Daintree Forest

First Europeans to the Daintree Forest

The first European land explorer to this area was George Elphinstone Dalrymple in 1873. George named the area after his good friend and prominent geologist, Richard Daintree. Of course, like other tropical areas, after European explorers found these remarkable areas word spread to loggers about the abundance of highly desired timber. In the case of the Daintree forest it was the abundant stands of red ceder. Gold was then found in 1873 bringing more settlement to the area, but when the gold was mined and the timber exploited the forest was cut down to make way for farmland. Logging of pristine rainforest took place until the 1980s when in 1981 the Cape Tribulation National Park was formed, later evolving into the Daintree National Park.

Location of the Daintree National Park

The Daintree National Park is split into two sections: the part south of the Daintree River is the Mossman section, 80km north of Cairns. The other section is north of the Daintree River and named the Cape Tribulation section, 138km from Cairns. To get from one side of the river to the other there is a ferry service carrying across cars and passengers. The ferry runs every day (from 6am-midnight) except Christmas and Good Friday. Both sections have different wildlife and it is recommended to have a look at both areas. Here is a Daintree map to help.

Daintree and the World Heritage Wet Tropics

The Daintree rainforest reached international fame in 1983 when protestors tried to block the creation of a road linking Cairns to Cooktown via Cape Tribulation. The road would pass through pristine rainforest and was thought to bring unwanted development to the area. Roads are a significant threat to rainforests as they block animal passage from one side to the other, open up otherwise unreachable rainforest to development, illegal loggers and poachers, and lead to degradation over time. Despite the controversy and the protests, the Bloomfield Track was built but support for conservation led to something more important than the road: the addition of the Daintree National Park into the World Heritage Wet Tropics Area in 1988.

Best Time To Go

The wet season is between December to April where frequent heavy downpours fall on the Daintree. This is also the hottest time to visit with an average January temperature of between 23 – 37°C. Outside of this time is the dry season, which is sunny, warm, and comparatively dry. The average temperature in July for example is between 16 – 30°C.

Animals of the Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree River runs at the heart of this National Park and is renowned for wildlife. There are many different birds in the Daintree forest but favourites are the golden bowerbird (Amblyornis newtonianus) and the satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus). These are very interesting bower building species found in the Daintree and Atherton region. The Daintree is home to several animals found only in this area like Bennett’s tree kangaroos and the Daintree River ringtail possum. The Daintree offers some amazing wildlife sightings. Make sure you have a look through our wildlife guide to see what you might find. Some of the favourites to look out for are the Boyd forest dragon, scrub python, cassowary, northern quoll, pademelon, and the incredible saltwater crocodile. As you investigate this area you might also notice the smaller iconic inhabitants like spiny orb weavers, Portia jumping spiders, giant golden orb weavers, and Ulyses butterflies. The best time for a wildlife tour is dawn, but tours at this time may not operate during the wet season (December to April).

Daintree Rainforest Fauna

Mammals of Daintree National Park


Frogs of Daintree National Park


Reptiles of Daintree National Park


Birds of Daintree National Park

Potential Medical Importance of the Daintree Forest

The rainforest here holds many secrets and some Daintree forest plants have had significant medical importance. During the 1990s, the Queensland Pharmaceutical Research Institute began a search to find unidentified species that offered medical use. An unnamed species known to aborigines was studied that contained a pain killer exceeding morphine in power. Also in the search was a locally common tree you can find named the black bean chestnut (Castanospermum australe). This made headlines as a medication for AIDS as the drug bonds to the virus’s sugar coated surface. The plant has red or orange flowers and pinnate leaves resembling beans. As it is locally common you should be able to find a few if you keep a look out.

Walks in the Daintree Forest

To see the wildlife, there are board walks you can venture on to discover some of the Daintree’s wonders. The boardwalks ensure minimal effect on the environment:

The Dubuji walk (1.30 km, easy)
The walk takes around 30 minutes meandering through the vine forest, sedge swamps, and fan plans. There are also many spring fed creeks supporting the rich array of plant and animal life. The walk has well placed viewing areas with information signs to describe the sights.

The Marrdja Boardwalk (1.10 km, easy)
This walk takes an average of 36 minutes to complete and leads you through the rainforest to see the mangroves. You could, however, spend half a day here as the walk informs you of the evolutionary history of the land, plants and animals over the last 400 million years. The pathway takes you through the rainforest and mangroves then out to view Noah Creek at the viewing platform.

The Jindalba Boardwalk (0.70 km, easy)
This takes you through tropical lowland forest where you can also stop for a picnic with facilities provided. This is a good walk for spotting the Boyd forest dragon. This walk winds up the hill and reaches 4 metres above ground in some areas. This gives you the opportunity to see an elevated view of lowland rainforest



For the more adventurous, there is a track named the Mount Sorrow Ridge Walk, which is a steep and difficult 7km return (allow 6 to 7 hours) to a lookout over the coast. There is also a non-boarded track at the beginning of the Jindalba Boardwalk after you pass the information post at the start.

Accommodation in the Daintree National Park

If you are looking for a relaxing and interesting Queensland holiday and want Daintree rainforest accommodation, you can stay in the centrally located Daintree Wilderness Lodge. The accommodation has an advanced certificate in ecotourism making it a comfortable yet an environmentally friendly eco lodge.