Daintree Rainforest Hikes, the Great Barrier Reef and other stunning places

We hiked through the lush Daintree Rainforest and explored the ancient Undara Lava Tubes. In Cairns we went on a snorkelling tour and discovered the vibrant marine life at the Great Barrier Reef.

Port Douglas

Port Douglas, Far North Queensland, is a tropical gem. Its stunning beaches and warm climate provide the perfect backdrop for swimming, Daintree Rainforest hikes, golf, and Great Barrier Reef cruises. The town’s relaxed main street offers a delightful mix of shops, cafes, and galleries.

During our week in Port Douglas, we loved swimming and walking along Four Mile Beach. We hiked through the lush rainforest of Mossman Gorge and enjoyed exploring the town’s neighbourhoods.

In the evening, we walked to the Wharf and had drinks or dinner at one of the restaurants or clubs. This time, we were at Port Douglas Yacht Club.

Our evenings in Port Douglas were wonderful, we often went to the wharf for dinner or drinks by the water. The Port Douglas Yacht Club became a favourite spot. We loved sitting outside with nice views and enjoying refreshing drinks

We had a great time exploring the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest in Mossman Gorge. There are various short walks and the 45-minute Rainforest Circuit Track.

If you are in Port Douglas, visiting Mossman Gorge is a must. The gorge is part of the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest and very easy to access, just 20 minutes drive from Port Douglas.There are short, but interesting walks through the rainforest. In addition, there is a nice waterhole for swimming and a lovely cafe in the centre. We went there twice in the short time we stayed in Port Douglas.

There are large buttress roots along the Daintree rainforest circuit track.

Most impressive when walking in the gorge are the manu massive strangler fig trees. The massive buttress roots, helping them stay upright in shallow soil and withstand strong winds.

The Mossman Gorge Swimming Hole , in the daintree rainforest,is a great spot for a swim after a walk through the George on a hot day.

After a walk through the gorge on a hot day, we dived into the Mossman Gorge Swimming Hole. A perfect finish !

We took a 90-minute cruise with the Daintree River Cruise Centre along the Daintree River to see native wildlife, especially the salt water crocodiles.

Next we went on a 90-minute cruise along the Daintree River. The cruise was very enjoyable. While on the river we saw a variety of water birds, two impressive crocodiles and in the trees some snakes.

Daintree & Cape Tribulation

The Daintree Rainforest, one of the world’s oldest rainforests, is millions of years old. It’s home to a diversity of plant and animal life, many of which exist nowhere else on Earth. About 30% of Australia’s frogs, pouched mammals, and reptiles live here. It’s a fantastic spot to see some of Australia’s most unique wildlife like cassowaries and tree kangaroos, With its outstanding hiking trails, it’s a true haven for both nature lover and adventurers.

The Daintree Ferry provides vehicle and foot passenger access across the Daintree River, connecting the northern Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation with the rest of Far North Queensland.

Our two-hour drive from Port Douglas took us to the Daintree River and its famous ferry crossing, the gateway to the ancient rainforest.

We stayed at the Daintree Rainforest Retreat at Cow Bay for two days. It was quiet, and the owner was helpful and nice. We were puzzled by the parked cars, with all doors wide open, and the large number of incense sticks in the room when we arrived. It's the humidity, with any airflow, everything would become mouldy. — Photo from Daintree Rainforest Retreat

Our two days at the Daintree Rainforest Retreat in Cow Bay were wonderful. We enjoyed every moment.

We were lucky to see a cassowary near our accommodation, in the daintree rainforest. These remarkable birds can live for up to 40 years, living in solitude, and only come together during the mating season.

When we went from our accommodation for a hike, we came across elusive cassowary, a large flightless bird. These magnificent birds can live up to 40 years and only come together during the mating season.

Cape Tribulation's Madja boardwalk, meaning 'rainforest' or 'jungle', is a 45-minute circuit through the Daintree rainforest and muddy mangrove at Noah Creek.

We had only a couple of days to explore Cape Tribulation. No hard hikes, just some walks though the rainforest. The Madja boardwalk was one of them, a lovely loop through lush rainforest and muddy mangrove. The boardwalk is only 1.2km and is accessible by wheelchair.

Dubuji (meaning ‘place of spirits’) boardwalk, is another nice walk through mangrove swamps with many signs about plants and animals.

We walked another fantastic boardwalk, the Dubuji, meaning ‘place of spirits’. It took us about 45 minutes to stroll through mangrove swamps. We had to stop many times to read signs describing the wildlife and plants.

The Jindalba (meaning 'foot of the mountain') is an easy walk through the Daintree rainforest at the foothills of Mount Alexandra.

Finally we did the Jindalba (meaning ‘foot of the mountain’) walk. This is an easy boardwalk through the Daintree rainforest at the foothills of Mount Alexandra.

While walking at Cow Beach in Cape Tribulation, we found this wonderful piece of art.

We found this wonderful piece of art while walking at Cow Beach in Cape Tribulation

Atherton Tablelands

From the tropical Daintree, we drove to the Atherton Tablelands, whose climate is much cooler.We explored the stunning waterfalls and the volcanic crater lakes. On our hikes we looked out for the unique tree kangaroo without any luck. Still, we enjoyed this wonderful area and hope to return one day.

The next three days we stayed at the Cedar Park Rainforest Resort near Kuranda. We enjoyed exploring the 10-acre property and watching the wildlife. The restaurant, which is surrounded by rainforest, was beautiful, and the food was excellent.

We then checked in at the Cedar Park Rainforest Resort near Kuranda for a three-night stay. The resort was deep in the heart of the rainforest. The restaurant was in the open air, surrounded by rainforest. In the evening we could watch the wildlife from our table. The food was outstanding, no wonder the chef was from Switzerland.

The Granite Gorge Nature Park is near Mareeba. You can walk through the granite, with is beautiful, but can be challenging and involves scrambling and jumping over large rocks.

From our Rainforest Resort we made a trip to the Granite Gorge Nature Park near Mareeba. It is a caran park with a rock pool and walking trails through the impressive granite boulders.The main attraction are the cute rock wallabies. As a non-resident of the park you have to pay a small fee for using the walking trails. The walk was fantastic but was challenging at times requiring us to scramble and leap over large rocks.

There are many rock wallabies, and you can hand feed them, but I think it's not a good idea.

The rock wallabies are very cute and while you can hand-feed them, I don’t think it’s a good idea.

The historic village of Herberton is a museum with between 50 and 60 original buildings, including a post office, pharmacy, car repair shop, and a lot of timber, farming, and mining history.

An other trip was to the historic village of Herberton. It is an open-air museum with 50 to 60 vintage buildings. In addition, there is a big collection of timber and farm machinery as well.

The village is so interesting and beautiful that you could easily spend a whole day there.

We spend hours in the village, it is so interesting that you could easily spend a whole day there.

We stayed at the Atherton Tablelands Holiday Park for three days to explore the area. The curtain fig tree, near Yungaburra, is over 500 years old, 50 metres tall, and has a trunk circumference of 39 metres.

We explored other areas of the Atherton Tablelands, including the impressive Curtain Fig Tree near Yungaburra. This ancient tree is over 500 years old, standing 50 meters tall with a massive trunk circumference of 39 meters.

Today we booked a tour to see the stunning Undara lava tubs

We went on a fantastic hike around Lake Barrine. The 2-hour,easy track goes through the rainforest and we had great lake views on our walk. At the end of the trail is the Lake Barrine Tea House where we had lunch.

These twin Kauris are estimated to be over 1,000 years old.

On the walk, we did a short side track lead to the twin Kauri trees. These majestic Kauris are thought to be more than a thousand years old.

The wonder of the rainforest, with blossoms growing from a tree stem. Lake Barrine.

Another interesting tree we found on the hike was the Bumpy Satinash (Syzygium cormiflorum). The flowers grow from a tree stem and are rich in nectar. It is food source for birds, possums, and bats.

Hasties Swamp, which is not far out of Atherton, is a large wetland with a large range of resident and migratory birds. There are bird hides where you can watch the birds without disturbing them.

We went to Hasties Swamp, which isn’t far from Atherton. It’s a large wetland with many resident and seasonal birds. From bird hides we watched the birds without disturbing them.

The best time to watch is at dawn or dust. We saw numerous Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks.

The best time to observe the waterbirds is at dawn or dusk. During our visit, we spotted flocks of Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks.

The Mount Hypipamee Crater is a 30-minute drive from Atherton. The granite walls are 58 metres above the lake, which is 82 metres deep.

We drove from Atherton to the Mount Hypipamee Crater which is a short 30-minute drive. From the car park we walked through the rainforest to the platform from where you have a view of the crater. It is an impressive granite volcanic pipe 82 meters deep.

The Dinner Falls are a nice walk from the Mount Hypipamee Crater and are a good place to have a picnic or take a bath.

From Mount Hypipamee Crater we walked further to the Dinner Falls. It is stunning falls because three waterfalls are plunging down. A good place for a picnic or having a refreshing dip.

Undara Lava Tubes

The Undara Lava Tubes, in the rugged Gulf Savannah of North Queensland and gives a glimpse into Earth’s fiery past. The tubes were created by volcanic eruptions 190,000 years ago. These lava tubes are a network of underground tunnels and some of which are large enough to walk through.

On our way to the Undara Lava Tubes, we stopped at the Big Millstream Falls. This is one of Australia’s widest waterfalls.

We stayed here for two days in Mount Surprise, not at the cemetery, in Bedrock caravan park. The accommodations were very nice, and from there we took a bus tour to the Undarra Lava Tubes.

We stayed in Surprise for two days. Not at the cemetery but at Discovery Parks. The accommodations were very nice, and from there we took a guided tour to the Undara Lava Tubes.

Sunset at Mount Surprise.

It included a walk around the Kalkani Crater rim and a guided tour through three sections of the Undara Lava Tubes. Moderate fitness is required because there will be some climbing over rocks.

Our tour guide walked first with us around the Kalkani Crater rim from where we had a scenic view of the landscape. Then we walked through three sections of the Undara Lava Tubes. The walk is not very long, but the terrain is uneven and includes some climbing. You need good footwear and a reasonable fit.

Inside the Undara lava tubes we saw a colony of microbats.

As we went further into the lava tubes, we found a colony of bats at the ceiling

Another photo inside the Undara lava tube.

Walking through the dark tubes was eerie at times, but with the of our torches it was not a problem. With the torches we searched around the ceiling and found amazing pattern on the ceiling.

Waterfalls Circuit

Around Atherton are 15 waterfalls and it takes at least two days to visit all. On the route, we managed to explore seven of them.

On the way back to Cairns we visited the Millaa Millaa Waterfalls, which is close to the town Millaa Millaa, about 45 minutes drive from Atherton. The falls are surrounded by lush rainforest and have a nice picnic area. Take a photo or take a dip in the pool.

From Atherton we drove 45 minutes to Milla Milla to explore the stunning falls with the same name. The falls are surrounded by lush rainforest and have a nice picnic area. It is a nice place for taking photos or having a dip in the pool.

A short drive on the Waterfalls Circuit are the spectacular Zillie Falls.

Just a short drive further on the Waterfalls Circuit, we reached the picturesque Zillie Falls. We were very lazy and did not get down to the pool. Instead, we enjoyed the view from above.

Ellinjaa Falls is another beautiful waterfall of the Waterfalls Circuit, with easy access and a nice spot for a picnic or refreshing dip.

Our next stop was at the Ellinjaa Falls. This time we walked down to the base of the falls and enjoyed the view from below. Unfortunately we were not lucky to spot platypuses who call the falls home.

The Mungalli Falls are a short drive away from the Milla Milla.

Mungalli Falls is a short 14 minutes drive from Millaa Millaa Falls. In addition the the falls is an Outdoor education Centre which offers a variety of activities.Unfortunately we are too old for abseiling, but managed to walk down. There we had a picnic and took some photos of the stunning falls. Again no luck with platypuses.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, renowned for its amazing marine life. It is home to hundreds of coral species, 1.500 species of fish, as well as sea turtles, sharks, and rays. Each year, millions of visitors come here to explore the beautiful reef. From Cains and other places going cruises, snorkelling trips, and scuba diving tours out to the reef. However, rising sea temperatures and pollution are putting the future of the reef at risk.

We are now back in Cairns, where our trip began. We tried unsuccessfully to reach the reef from Port Douglas, but the wind was too strong. The weather is perfect, and we booked a reef tour on our last day before flying home.

We finally returned to Cairns, where our trip began. Although we had planned to visit the reef from Port Douglas, strong winds forced us to postpone. With perfect weather on our final day, we took the opportunity and booked a reef tour before flying home.

We had plenty of time before we arrived at the reef. We had morning tea and enjoyed the fantastic views.

We had plenty of time before reaching the reef, so we had a nice morning tea while enjoying the stunning views.

We did two snorkelling sessions, one from our boat, and the other from a sand cay, which was full of seabirds.

We enjoyed two snorkelling sessions one directly from our boat and the other from a sand cay full of seabirds.

View at the underwater world

We enjoyed north queensland. The lava tubes and snorkel tour were fantastic

On the way back to Cairns, everyone was relaxed and satisfied after a fantastic day on the reef. The boat tour agency, “Passions of Paradise” was great. The tour guides were caring and the snorkelling gear were high-quality. In addition, they served a delicious buffet.

This was the end of a great holiday. We enjoyed hiking in the Daintree rainforest and the remote Cape Tribulation. In addition, we loved exploring the beautiful Atherton Tablelands and the Undara Lava Tubes as well.

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