There are lots of really great tours into the Daintree region from Port Douglas and we can give you info about those, but if you’d like to self-drive the Daintree it can be a really great day out. Here are our ideas for an itinerary.
Pack a few snacks, swimming gear and some water and head north to:
SOLAR WHISPER DAINTREE RIVER CROCODILE AND WILDLIFE CRUISE
It takes roughly 45 minutes to drive from Port Douglas to the cruise office which is on the south bank of the Daintree River near the car ferry.
These guys are renowned for their croc spotting abilities, and will provide you with heaps of great info and point out wildlife you’d never see yourself.
What’s more – they operate the only zero emission boat on the Daintree river, a quiet and clean solar powered cruise.
A one hour tour costs $28 for adults, $14 for children, $65 for a family and $20 for students and seniors. Tours operate at many times during the day, but I recommend booking online for an early tour before you go. https://solarwhisper.com/
Next up, head to the CAR FERRY for the 10 minute ride across the river. The return journey costs $30 per vehicle. If it’s high season (July-December) you might have a bit of a wait, so it’s better to get there earlier rather than later. The ferry operates 6am til midnight, and takes 30 cars at a time. EFTPOS is availabe 8.30am – 4pm.
On the other side you can head off for your day in the Daintree. You’re in for a real treat enjoying the lush greenness and the natural surrounds. While you’re driving, watch out for Cassowaries. It feels like you’ve won a prize if you spot one, even better if there are chicks too!
After a 10 minute drive from the ferry you’ll come to the MOUNT ALEXANDRA LOOKOUT. Stop here for a while and soak up the impressive views over the Daintree River mouth, Snapper Island, Low Isles and two of Australia’s most important World Heritage areas—the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics.
By now you might be having a few tummy rumbles, so the good news is that the DAINTREE ICECREAM COMPANY is 9 minutes down the road!
In a beautiful orchard setting, this place grows their own exotic tropical fruits from which they make their icecream. You buy the icecream in a signature cup of 4 seasonal rainforest flavours ($7.50 per cup). Such smooth and creamy deliciousness! It’s worth grabbing the map of the gardens and walking around identifying all the fruit trees.
https://daintreeicecream.com.au/ open daily 11am – 5pm
After enjoying this little entree, head about 25 minutes north to MASON’S CAFE AND WATERHOLE. This is a magic spot with a hidden crocodile/stinger free waterhole! If you’re not quite ready for lunch, then you can have a swim first. Or tuck into some lunch and swim after. Mason’s has delicious local fruit smoothies, exotic meats like crocodile, emu, camel; but if you’re not feeling that adventurous they have all the normal cafe fare too. The waterhole is a short walk from the cafe and entry is $1.
https://www.masonstours.com.au/cafe/ 11am – 3pm
Next up, you might like to have a walk along the famous CAPE TRIBULATION BEACH (accessed through the Kulki carpark.) Cape Tribulation was named by Lieutenant James Cook when his ship ran into Endeavour Reef,northeast of Cape Tribulation. He wrote: “I name this point Cape Tribulation, because here began all my troubles.”
This is literally the place where the rainforest meets the reef.
There’s a boardwalk here but save your boardwalking for the MARRDJA BOARDWALK about 10 or so minutes heading back south. This a peacful and serene setting to wander through the rainforest. There are marvellous explanatory boards, lots of wetland mangroves, fan palms, a stream running through and more. Look out for the strangler figs ..they are creepily fascinating! This is a 1.2km loop track which will take approximately 45 minutes.
After the boardwalk you might like to explore some of the other beaches as you head back south, pop into the Cow Bay Hotel https://cowbayhotel.com.au/ for dinner or head back over the ferry for a fancy dinner at https://www.daintree-ecolodge.com.au/eat-drink/.
So what do you think? Sound like a good recipe for a day exploring Australia’s very own World Heritage Area? I highly recommend it! Oh, but one thing to remember…there isn’t much mobile coverage in this wilderness area…which is actually a bonus!
And then of course you must spend the night with us! https://number2onthebeach.com/
