The Daintree to the Reef: A Road Trip That Defies Australia’s Scale

Australia is not a small nation and you’d be forgiven for thinking any road trip in this great southern land is invariably a long one, but that’s not always true. Perhaps even more surprising is that one of the most remote corners of Australia offers one of the most condensed road trips with abundant incredible experiences packed into a relatively small area.

In our latest Out There adventure, we explore fantastic far north Queensland and even though this tropical Arcadia is a far flung outpost and the unforgiving elements threw in an unplanned detour, we managed an unforgettable week of activities in less than 1000km.

Gateway to the north is Cairns - not quite the state capital but more like Brisbane's exotic metropolitan sister with regular flights in from all the main hubs around the country. From here, the North is your oyster.

We didn’t need to go far for a luxury stop-over with the Reef House just a half hour drive north out of the city. One of the first buildings constructed in Palm Cove, the Reef House offers gorgeous boutique apartment accommodation in a resort that feels like sharing someone’s home not a hotel.

Daily ‘traditions’ make this haven feel even more special such as house-made sorbet served by the pool each afternoon and, later in the day, punch and canapés for all guests. It would be easy to stay here for the entire week, but that would be to miss out on all the other treasures that this part of the world offers when you continue north.

Port Douglas is an obvious stopover for its rich history and access to the Great Barrier Reef, but we’re not here for the obvious. Instead we stop in about 15km to the south in a dreamy hideaway by the sea - Thala Beach.

If you chose to do nothing here other than bask in the sensational pools, kick back at the excellent restaurant or just take in the views from one of the 84 individual chalets - they’re on posts so high it’s like camping in the treetops - that wouldn’t be time wasted.

But free up an hour or two for the coconut tour because this place has a fascinating story to tell about its unusual and unexpected plantation.

Just a stone's throw north once again is Cooya Beach - the quintessential northern Queensland beach with its shallow and calm waters lapping at mangroves rich in wildlife. This is exactly the kind of place the signs say to avoid despite the temptation … unless you’re lucky enough to join the Walker family for the morning.

Brandon took us for a walking tour of this incredible coastline but thanks to a spear, bucket and some expert tuition and knowledge, we came back with lunch which was then expertly prepared. If you’re into seafood, this is a must-have experience and the mud crabs were absolutely the best we’ve ever sampled along with the freshest queenfish ceviche you’ll find anywhere.

Of course, this area is known for the stunning Daintree Forest which is not just of botanical and natural interests on a global scale but, often misunderstood. It’s here we meet Steve although you’re more likely to know him as the face of Gone Buggo - a unique series of dioramas that showcase the beauty and importance of north Queensland’s fauna by photographing them in lego scenes. It’s wonderful.

Steve describes himself as an environmental educator but after a two hour walk through the incredible rainforest, his passion and intense knowledge for wildlife along with a wonderful way of communicating it, we feel he also deserves the title guerrilla environmentalist.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, we swing by Wildlife Habitat. This animal sanctuary not only cares for a huge range of significant reptiles, birds, marsupials and many more animals, it also offers a crocodile experience like no other.

There are plenty of businesses in the area that’ll let you get close to salties from the safety of a boat, but here, you can actually get into the water with them. The centre specialises in rehoming crocs that (mostly though human misendeavours) were facing euthanisation but instead, they’re given a second chance.

I might have failed to mention the most important part of this activity - a sheet of polycarbonate, nice and thick, I’m pleased to report, which divides the 4.6m crocks from my pool. Under the water, the barrier is invisible resulting in an experience that’s equal parts terrifying and fascinating and one I’ll be telling others about forever.

Next bed for the night is at Cassowary Falls but there’s more to this exclusive three-chalet accommodation nestled in the grassy hills of a cattle farm outside the village of Daintree. Once you’re done chilling in the delightful small-space-living inspired cabins, you can join a bespoke tour that takes you through the forest, sampling bush foods along the way, before culminating at the falls themselves.

Taking a dip in these pristine waters is a spiritual experience and one that can be enjoyed all year round.

For our next part of the adventure we had planned to cross the Daintree River via the road ferry as part of a 50km drive taking less than an hour to get to Cape Tribulation. However, the often callously indifferent north Queensland elements had other ideas.

While this part of the world had been spared the full might of cyclone Narelle, its glancing blow had delivered record breaking rain and the ferry’s cables, hydraulics and ramps had taken the brunt.

A detour is often part of a road trip, but in this part of the world alternative routes are few and far between. So instead of a direct vault over the river north east, we needed to return south to join the Route 81 which would then take us in a clockwise arc around Mount Windsor Park before heading back south through Rossville and Bloomfield.

What should have taken 60 minutes turned into a five-hour 340km diversion. But it was worth it. Not only did the unplanned leg add in some stunning scenery we otherwise wouldn’t have enjoyed, it made the arrival into Cape Trib all the more special.

Here, our accommodation at Cape Trib Farm offered amazing indoor-outdoor-living cabins nestled within the fruit tree plantations and the opportunity to sample whatever happened to be in season. It’s a rollercoaster for the palette and not to be missed. The highlight was the not misleadingly named Miracle Berry - Google it because it’s wonderfully weird.

But while this remote outpost of a town feels far away from everything it happens to be the nearest point on dry land to a national treasure. Hop on the Ocean Safari RIB and just 25 minutes later you’ll be bobbing over the underwater Eden that is the Great Barrier Reef.

This is where our journey concludes, weightless among the vivid shoals of reef fish and forests of thriving coral, as the tropical skies bruise from baby blue to the stern grey of an afternoon storm.

It’s only been a week since we left Cairns but despite the unplanned excursion and many unforgettable experiences, the Isuzu MU-X odometer hasn’t even added a 1000km to the total. It might be a decent trip to get there, but the Daintree and surroundings offers an intense concentration of things to see and do, all of them serving as a reminder that this, at times, brutal corner of Australia is still fragile and precious.

If you tread gently along the way, a visit to far north Queensland will help preserve the incredible eco focused businesses right when they need the support most, as well as this amazing natural treasure.

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