Cairns to Cape Tribulation

It goes through the so-called Wet Tropics - an area totally different from the real Cape York peninsula.

As opposed to the peninsula's stringybark forests, this road goes through some beautiful greenery.

If it's not tropical rainforests it's tea, coffee, banana or sugar cane fields, or it is the beautiful coast between Cairns and Port Douglas.


The only downside is that greenery also means rain, and often this area is not quite as sunny as many other places in Cape York.


The road is sealed all the way from Cairns to Cape Tribulation and it doesn't require a 4WD.

Cairns Northern Beaches
After leaving Cairns you first pass by the turnoff to each one of Cairns Northern Beaches. 
Some, like Machans and Kewarra are quieter local communities, while others, such as Palm Cove, Yorkeys Knob and Trinity Beach are more popular with tourists and more commercial.



Port Douglas
After the Northern Beaches you come to a beautiful stretch of road that follows the coast and has some great views over the ocean, before you come to Port Douglas. 
It is a beautiful, colourful and touristy town with nice shops, restaurants, accommodation and Low Isles.

Mossman
After Port Douglas the Cairns to Cape Tribulation road turns a bit inland and goes to Mossman through some sugar cane country. 
Mossman used to be a quiet country town but has in recent years started to get fancy shops and art galleries. Just outside the town is the beautiful Mossman Gorge.

 

Wonga Beach Area
North of Mossman, the road passes by some rocky headlands with nice views over the ocean, a bit similar to what you saw on the road from Cairns to Port Douglas. Further north there are the small beach communities Newell Beach and Wonga Beach, and the small animal park Daintree Zoo. In between Newell and Wonga are Miallo and Whyanbeel Valley.

The Daintree Area
After Wonga Beach the road continues north to an intersection where you can turn left towards Daintree Village - a cute rainforest village, some croc watching tours and CREB Track. 
Or you can turn right towards Cape Tribulation, which takes you to the Daintree River Ferry crossing.

Cape Tribulation Area  
North of Daintree River the road continues through Daintree National Park past Cape Kimberley, Cow Bay, Thornton Beach, Noah Beach and Myall Beach to Cape Tribulation just south of the start of Bloomfield Road - the coastal road north to Cooktown.

Newell Beach

Newell Beach is just north of Mossman.

It is a beautiful beach with vies over the headland that is Port Douglas.
   

It is a quiet residental area, with a takeaway shop and a caravan park.

Miallo and Whyanbeel Valley

North of Newell Beach is the small township of Miallo,


... one of the least remote cattle stations - Daintree Station,


... and Whyanbeel Valley - one of the nothernmost sugar cane areas.


During the cane cutting season, you can join cane farm tours to learn how it all works.

Wonga Beach

Further north along the road from Cairns to Cape Tribulation is Wonga Beach, a beautiful long beach great for walks at low tide.


There are two different caravan parks, one has resident peacocks.

Daintree Zoo

There is also a small family owned zoo park - Daintree Zoo.
   

They have cockatoos, parrots and finches, emus, cassowaries, wedge tailed eagle, dingos and saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. 


Other reptiles include slatey grey snake, spotted python, amethystine python, carpet python, lace monitor, brown tree snake, knob-tailed gecko, eastern water skink, eastern blue-tongue skink, krefts turtle, saw-shelled turtle, bearded dragon, eastern water dragon, and frill necked lizard.

Plan Your Trip... the FREE Cape York Travel Pocket Guide

Get this 50 pages guide totally for FREE. It contains information that helps you getting started with planning of your trip. You get to make early-stages desicions such as when to go, how long time you should take, how to get there and get around, where to stay (general info), what will it cost.. and a short insight to what is there to see and do in Cape York.

Plan and Bring to the Trip... the full Destination Cape York Travel Guide

This complete 300 pages travel guide is all you need before and during your trip. Besides the background chapters on the peninsula's history and wildlife; and the comprehensive detail about all the places (down to prices, opening hours and full contact detail), it has invaluable information on at least 10 four wheel drive tracks, at least 30 guaranteed FREE camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to the Cape), at least 40 best swimming holes, all mapped; as well as practical things - from fuel, roads, wireless internet and mobile phone reception, how to deal with the national parks booking rules; and Aboriginal land entrance and camping permits and alcohol restrictions - to vehicle preparation and accessories and necessary recovery gear by my vehicle-recovery-guy partner). Not to mention locals' tips on how to spot that croc and palm cockatoo ;-)

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