Daintree National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- A look at the past
- Aboriginal culture
- Natural features
- Native plants
- Wildlife
- NQIS (07) 3227 8185
- Mossman Gorge park ranger (07) 4098 2188
- Cape Tribulation park ranger (07) 4098 0052
- LEARN about the rainforest plants and animals on the Dubuji Boardwalk
- PICNIC by the creek at Mossman Gorge
- STOP at Alexandra Range Lookout for magnificent views
Introduction
With its stunning scenery of rainforest-clad mountains sweeping down to long sandy beaches, Daintree National Park is one of the most revered parks in Australia. Its Cape Tribulation section is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage areas exist side by side, as the Daintree rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.The park is divided into two sections: the Mossman Gorge section stretching north-west from Mossman, and the smaller Cape Tribulation section, which rims the coast to the north and south of Cape Tribulation. Valued for their exceptional biodiversity and scenery, both areas attract thousands of visitors each year.
Fact file
Access
From Cairns via Captain Cook Hwy to Mossman then Mossman Gorge; from Cairns via Captain Cook Hwy to Daintree River crossing then ferry to narrow, winding road through Daintree to Cape Tribulation; Cape Tribulation to Wujal Wujal (Bloomfield) is 4WD only
Best Season
May to September; summer can be hot, wet and humid
Location
80 km north of Cairns (Mossman Gorge); 142 km north of Cairns (Cape Tribulation)
Park Information
Permits
Camping permit and fees apply
Size
73 500 ha
Where to Stay
Cow Bay/Mossman
A look at the past
It seems ironic that what is now considered the most wonderful wilderness area should have been named Cape Tribulation by Captain James Cook. His ship, the Endeavour, was holed on a reef off the coast here in 1770. The first European land explorer to the area was George Elphinstone Dalrymple, who named the river after his good friend Richard Daintree, a prominent geologist. After the explorers came timber cutters, drawn by the huge stands of red cedar in the Daintree area. Gold discoveries on the Palmer River in 1873 brought thousands of fortune-seekers to the region. However, within 10 years most of the yellow gold had been extracted and the ‘red gold’ had been cut down, so settlers then turned their hands to farming crops such as rice, vegetables, coffee, maize and sugar. In the 1880s, as settlement extended along the coast, more and more rainforest was cleared for farming. In 1945, logging of local virgin hardwood forests began again, bringing more development to the Daintree region.In the 1980s, conservationists entered the fray over how the Daintree should be used. Cape Tribulation National Park was declared in 1981, and was later amalgamated into Daintree National Park. In 1983, the Daintree attracted international attention over the proposed construction of a road through the coastal lowland rainforest from Cape Tribulation north to the Bloomfield River. Despite protests, the controversial Bloomfield Track was built. However, the furore caused by the protests was a deciding factor in having the Daintree National Park internationally recognised as a significant natural area, in 1988, with its inclusion in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
Aboriginal culture
The traditional owners of the Daintree are the Kuku Yalanji. Many natural features have spiritual significance for them, including Thornton Peak, Mount Demi, The Bluff and Cape Tribulation. With its rainforests, coastal waters and numerous creeks and rivers, the Daintree provided a wealth of food. The Aboriginal people gathered fruits, berries and grasses in season, fished in the creeks and rivers, and hunted the abundant wildlife, such as brush-turkeys, tree-kangaroos, possums, gliders and flying-foxes.
Natural features
The Daintree wilderness encompasses impenetrable mountain ranges covered in lush rainforest, which rise steeply from a coastline of vast sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Over the last 400 million years these mountain ranges have provided refuge for ancient plants and animals whose rainforest habitat dwindled with rapid climate changes. Today, the park protects the world’s oldest living rainforests – a vital habitat for rare and endangered species.The Cape Tribulation section of the park, which covers approximately 17 000 hectares, is a narrow coastal strip that stretches from the Daintree River in the south to the Bloomfield River in the north. In between, the park is dissected by many creeks and rivers, which have their source in the McDowall Range, the western boundary of the park. Within the Cape Tribulation section is one of Australia’s last extensive stands of lowland rainforest, and offshore is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Lying to the south-west of the Cape Tribulation section is the Mossman Gorge section of the park. Much larger, it is a rugged 56 500 hectares of generally inaccessible rainforest and mountain woodlands. Mossman Gorge, a popular natural feature, is situated in the south-east corner of this section. The gorge is a steep-sided valley formed by the Mossman River on its way from the mountain ranges to the coastal lowlands. The riverbed is strewn with granite boulders washed down from the hills during floods, making a picturesque sight as the crystal-clear waters flow over them.
Native plants
The lowland and upland rainforest, eucalypt forest, open woodlands, mangroves and coastal heath support a vast range of primitive flora, providing an invaluable insight into the evolution of flowering plants. Nineteen primitive plant families grow in the park. These include a primitive form of she-oak (Gymnostoma australianum) that is restricted to isolated pockets north of the Daintree River; Noahdendron nicholasii, an extremely rare understorey tree that has not been found anywhere else in the world; and ribbonwood (Idiospermum australiense), an ancient tree that is the only member of the Idiospermum family. This relict species dates back to the period when flowering plants started developing, some 120 million years ago. The ribbonwood has an impressive brilliant red flower but its fruit is particularly toxic (cattle have died from eating it in the past).More common plants you are likely to see on a walk through the rainforest include strangler figs, lawyer vines with their distinctive hook-like spines that cling to anything, bird’s nest ferns and a variety of orchids. One plant to avoid is the giant stinging tree, the leaves of which will give you a very painful sting if you touch them. These trees, 3 to 4 metres high, are found alongside many walking tracks; look for the distinctively large, heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges. If you are stung, seek medical advice.
Wildlife
The park’s forests are home to several animals that are endemic to the Daintree. Bennett’s tree-kangaroo spends most of its time in the rainforest canopy and is found only in the lowland and upland rainforests north of the Daintree River. By nature a wary and nocturnal creature, it feeds on leaves, and fruit such as native figs. Another nocturnal creature, the Daintree River ringtail possum is found in rainforest elevations over 420 metres and feeds on leaves from a wide range of species – including bleeding heart, pink almond and needlebark – and the fruit of the green-leaved Moreton Bay fi g. This possum shelters during the day in tree hollows and amid the staghorn ferns that grow on rainforest trees.Endemic to Queensland and found in a small strip of the Wet Tropics’ rainforest from the Atherton Tableland to the Daintree, Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo is listed as rare. The southern cassowary found in the Wet Tropics is classified as endangered (see feature). Another Daintree dweller, the spotted-tailed quoll, is more common in the southern states. The northern population of this creature is a sub-species (Dasyurus maculatus gracilis) and exists in small numbers only. Butterflies may be seen in the rainforest, such as the brilliant-blue Ulysses butterfly and the green and black (male of the species) Cairns birdwing, Australia’s largest butterfly with a wingspan of up to 150 millimetres. The park’s many waterways provide a habitat for jungle perch, saw-shelled turtles and platypuses. Birds such as wompoo fruit-doves, chowchillas, white-rumped swiflets and grey fantails are joined in summer by migrating birds from New Guinea, including the buff-breasted paradise-kingfisher and pied imperial-pigeon. Australian brush-turkeys are a common sight scratching for food amid the leaf litter. The velvet-black Victoria’s riflebird, which can raise its wings, fan-like, above its head in a spectacular courtship display, is found only in north Queensland; in the Daintree it is frequently sighted in the rainforest around Thornton Peak.
Featured Activities in the National Park
Introduction
This is a park that takes time to explore. Featuring stunning scenery in both sections, it is a renowned photographer’s delight. In the Cape Tribulation section, there are picnic areas at Jindalba, Dubuji and Kulki. All three sites have toilets and picnic tables. Only Dubuji has barbecue facilities (this is the only place in the entire park with barbecue facilities). All park visitors and campers should heed the signposted warnings of crocodiles and stingers. Swimming is not recommended as estuarine crocodiles live in these waters and box jellyfish are present in the sea from October to May.
Bushwalking
Most of the Mossman Gorge section is inaccessible except to experienced, well-equipped bushwalkers, who need to inform the ranger before departure. Otherwise there is the Rex Creek circuit (2.7-km loop, 1–1½ hours), a wonderful walk though the rainforest. The Cape Tribulation section offers four short walks, all of which include a boardwalk. Jindalba Rainforest Walk (1.3 km return, 45 minutes, easy) explores the tropical lowland rainforest. There is a large picnic area with toilets and tables. Wheelchair access to the creek is available from the exit end only, near the disabled parking bays. Marrdja Boardwalk (2.2 km return, 45 minutes, easy) offers views of the rainforest and mangroves. Close to Myall Beach, Dubuji Boardwalk (2.4 km return, 45 minutes, easy) has informative signs about the rainforest plants and animals. Kulki Boardwalk (800 metres return, 10 minutes, easy) leads to a viewing platform overlooking the ocean and beach. A short walk from the carpark takes you to beautiful Myall Beach. These last three boardwalks, Marrdja, Dubuji and Kulki, are fully wheelchair-accessible. Those wanting a more challenging walk can attempt the steep Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail (7 km return, 6–7 hours, difficult). This strenuous all-day hike leads from the rainforest to the ridge line of Mount Sorrow and on to a lookout with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Walkers have been lost in this area so inform the ranger before you set out, never walk alone and keep to the trail. It is recommended that hikers do not undertake this walk in very hot and humid conditions or in wet or cloudy weather. Guided walks throughout the Cape Tribulation section are provided by commercial operators (details from the ranger station).
Scenic views
Just 5 kilometres north of the Daintree River in the Cape Tribulation section of the park is the Alexandra Range Lookout. Here you can enjoy breathtaking views of the coast, with Snapper Island visible just offshore.
Campsites
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