Directions
To drive Cape Tribulation and the Daintree from Cairns you simply head North from Cairns along the Captain Cook Highway. The first thing you will notice is the sheer amount of ‘roundabouts’ that you have to drive through. (Some say that when designing the layout of Cairns that everywhere the Town Planner put his coffee cup down, that became a roundabout!)
You continue along the Highway for about 75 kilometres which takes about 1 hour. During this first hour you will be driving along the Coastline which some refer to as the equivalent of the Great Ocean Road.
After about 75 kilometres you will see the Port Douglas turnoff. The township of Port Douglas is only about 3 minutes drive from here. In Port you will find great shopping, cafes and a selection of pubs. There is also St Mary’s by the Sea, which is a lovely Chape that looks out over the Coral See north to Cape Tribulation.
From Port Douglas it is about a 15 minute drive to the small Sugar farming town of Mossman. About halfway through Mossman you will see a turnoff to the left for Mossman Gorge. This is well worth a visit as you can choose to take a lovely 2 kilometre stroll along the rainforest track or even a quick dip in the water for those that need a cooling off from the Far North Queensland heat! Please note that during the winter months of May through to October this area can be quite busy around 10am and 3pm as tour groups are passing through.
From Mossman its about 30 minutes drive north (about 25 kilometres) until you see the turnoff on the right that says “Daintree River crossing and Cape Tribulation. The Daintree River Ferry is about 2 kilometres along this road.
The Daintree River Ferry costs about $20 and runs from 6am to Midnight 365 days per year. There is no need to book and you will surely enjoy this brief 6-minute cruise across the Daintree River with your energetic and chatting Ferry staff!! If approaching the ferry after dark, please turn your main headlights off, as those that leave them on seem to evoke furry in the Ferry driver!
Once over the Daintree River you will firsty feel the termperature drop a few degrees and the stress just slide off your city shoulders! You are now in the heart of the oldest continually evolving rainforest in the world!
As you meander along the road you may see wildlife such as the Southern Cassowary, so please take your time and watch your speed. The first townshiop you come across is Cow Bay, which also plays home to Resorts, Holiday Houses, and Bed & Breakfasts. There is also the lovely and well hidden Cow Bay Beach to stroll along as well as the colourful Cow Bay Pub to drop in for a bit of Far Northern Queensland culture!!
The road continues along past the Alexander Bay Primary School, through the area known as Diwan, past the General Store and last fuel station and on to Cape Tribulation. From Cow Bay to Cape Tribulation is about 30 minutes.
By Bus
You can travel to the Daintree on the following bus lines:
Country Road Coach Lines
Sunpalm Coach
Coral Reef Coach