handful of “tree-to-bar” chocolate makers in the world.
On a Daintree River cruise that you can book from the village tourist office, you might spot a saltwater crocodile (which is the oldest living relative of the dinosaurs) or go bird watching on a Daintree River cruise.
Go barra fishing and fly through the Daintree Rainforest
For a truly Australian foodie experience, visit the Daintree Saltwater Barramundi, which was established in 2002 on a 49-hectare property right across from the rainforest.
The property boasts 14 large earthen ponds, with 12 of these being used to produce the fish that is sold. One is for fingerlings (aka baby barramundi) and the other is where visitors can go fishing for their own barramundi! There’s nothing like the thrill of catching one of these fish that reach around 1 metre in length and can reach up to 60 kilograms in weight!
If you’re not into fishing but love to eat this much-loved Australian fish, do a tour and see how they are hand-reared until commercial size, harvested and distributed across Australia, to appear on the menus of some of the best restaurants in the world.
For another adrenalin-pumping activity, fly through the skies and the rainforest on a zip lining adventure in in Cape Tribulation. Join a small group of no more than 10 people zip through the Daintree Rainforest’s canopies, soaring up to 15 metres above the ground while learning about this UNESCO-listed paradise from your entertaining and knowledgeable adventure-loving guides.
Whatever your style of adventure may be, the Daintree Rainforest has something for everyone to get into.
If you enjoyed this feature on the Daintree Rainforest, you might like our story on the Daintree Eco Lodge, where you can indulge in fine food, drinks and some pampering.
