Things To Do In The Daintree Forest
Located in Queensland’s remote, far north, the Daintree Rainforest is an invaluable natural asset. This tropical rainforest is the world’s largest and oldest continuous rainforest.
According to experts, it’s been around for almost 140 million years and is both a priceless resource for the indigenous people who have lived there for thousands of years and a wonderful tourist destination for curious outsiders.
From Port Douglas, the Daintree Rainforest and Daintree National Park are 86 kilometers north. Rainforest, Daintree Village, Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation, and several mountains and beaches are all contained within the park’s limits.
Surfing in the Jungle
The ideal activity for tourists of any age who want to spice up their time in Daintree with some excitement. The closest thing to really soaring through the Daintree Rainforest is a session of jungle surfing.
As you zip line through the forest at increasing speeds, you’ll be treated to unobstructed vistas of the rainforest from a whole new vantage point. The guides’ fascinating tales of life in the Daintree only add to the adventure’s overall impact.
View from Mount Alexandra
Taking the auto ferry across the Daintree River will get you moving in the right direction. Walu Wugirriga, also known as the Mount Alexandra overlook, is the first place you’ll visit. You may park and take in the breathtaking view below.
Snapper Island and the Low Isles float in the distance as the huge Daintree River rushes over the coastal lowlands and flows into the Coral Sea, surrounded by mangrove woods. Take photos that might look good on a postcard here.
Mossman Gorge
In order to begin the jungle adventure. At Mossman Gorge, visitors can go on a pleasant 4-kilometer hike. Tourists may catch a bus from the visitor center that will take them directly to the park entrance at Mossman Gorge.
In this area, visitors may get their first taste of the amazing rainforest by swimming in waterholes, taking a tour to learn about plants and how to determine what is edible, and listening to intriguing stories about the rainforest.
Daintree Discovery Centre
The Daintree Discovery Centre is a fantastic starting point for visitors of all ages and abilities who are interested in learning more about the Daintree rainforest.
Each guest receives an eight-language audio tour and a 68-page fact-filled guidebook. There is also a “hipster” tour available. Displays are designed to make learning about the Amazon rainforest interesting and engaging for visitors of all ages. 
The Daintree aquarium has an intriguing assortment, including huge spiders, prickly leaf insects, and stunning snakes (some of which you may touch and handle if you’re daring enough).
In the depths of the Australian rainforest, several gigantic “Jurassic” dinosaurs hide, just waiting for the right photographer to capture them in action. The canopy tower is a 23-meter-tall structure that allows visitors to safely ascend from the forest floor to the canopy of the rainforest’s towering trees.
Madja
Madja (meaning rainforest or jungle) is located 26 kilometers past Jindalba and is where the rainforest and mangroves meet.
Take the boardwalk back and forth through the lowland tropical rainforest and out along the side of the stream into the mangrove forest; the whole distance is 1.2 kilometers.
Peer over the side of the platform to get a better look at the species that call mangroves home and take in the sights, sounds, and scents of this unique ecosystem.
The brook likely contains fish and maybe eels. Listen for the scurry of crabs and other crustaceans as they navigate the muddy banks if the tide is out.
Is it possible to distinguish between a buttress root, a prop root, and a knee root in the various mangroves? Notice any ‘cannonball’ seeds or young plants with spiky flowers?
Learn how these characteristics allow mangroves to live in this saline, muddy environment that is flooded at high tide. Relax on this tranquil hike and discover a different aspect of the Daintree.
Cruise the Daintree River
The Daintree Rainforest is crisscrossed by a network of estuaries and rivers, and visitors may rent out boats to explore them.
Your river cruise experience may be as calm or thrilling as you choose it to be. You may take it easy as you cruise through the jungle on the boat or get up and personal with the crocodiles without leaving the safety of the boat.
A cruise down the Daintree River, of whatever variety, is bound to be educational. This is due to the fact that local tour guides are quite helpful in providing information about the Daintree Rainforest, its history, its biodiversity, and its enormous culture.
Cape Tribulation: Goannas and Boardwalks
Walk down a walkway that cuts through the rainforest, and you’ll get a feel for this unique and ancient ecology. A goanna could even make an appearance.
The Marrdja (rainforest in Kuku Yalanji) Boardwalk is a circular route that begins and finishes at Oliver’s Creek and is the most kid-friendly stroll in the area.
It is slightly over a kilometer in length. In this magical and unique corner, which is home to a number of different mangrove species, children may pretend they are George and Georgina from the forest. The interpretative journey is made more engaging with the use of informational signage.
Bird Watching
Watching birds is a popular pastime all around Australia, but it is almost obligatory in the rainforest.
The endangered Cassowary bird is one of the unique species that may be spotted here. These dinosaur ancestors are only found in a handful of locations worldwide, and this is one of them.
Visit the Fruitful Cape Trib Farm
Visit Cape Trib Farm if you’re a fan of fruit while in the Daintree. Lychees, mangoes, rambutans, papayas, and guavas are just a few of the tropical fruits that are grown on 12 hectares of sustainable land.
The greatest way to see all that Cape Trib Farm has to offer is on a 90-minute Fruit Tasting Tour, where you’ll get to stroll around an orchard, hear about the unusual applications for exotic fruits, and chow down on a buffet of delicious tropical treats.
You might be able to get your hands on some breadfruit chips and chocolate pudding fruit during some times of the year.
Participate in an Indigenous Art Workshop
Do you have any curiosity about Australia’s first civilization? Indigenous Australians have so much to offer in terms of local history and anecdotes.
Attending one of our Indigenous art classes, where participants will hear tales recounted via the centuries-old tradition of painting, is a great opportunity to learn more about their way of life and culture.
Indigenous Australians utilized traditional ochre paints, the meanings of which may be deduced by studying their meticulous painting skills. You may make up your own messages and meanings as you paint, but often the dot paintings depict a tale about finding a safe place to live or scavenging for food and water.
Conclusion
The Daintree Rainforest is one of the most visited rainforests in the world because of its rich biodiversity and beautiful vegetation.
Because of its tremendous longevity—some estimates place its age at 135 million years—this rainforest has witnessed incredible events such as the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, the onset and end of the ice age, and the birth and death of many other fantastic phenomena.
The rainforest extends all the way to the Great Barrier Reef, which is another major draw for tourists.
