Cape Tribulation

 Cape Tribulation Rd, Cape Tribulation QLD 4873, Australia +61 7 4099 4588 6am – 12am Cairns Campervan Hire

kramerclasses (contributor)

A day trip up to Cape Tribulation and to the Daintree Rain Forest is an awesome experience. The tour we took (through a company called Cape Trib Connections) brought us to Alexandra Lookout and one of the botanical boardwalks in the rain forest. It was amazing to think that some of the most primitive plants in the world still exist in this place. The beach at Cape Trib was nice – not the prettiest I’ve ever seen but it’s very peaceful and you could have the whole beach to yourself. On the way up to Cape Trib from Cairns, we also stopped at the Daintree Mangroves Wildlife Sanctuary, and on the way back, we also went on a Croc spotting tour in the Daintree River, as well as had a quick swim at Mossman Gorge. It is a lot to do in one day and you don’t get to spend as much time as you want in certain places (we were only at Mossman Gorge for a half hour) but it is a great introduction to why much of the area around Cairns is World Heritage listed. The majority of the people in our group were also backpackers like we were, and this particular tour was highly recommended by our hostel.

hoy18 (contributor)

If your planning on visiting Cape Tripulation then use these guys there great and well worth the money, we did the day tour which cost $114.00 per person which includes lunch and afternoon tea, plus you get to go to
depart at 8am, and go to Daintree Mangroves Wildlife sanctuary for a cup of tea or coffee, and then have a guided tour and saw Kangaroos, Cassowariees, Gilders Crocodiles and loads wildlife
then u head out to the Daintree River and look out over Alexandra Range where u get a birds eye view of Port Douglas (on a clear day) then we headed out to Marrdja Boardwalk where u c trees of millions and millions years old and ur caught in a time capsule, then you pass through ancient rainforest and leads you to the complex mangrove swamp system where its all to c, lunch time at Cape Tripulation only a few seconds walk to the beach,, NO Swimming though due to the stingers…… but theres a pool if u fancy a dip,, there also time for Daintree Ice Cream company which you have to pay for and the menu is out of this world depending on wot fruit they have at the time (all natural fruit ice cream hand made there), then u go on the Daintree river cruise for more coffee and more crocodiles, then its off to Mossman Gorge for a dip in the most beautiful views cold but lovely, then u have a drive through Port Douglas interesting but boring

germanhiatal (contributor)

Took a day tour to Cape Tribulation with Cape Trib Connections. Was charged A$99, circa June 2003.
NOTE: There are changes to the tour itinerary since.

Cape Tribulation is special, for this is one of the few places where 2 UNESCO sites exist naturally to each other: The tropical rainforests of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.

This is the first real stop of the day. Cooper’s Creek (also known as Barcoo River) is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia and offer one unique possibility: You can join the only tourboat (Cape Tribulation Cruises) permitted in the Cape Tribulation Section of the Daintree National Park on a mangrove discovery tour in search of the estuarine crocodile.

So, agenda for us: Catch sightings of snapping handbags….and with luck, leave the place in 1 piece (and not with 1 piece).

Verdict: The cruise down the river was disappointing – we caught sight of just a couple of handbags yawning a far distance away and hardly even throwing a glance at us, though that didn’t stop everyone from getting all excited about them. Suddenly everyone was whipping out their cameras and telephoto lens and pushing each other for a vantage shot. I think the crocos must have thought that these humans were crazy.

The cruise took about 60 minutes and after a while, I must confessed, it got a little lame and tiresome. I sat back and just enjoyed the colonies of mangroves growing in the estuarines.

auroragame (contributor)

Took a day tour to Cape Tribulation with Cape Trib Connections. Was charged A$99, circa June 2003.
NOTE: There are changes to the tour itinerary since.

After the excitement we had at Cooper’s Creek, we finally reached Cape Trib itself for the real excitement: Lunch!

Cape Tribulation is about 150km north of Cairns. The cape itself was named by Captain Cook in the late 1700’s, since it was just a little north of here that his tribulations started when he ran his ship on to the Endeavour Reef. In the ’70’s it was a hippie outpost with a number of settlements, particularly at the infamous Cedar Bay, further north towards Cooktown. As earlier mentioned, it is one of the few places in Australia where the rainforest runs right down to the water. (The Wet Tropical Rainforests here are now protected by World Heritage Laws)

Lunch was followed by an hour of free time to explore Cape Tribulation Beach, which was just behind the Bistro we had stopped for lunch.

It was real unfortunate that I visited Cape Trib on a dull day. The beige-cloured beach was deserted, looked sad and forlorn against the grey misty sky. Wasn’t a very pretty sight….so I did not wander too far. In the end, the group spent most of time huddling together on the beach, discussing everything from politics to nature conservation. It helped that the guide of the day, Dan, was the cynical type!

TIP: For folks heading this way, Cape Tribulation Beach has toilets and picnic tables and can get quite crowded. The waters are very shallow and sheltered from the winds, hence ideal for children. Dive boat departs from here at 8.30am. You can walk to the look-out – 10 minutes – or head north to the Cape Trib Beach House – 20 minutes, and hire a canoe to paddle from the Beach House. On reefs north of the Beach House, there is still some live coral on the edge of the fringing reef, if you have brought your snorkel.

knitsteam (contributor)

Once you cross the Daintree River the road deteriorates somewhat, and just about keeps going in a semi-decent state to Cape Tribulation. This area is famous for being where the Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef, and there are some great beaches on the way, but visit them on the way back and keep going until you get to Cape Trib.
As you walk along the massive deserted beach you will see some extraordinary coral forms on the beach, whilst just behind you the trees of the Rainforest come right down to the waters edge. It’s becoming quite a popular spot for Adventure Holidays but there still weren’t many people around and it had a very rugged unspoilt feel. To carry on northwards from here you have to have a 4×4 vehicle, so for us it was an about turn back to Daintree.

antcrew (contributor)

Took a day tour to Cape Tribulation with Cape Trib Connections. Was charged A$99, circa June 2003.
NOTE: There are changes to the tour itinerary since.

A stop before we depart Cape Trib to catch a bird’s eye view of the region.

On a clear good day, you may catch the following features along the coastline starting from the closest seaward point:
* Snapper Island – a continental island surrounded by a fringing reef.
* Daintree River mouth
* Low Isles – two sand cays 15 km north east of Port Douglas
* Wonga Beach
* Port Douglas and Island Point – the Marina Mirage is very noticeable
* Harris Peak – pyramid like behind Port Douglas
* Double Island near Palm Cove (on a very clear day)

It was claimed that dawn at the lookout is spectacular with the sun rising over the Coral Sea and the islands and river mouth gradually becoming visible. As you descend from the look-out there are several glimpses of views of the Daintree coastline. However, it is ILLEGAL to stop because of the double lines.

Latest Images of Cape Tribulation, Cairns