| Destinations
/ Australia / Queensland
/ Daintree-Cape York
The Daintree and Cape Tribulation is made up of lush tropical rainforests, deserted
white beaches and breathtaking World Heritage areas. The lush vegetation of the
Daintree Rainforest is home to some beautiful species of birds, plants and animals.
Crocodiles are common in this area, and a cruise on the Daintree
River will give you the opportunity to see them. Between the Daintree and Bloomfield
Rivers, the forest slopes of Cape Tribulation National Park plunge into the waters
of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 
The Cape York Peninsula is one of the world's last accessible wilderness areas.
Beginning at Cooktown (were Captain Cook set foot on Australia for the first time
in 1770), the Cape has prolific wildlife living in rugged mountains, eucalypt,
mangrove and rainforests, woodlands, headlands, grasslands, swamps and mighty
rivers. Its 11 million hectares extend 1000 km north of Cairns to the tip of Cape
York Peninsula, covering an area roughly the size of California or the United
Kingdom with a population only in the thousands. 
Vast areas of the Cape York Peninsula are designated Aboriginal land, and the
rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait heritage is alive and well. Travellers will
see much of it on their way through to Cape York. Of special importance is one
of the world's most significant collections of prehistoric art in the escarpment
country surrounding Laura. How to get there & tours in the region
By land is the only way to get there. The road is sealed until Cape Tribulation,
but from here the dirt roads start and strict rule apply. Now you need a four-wheel
drive vehicle or off road motorcycles. As road conditions continually change
after every wet season from washed out river beds to newly formed and upgraded
sections of roadway and back to badly corrugated and rutted sections the driver
must be ever vigilant to the constant changing road conditions. All self-drive
trips into this area must be well planned and catered for. You should have some
experienced with 4-WD vehicles, especially if you plan to drive all the way up
to Cape York. 
Alternatively one can do an organised, guided tour in the area. Tour operators
have the experiences and a good knowledge of the area. The tour operators cater
for all types of needs with camping and accommodated safaris with full catering
being available. For those who do not want to face the dusty bumpy roads there
is nothing more exciting than to sit back in the comfort of an aircraft to explore
this remote area. In the wet season access is only available by air as the Cape
becomes completely cut off by swollen rivers and impassable roads. A weekly
mail service is the only way residents of the Cape York area can get fresh supplies
and their mail. This mail run is classed as the "Longest Mail Run In The World"
and provides a vital link with the outside world during this isolated period.
Visitors can experience a day in the life of a "Postie" with limited passengers
being carried. Climate There are only two seasons on Cape York
Peninsula the "wet" and the "dry". There are no organised tours to Cape York during
the wet season. The wet starts around end of October. Latest from mid November
thunderstorms herald the beginning of the monsoonal rain. The parched land is
replenished and the once dry rivers and creeks again flow. It is from now until
perhaps April or May that the roads will become impassable and the only way to
visit the Cape York region is be by aircraft. This is also the cyclone season,
with the right conditions they can form anywhere out to sea and cross the coast
in varying intensity. At the end of the wet season the South East trade winds
return drying the land. The once parched land is now green & lush and the wild
flowers flourish. Cape York tours are starting again in May. Diving
Some Dive Operators based in Cairns, do offer live-aboard from/to Lockart
River which is half way to Cape York. Those trips are not available all year round.
They usually start or end with a flight to Lockart River, were you board or disembark
the dive vessel. There are no day boat operators in this area. Diving areas
offshore from this region include: Live Aboard Dive Operators Hotels, Resorts And Land
Tours Please refer to our product
index for details of accommodation and non-diving activites for this region.
Accommodation options for this region include the following although the Daintree-Cape
York region is also easily accessible for visitors basing themselves in Cairns
and Port Douglas. |
Independent
