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There aren't many places in the world where you can walk out of one World Heritage Area (Wet Tropics) and straight into another one (The Great Barrier Reef) There's nowhere else you can step out of the world's oldest rainforest and into the planet's largest living thing. But then there really is nowhere else like DAINTREE. Destination Daintree is proud to present "Walks in Paradise" Booklet. 28 pages of breathtaking walks and experiences just like these. Download your FREE copy

 

CAPE TRIBULATION REGION

Madja Botanical Walk - 30 minutes

Located 10 minutes drive to the south of Cape Tribulation. A boardwalk and concrete pathway leads you through high value rainforest with interpretive signs to Oliver Creek, where you can sit and watch out for crocodiles.  Go early morning or late afternoon to avoid the tourist rush. You can hire a bicycle from your accommodation house to get there.

 

Dubuji Boardwalk - one hour round trip

The entrance to the Dubuji car park is signposted on the main road at Cape Tribulation. Park here and look for the entrance to the Dubuji Boardwalk (a 1.8 km interpretive boardwalk through the forest and mangroves). You can exit onto the beach and walk back via the mangrove boardwalk which exits the beach 200 metres to the north or return through to the Dubuji car park.

 

Cape Tribulation Beach to Mason's Shop - one hour one way.

A beautiful long beach walk links Myall Beach and Cape Tribulation Beach. Start from the car park at Kulki and follow the signposted track over the ridge of Cape Trib which drops down onto Myall Beach. The view from this southern side of the cape is spectacular. As you walk south, you come to Mason Creek, which can be a barrier at high tide.

At low tide it is possible to walk south for about 2 kms to the southern end of Myall Beach, stopping to do the Dubuji Boardwalk on the way. Follow the track back to Mason’s Shop, where you can swim, take refreshments and then retrace your steps or follow the footpath beside the road back to Kulki.

 

Kulki - Cape Tribulation Beach Lookout - 10 minutes

The lookout path is concreted and starts near the toilets, and takes you to a viewing platform on the north side of the Cape Tribulation headland, with great views to the north of the mountains and the beaches. Towards Cape Tribulation, you can see the profusion of vines, especially matchbox beans, whose enormous pods you can see dangling in the tree tops.

Cape Tribulation beach to the north of the entrance, is an excellent example of the natural beach vegetation (called ‘littoral’ rainforest ). This fringing littoral rainforest protects the beach from the action of storm surges, acting as a sort of natural shock absorber.

 

Emmagen Creek and Beach - Five hours round trip from Cape Tribulation.

Follow the main road north for 8km through forest and past creeks (about 2 hours). Just before Emmagen Creek sign you will find a foot track, marked by gate posts, on the left hand side of the road. Follow this path for about 800 metres and you will find a stunning freshwater swimming hole and a sandy beach.

At low tide it is possible to walk back to Cape Trib along the beach from Emmagen Beach. To access Emmagen Beach, follow the track, which leaves the road about 400 metres south of Emmagen Creek, starting at a giant Strangler Fig tree. Take water and insect repellant and check tide times. The Emmagen area was actually open eucalyptus forest in the 1900’s - but with the cessation of traditional Aboriginal burning practices, the area is slowly reverting to rainforest.

 

Mt Sorrow Ridge Walk - 6 hours return

It is possible to climb up to the ridge line behind Cape Trib for a spectacular view at a look-out. It is not an easy climb, and there can be leeches, but it is well worth the effort if you are an experienced walker. The walk commences on the main road, two hundred metres north of the Kulki - Cape Tribulation Beach turn-off. There is a small car park where you can leave your car. Look for the walking sign which is set just off the road in the bush on the inland side of the road where the track starts.

Make sure you tell your accommodation house where you are going. Plan to start early and carry a lot of water. Tourists have gone missing on this walk and never been found. You will notice that the forest canopy gets lower and lower as you go up, and by the time you get to the lookout, it is about 3 meters high, and covered with epiphytes. There are leeches - ikky - but not dangerous - spray your shoes and trouser ends with insect repellant – and you probably won’t have troubles!

COW BAY REGION

Each walk starts at the airstrip in Cow Bay. Distances are approximate only.

The Beach Walk - 6 km plus 1.5 km for the loop (one way)

Turn left after the war memorial and follow the foot/bicycle path along Buchanan Creek Road. After 3 km, there is a second road on your right past Crocodylus Village and you can add a loop to this walk by turning right into Spurwood Road. When Spurwood Road comes to an end, turn left into Quandong Road. Quandong Road then crosses Buchanan Creek Road.

Turn right here to walk to the beach or, continue on Quandong Road. Turn right before the waste transfer station at Cedar Road. The second road on the right is Bloodwood Road, which meets up with Buchanan Creek Road again. Turn left to do the final kilometre to the beach. It is not very obvious that people live here, but please do not enter any driveways/ properties.

Once you reach the beach, walk north and climb around the headlands to find small isolated bays.

 

The Mountain Walk- 5.5 km (one way)

Walk past the war memorial, cross Buchanan Creek Road and use the foot path past Flora Villa and the Cow Bay Hotel. Walk up past the sign to the Discovery Centre and it is 2.5km to the Alexandra Range look out. On the way back turn right to the Discovery Centre and follow the road, Tulip Oak Road to Jindalba National Park walk. After completing the loop here walk back to the airstrip.

Most of this walk is on the main road, but this is a spectacular part of Cow Bay. Walking up to the look out, you can see mighty trees, fantastic vines and… just listen to the birds. During the wet there are creeks cascading from the steep slopes over boulders and under the road. At Jindalba the board walk makes it easy to experience the normally inaccessible dense rainforest. This area is very different to the beach walk as it is elevated and provides quite different vegetation and creek environments.

 

The Creek Walk- 6-7 km plus 1.5 km for the loop (one way)

Head north from the airstrip and cross Hutchinson Creek. Walk past Alexandra Bay State School and the ice-cream factory and turn right into Palm Road . At Palm Road you can see old fan palm forest, which is highly concentrated in this area. This loop brings you back to the Cape Tribulation Road, where you turn left. Walking back south, you can go for a swim in Hutchinson Creek, before arriving back at the airstrip.

This walk will show you part of the community infrastructure, with the school located next to Hutchinson Creek, and Diwan Community Centre in Tea Tree Road. The green tunnel you walking through was planted by the Cassowary care Group. There is some farming here and you can see the fruit orchards around the ice cream factory. 20–30 years ago this area was totally cleared for various farming pursuits. Around the wilderness lodge there is some amazing stands of undisturbed forest with extensive wildlife.

 

Jindalba Boardwalk (650metres) and Jindalba Circuit Track (3 kilometres)

To get to the start of both these walks turn off Cape Tribulation Road at the Daintree Discovery Centre, into Tulip Oak Road in Cow Bay.

The Jindalba Boardwalk is a shady walk in Daintree National Park, which meanders through lush lowland rainforest. In places the boardwalk is elevated up to 4 metres above the ground keepin your feet dry as it crosses creeks and swampy areas. From the vantage point of the boardwalk you can enjoy views of the surrounding lowland rainforest. From information signs along the way, learn about the ecology and diversity of the rainforest and find out how different species have evolved to surive in this tropical environment. Early morning and late afternoon are good times to spot the Bennetts Tree Kangaroo and if you are lucky, you may also see a Cassowary. A stream runs through the rainforest. Wetter spots are fringed by King Ferns, ancient plants which appeared 235 million years ago, pre-dating the dinosaurs. Another ancient plant seen here is Hopes Cycad (possibly the world's tallest cycad at 20 metres high), which has been around for 40 million years. Jindalba (meaning 'foot of the mountain') is the local Kuku Yalanji people's name for this area. This walk is 650 metres so take about 30 minutes.

The Jindalba Circuit track begins near the entrance of the Jindalba Boardwalk. The track is well marked but is stony in places and crosses rainforest creeks. There are birds of all kinds - large majestic cassowaries or buff-breasted paradise kingfishers streaming their long tails through the forest. Although many of the mammals are nocturnal, you may catch some day-time action with Musky Rat-Kangaroos foraging on the forest floor and Bennett's Tree Kangaroo rustling about the canopy. You need to be reasonably fit to do this walk. It takes about 2-3 hours and the total distance is 3 kilometres.

DAINTREE VILLAGE REGION

Historical Village Walk – 30 minutes

Pick up a brochure map at a tour desk and stroll around the tiny village, learning about it's fascinating history on the interpretive signs you'll find along the way.

Daintree Village Trail

This trail begins steeply but offers good views of the Daintree Village and the Daintree River.

Along the track you will see eucalypts, acacias, paperbark, and one of the ancient and interesting plants known as Cycads. Of the various ferns along the way, the most obvious is a climbing fern which forms an attractive curtain but its tangled wiry stems can be frustrating to deal with when walking through a forest hung with this creeper.

One of the more common epiphytes seen is the Bottlebrush Orchid. These can form fairly large clumps with sprays of small flowers borne in a tight bottlebrush-like cluster from August to November.

Look out for the Lovely Fairy-wrens in family groups by the track.

START LOCATION:
Pioneers Park in Daintree Village. Walk 50 metres along Stewart Creek Road and take the first track to the left, on the edge of Pioneers Park. Go past the water treatment plant and water tanks.