The Daintree Rainforest lies about two hours north of Cairns and is one of the most extraordinary natural environments in Australia. It is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and its age and isolation have produced an exceptional level of endemic species — plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.
The Cape Tribulation section, where the rainforest meets the beach, is the most accessible and most visited part. The Daintree River ferry crossing (there is no bridge — deliberately) marks the transition into a different world. Beyond it, the road threads through dense forest above beaches where cassowaries walk across the road in the early morning and the undergrowth is impenetrably thick. Swimming in the sea here requires a stinger suit from October to May.
A guided night walk through the forest reveals the full range of nocturnal wildlife: tree frogs, insects of extraordinary variety, possums, and — if you are lucky — a Boyd's forest dragon frozen on a tree trunk. Longer stays in the Daintree are more rewarding than a rushed day trip; there are excellent ecolodges in the forest north of the river.