Cape Tribulation

MY TRIP TO FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
Follow Kate as she dives, climbs, eats and sunbakes her way through lush Far North Queensland.

With the world famous Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest as its catchcries, Cape Tribulation had a lot to live up to. What do you expect from such a place? Like the pictures, it is supposed to be a remote paradise with open spaces beyond view but when you get there, you see the granular pieces slot in between tourism images .

After arriving in Cairns in the morning, we immediately drove north on the Captain Cook Highway (also known as the Cook Highway), speeding away from the other tourists straight for our off-the-beaten-track adventure. It's not that off the beaten track that we need to carry supplies for days and days with us, or even have a 4 wheel drive, but it is not where the typical Queensland tourist goes. When you drive along the highway, you notice some things - you notice the wet heavy air on your skin and it drags your clothes down, you see the flat pastoral land, backing onto lush mountains, which overlook the dramatic ocean. I likened it to Vietnam, where you have plush fields of rice paddy's and a few farmers going about their day to day - except we were in Queensland, in the heart of eco-tourism land. The amount of operators, tours and hotels which cater to this has exponentially increased, with burgeoning luxury retreats such as the Daintree Eco Lodge and tours operated by locals.

Getting to Cape Tribulation
We were told it would take around 3 hours to get to Cape Tribulation from Cairns International Airport, but it only took us around 2.5 hours - so it probably depends on the traffic and if you are travelling in a coach. After the ferry crossing, it's much slower going, as the road is winding up and down the mountainous rainforest and the final 30km will take about an hour.

Daintree is an area between Daintree and Bloomfield Rivers which is also known as the Daintree Coast. The Daintree river cuts all the way through to the Great Barrier Reef, so cars which want to go to Cape Tribulation must cross it on the Daintree River Ferry. It's an odd feeling as you drive your car onto the Ferry and wait to be towed across the by the cable (technically it's a cable ferry). The crossing takes about 4 minutes but the feeling of inertia is intense - is the car moving, or is it ferry? Once you get to the other side, it a bit of an anticlimax because it's another 34km to Cape Tribulation. The town of Daintree is 10km from the crossing and was originally established as a logging town in the 1870's. The cedar was what the loggers were after and they would float this down the river. Now there are a tours operated out of the village, one popular one is the river cruises as there are frequent crocodile sightings.

The area between the ferry crossing and Cape Tribulation is home to accessible beaches and lookout spots. Cape Kimberly Beach is around 3km from the ferry crossing and Snapper Island just offshore, where you can camp with a permit at the QPWS (obtain at www.epa.qld.gov.au). Cow Bay is 14km from the ferry crossing and offers one of all the activities and accommodation styles as Cape Tribulation.

The final 5km to Cape Tribulation, you see the drastic change in landscape as you wind your way to the town. The road is carved into the Rainforest Mountain and I'm surprised that so many large coach busses can actually fit on the road - it is a bit frightening to see them coming towards you. When we got there, we drove right past it and ended up at the end of the paved road - surely we hadn't gone past it? We continued down the dirt road and when we realised that the pharmacy and backpackers was probably Cape Tribulation, we went back. If you continue along the dirt road - which is called the Bloomfield Track you will end up in Cooktown - but make sure you go in a 4 wheel drive because there are creek crossings, steep climbs and loose surfaces. If you are travelling during the wet season, check at Mason's Store for current conditions - as the stretch of road can be impassable for weeks during this time. There is a long and controversial history to the Bloomfield Track and for more info check out this link.

Arriving at Cape Tribulation
We arrived in Cape Tribulation around 1pm and it was sweltering hot, but not the type of heat we were used to - it was a hot and humid. The minute we stepped out of the air conditioned car, it was like walking into a sauna, it was stifling and it instantly wants to makes you want to laze about in the pool. After we checked into our hotel, we changed clothes and went to find food.

Since it was late afternoon (we had to have the mandatory bed check - by lying on it for half an hour for no reason), we ran out of choices and the only two things open for food were the Cape Tribulation Beach House and PK's Jungle Village. We checked out PK's first and it was basic backpacker grub, it was grilled cheese sandwiches and various deep fried things - it wasn't nice. We then got into the car and headed towards the Beach House - we went past it the first time but we finally found it - it is past the Cape Tribulation beach, up a bit further on the dirt road.

The Beach House are a series of air conditioned A-frame rainforest huts, set along a winding path which leads to the restaurant-bar and Cape Tribulation beach. The food was better than PK's but only marginally. We had some fish and chips and a beer - and I can remember how well that beer went down! It was all gone before the food arrived - and the food arrived quickly - served by the Brit backpacker waitress - she was a bit nasty. I think it's probably because she's working next to a grill in extreme heat. It was hot; we were just sitting under the tarp tropical sauna - our heads steaming. It must have been at least 42 degrees Celsius. There were a few people playing pool and sun baking next to the pool, but it was hard to focus on the surrounds when I was dizzy from the heat. The Beach House would have been a great place to stay with the communal feel of the Huts and the access to the beach. It is a bit far from the central part of Cape Tribulation and in the heat, it would be a hassle to walk the 1km from there to post your letter or pick up some medicine and you'll be a sweaty mess by the time you get there - but at least you can pick up a beer at PK's at most hours.

Trip Notes

GETTING THERE
Getting to Cape Tribulation
From the Airport - take the Captain Cook Highway north. Takes about 2.5 - 3 hours. Follow the signs

Daintree Ferry Crossing
1.5 hours from Cairns, it operates between 6am and midnight. Cars are $16, motorcycles $8, pedestrians $3

Daintree Village 10km from the Daintree Ferry Crossing

ACCOMMODATION
Voyagers Ferntree Rainforest Resort

PK's Jungle Village - http://www.pksjunglevillage.com.au

Cape Tribulation Beach House - http://www.capetribbeach.com.au