The car ferry across the Daintree River near Daintree

Daintree (and Daintree Rainforest)
Centre of some of North Queensland's most beautiful tropical rainforest.
One of the most famous and controversial towns in Australia, Daintree bears little or no resemblance to the image conveyed by the media. It is not some kind of centre of alternative living and the main street is not full of environmental activists. In fact the opposite is true. This tiny settlement has a neatness which is almost prudish and a charm which is positively old fashioned.

Located 111 km north of Cairns and 56 km from Port Douglas the town is perfectly located. Behind it the rainforest mountains of the McDowell Ranges rise steeply while the Daintree River winds lazily past the town.

Historically Daintree was first settled in the late 1870s and early 1880s by timbercutters who were searching for cedar trees in the rainforest. At the time there were large stands of cedar near the river and the loggers moved the felled timber down the river by constructing rafts from the logs. They were followed by dairy farmers and a butter factory was built in 1924. The economic focus later shifted to beef and today the mainstay of the local economy is tourism.

This tiny township consists of a general store, a huge fibreglass 'Big Barramundi' (even Daintree is not immune from the Australian obsession with big things), a couple of restaurants, a caravan park, a school, a number of river and rainforest tour operators and the timber museum - a woodworking shop which produces beautiful pieces of wooden furniture from the local timbers as well as an exhibition of carpenter's and cabinet-maker's tools and techniques.

Daintree's great success lies in the fact that it has managed to establish a tourist industry which has not overwhelmed or cheapened the town.

Things to see:  

The Timber Museum
The Timber Museum contains a woodworking shop which produces beautiful pieces of wooden furniture from the local timbers as well as an exhibition of carpenter's and cabinet-maker's tools and techniques.

Daintree Cruises
Daintree is a mecca for birdwatchers and nature-lovers and there are a number of cruises on the Daintree River, operating from sunrise to dusk, which allow visitors an opportunity to see many tropical birds, reptiles, crocodiles and other wildlife. The river also hosts 30 of Australia's 38 species of mangroves.

The Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre
Across the Daintree River (take the turnoff to the ferry south of the town) is the Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre where a clever combination of displays, audio-visual presentation and a short walk along a boardwalk provide a good introduction for visitors.

There are also plenty of opportunities to walk in the rainforests, which contain some of the rarest flora and fauna in the world. Species such as Bennett's tree kangaroo, the musk rat kangaroo, ancient ferns, and exotic rhododendrons of Asiatic origin are unique to this area.

It is worthwhile remembering that those who fought the road through the Cape Tribulation and fought logging in the Daintree were not, as ex-premier of Queensland Joh Bjelke-Petersen was wont to brand them, 'professional protestors and ratbags' but rather people who realised the genuine importance of the rainforest's ecosystem and the rarity of the rainforest species.

Daintree Village Tourism Association
For more information check out the Daintree Village Tourism Association at http://www.daintreevillage.asn.au

	Tourist Information
	Crocodylus Village Youth Hostel Buchanan Creek Rd Cow Bay Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 9166 Facsimile: (07) 4098 9131
	Daintree Tourist Information Centre 5 Stewart St Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6120 or (07) 4098 6133
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Red Mill House Bed & Breakfast Stewart St Daintree Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6233 Facsimile: info@redmillhouse.com.au Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	Club Daintree Cabins Cape Kimberley Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4090 7500
	Daintree Valley Haven Stewart Creek Rd Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6206
	Lodges & Chalets
	Silky Oaks Lodge Finlayvale Rd Mossman Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: 1800 737 678 or +61 2 9277 5050 worldwide Facsimile: +61 2 9299 2477 Email: reservations@poresorts.com Web site: http://www.silkyoakslodge.com.au Rating: ****
	Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa Daintree Rd Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6100 Facsimile: (07) 4098 6200 Email: info@daintree-ecolodge.com.au Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Riverview Caravan Park Stewart St Daintree Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6119
	Camping & Other
	Cape Kimberley Camping Cape Kimberley Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4090 7500
	Rainforest Retreat Cape Tribulation Rd Cow Bay Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 9101
	Snapper Island Campsites Off Cape Kimberley (permit required from Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service Mossman) Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 2188
	Restaurants
	Baaru House Restaurant Daintree Eco Lodge Daintree Rd Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6100
	Big Barramundi BBQ Garden 12 Stewart St Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6186
	Daintree Palms Bistro Oasis Dve Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 7833
	Daintree Tea House Restaurant Daintree Rd Barratt Creek Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6161
	Floraville Tea Gardens Cape Tribulation Rd Cow Bay Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 9100
	Latitude 16 Point 12 Degrees Restaurant Baileys Creek Rd Cow Bay Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 9133
	Papaya Cafe Stewart St Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 6173
	Silky Oaks Restaurant Finlayvale Rd Daintree QLD 4873 Telephone: (07) 4098 1666