Cape Tribulation Day Tour

Overview

North of the Daintree River the road changes character, rainforest closing over the bitumen, cassowary-crossing signs appearing, the oldest rainforest on Earth running unbroken to the beach. This tour crosses that line and makes a full, funny, well-fed day of it. The running order earns its 11 hours: morning tea and a leg-stretch at Port Douglas's famous 4 Mile Beach, then a crocodile cruise deliberately timed to the tides, because that's when the salties actually show themselves. Across the Daintree ferry, it's cassowary-spotting country: a genuine chance at the rare, dinosaur-looking bird in its own habitat. Lunch comes with beach time, and the afternoon delivers the day's best moment, a swim in a cool freshwater stream in the middle of the rainforest. Two lookouts and a good playlist handle the run home. Guides are informative, park fees and lunch are included, minimum age is 5, and the vibe is officially 'heaps of fun, laughs and good tunes', which, for once, the brochure got right.