Secret Spots In The Daintree River Queensland

October 6, 2020|Journeys

Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

The Daintree Rainforest; a natural paradise home to some of the world’s most spellbinding wonders and unique wildlife. It is found in our very own backyard in the tropical Queensland region and stretches thousands of kilometres along the coastline. It is, in fact, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Pretty amazing!

After Cooktown we free camped our way down to Wonga. Wonga is along the coast and is only 30 kilometres south of the Daintree River. The town is surrounded by rainforests and the beaches are filled with coconut trees. We stayed at Wonga Caravan Park and it was cheap like the budget! This caravan park offered water, power and the kids stayed free. We were along the beach and there were heaps of coconuts for the kids to collect and crack open for coconut water. It was own bit of tropical paradise.

Unfortunately like all the beaches in Far North Queensland there is no swimming. The crocodiles have right of way up the top end. So those barmy hot days we could only smell the salty water and as tempting it was to dip our feet in those bright blue waters it was not enough that we would bet our life on it.

From this caravan park we took a day trip into the Daintree Rainforest via a ferry. This is a great day trip and inexpensive. It is the only way to cross the river from the south side of the Daintree River. The kids found this great fun and spent most of the time looking for crocs that probably were not even there.

Cost of Ferry

When I refer to the ferry I mean the small barge that takes your car over the Daintree River. The river in itself is only about 80 metres in width to cross but this is your only option. The ferry ride is $30 per car (return). The times of the ferry are every 20 minutes and run from early 5.00am to midnight, every night so you can explore to your hearts content.

Accommodation

There are plenty of accommodation options when you get across the river and caravans are allowed on the barge. So you can spend a week or two exploring the Daintree Forest on the other side of the river. Let me tell you, it is worth the drive and the staycation. It is a tropical paradise. The water is blue, the luscious rainforest is thick and green and you will feel like you have walked into a scene of Jurassic Park.

Locations of Interest

Alexandra Lookout

Yes this is one of the best lookouts on this side of the river. The ferns are high, the sky is a contrast of bright blue and the mountains are gloriously sitting pretty in the background. We stood in awe for quiet a while just gazing. Our little son couldn’t reach the views so Dan put him on his shoulders to get a glimpse.

Floravilla Icecream Factory

On a hot humid day it certainly is nice to stop off and sit on the grass and enjoy some yummy refreshing ice cream. Be quick though- it melts fast!!!!

Marrdja Boardwalk

This is an easy walk along a board walk. Great for kids and at only 1.2 kilometres the walk isn’t very long. The trees and plantation are labelled and offer some great information for kids and adults. We stopped and read all about the different trees and then went to find the biggest ‘basket of life’ fern tree. Don’t forget the bug spray and take a camera. It offers a nice view and if you are lucky you will see some crocodiles bathing on the shore of the riverbanks.

Coconut beach- Myall Beach

Yes this is the one spot where you find fresh young coconuts. We filled the back of the car with about 20 fresh coconuts and took them back to our caravan spot to crack them open and drink the juice. It was the best experience. Along the beach is there a stake in the ground to crack them open also.

The Daintree River drive was one of the highlights of our Far North Queensland trip and we will most definitely come back. We visited the rainforest in September and were told by locals that it had been an extremely dry year. They advised us to come back after the wet season and the rainforest is much greener and thicker. I simply cannot fathom anything more green than what I saw.