Located in Australia’s tropical north about 2 hours drive from Cairns the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest surviving tropical rainforest on earth. It can easily be visited on a day tour or self drive from Cairns, Palm Cove or Port Douglas or, if time permits, you could spend a couple of night in one of the rainforest lodges in the area.
On your journey north we highly recommend stopping off at Cooya Beach for a coastal walk with the local Aboriginal Kubirri Warra brothers who offer cultural habitat tours. Cooya Beach is the traditional fishing ground of their ancestors and this area has three diverse ecosystems - beach, mangroves and coastal reef - that are connected to each other by the ever changing mudflats and tidal lagoons. Today the brothers teach their guests how to throw a spear, hunt whilst stalking and observing wildlife and country, and how to track coastal resources.
Once in the Daintree you can take a cruise down the river and take in the sights of jungle homes of birds, animals and reptiles including large crocodiles and pythons. There are a number of rainforest walks and a rainforest discover centre to learn more about the region. Further north Cape Tribulation is a stretch of long beach where the rainforest comes right down to meet the sea.
Beyond Cape Tribulation the Bloomfield track takes you up to Cooktown and Cape York Peninsula. You will need a 4WD and it is only accessible during the dry months between April and November. We can arrange (and strongly recommend) a 4WD small group tour or you can drive yourself or fly up to one of the lodges in the area.
On your way up to Bloomfield Track you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Bloomfield Falls and be guided by the Walker family, members of the Kuku Yalanji clan who have lived in this area for tens of thousands of years. The Walkers will take you on a bush walk with a difference, giving you the opportunity to listen and talk to the traditional custodians of the area, and receive a fascinating insight into the history and the many different uses of plant species for food, medicine and ceremonial purposes.

Cooktown is a small frontier town and is so isolated that you’ll really feel like you’ve stumbled back in time and across a local secret. Cooktown is Australia’s first non-indigenous settlement, discovered and settled by Captain Cook and his crew in 1770. You can visit the James Cook Historical Museum, visit to Grassy Hill Lookout, where you can experience 360 degree views he countryside and beaches. From Cooktown you can explore many aboriginal art sites and we highly recommend a tour with Willie Gordon, a local aboriginal elder. He shares the stories behind the art - stories which can only be told by Elders of the Nugal clan - and explains how the paintings speak of the essence of life and the lores of his people.

Located on the northernmost tip of Australia, Cape York Peninsula is a wild and sparsely populated wilderness area with a rugged coastline pointing towards Papua New Guinea while the eastern side of Cape York is fringed by the coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef. This is a vast area of unexplored wilderness, magnificent national parks, sacred Aboriginal sites, unexplored rainforest, rugged mountains and swampy marshlands. This is a land of climatic extremes where the creeks run dry or ten feet high. If you love bushwalking, four-wheel driving, wildlife, fishing, birdwatching or camping then Cape York is the place for you. The Cape York region is one of the largest wilderness areas in the world that remains relatively untouched, maintaining its original beauty and diversity.

For details of Daintree accommodation or Cooktown accommodation or any Daintree tours suggestions click on the links on the right. Our experienced consultants can easily build any of these experiences into a tailor-made Australia holiday quote for you.