Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and pickups are included in the price of A$110 (US$72). His walks run Tues-
day and Saturday, leaving Port at 8:30am. You can also charter Pete and his
4WD on other days for day bushwalks for A$160 (US$104) per person (mini-
mum of two) or for a “go anywhere” adventure for A$540 (US$351) per day.
Pickups from the northern beaches cost A$30 (US$20) extra for bushwalks, but
are included in the price for “go anywhere” charters. The charter prices compare
favorably to a regular Daintree four-wheel-drive tour if there's three or more of
you—and you get a tailored itinerary, Pete's knowledge, and the vehicle all to
yourself. He often takes charter customers inland to Outback gold mining ghost
towns, or north to tiny Cooktown, which boasts an excellent museum devoted
to Australia's “discoverer,” Captain James Cook. If you have 2 days, he can take
you farther west to see Aboriginal rock art and stay at an upscale tented camp,
or to the Undara Lava Tubes, which have been hollowed from rock by lava flows.
Other established operators are
Trek North Safaris
(
&
07/4051 4328
) and
BTS Tours
(
&
07/4099 5665
). As is the case in most tourist hot spots, some
tour operators battle fiercely to pay tour desks the highest commission to rec-
ommend their tours, even though those tours may not necessarily be the best for
your needs. Take tour desks' recommendations with a grain of salt, and ask other
travelers for their recommendations. You may not see too much wildlife, as rain-
forest animals are shy, camouflaged, nocturnal, or all three! Most four-wheel-
drive tours will pick you up in Port Douglas at no charge, although there is
usually a small fee from Cairns and the northern beaches. Floods and swollen
creeks can quash your plans to explore the Daintree in the Wet Season
(Dec-Mar or Apr), so keep your plans flexible.
If your chosen safari does not visit Mossman Gorge, 21km (13 miles) north-
west of Port Douglas near the sugar town of Mossman, try to get there under
your own steam. The gushing river tumbling over boulders and the network of
short forest walks are magical. (Don't climb on the rocks or enter the river, as
strong currents are extremely dangerous and have claimed at least one life in
recent years.)
Most four-wheel-drive Daintree tours include a 1-hour cruise on the
Dain-
tree River
, but if yours does not, or you want to spend more time on the river,
cruises are available on a variety of boats, ranging from open-sided “river trains”
to small fishing boats. One of the best is offered by
Dan Irby's Mangrove
Adventures
(
&
07/4090 7017;
www.mangroveadven.citysearch.com.au),
whose small open boat can get up side creeks the bigger boats can't. Originally
from Oklahoma, Dan has been in Australia for 30 years, and is extremely knowl-
edgeable about the wildlife and habitat. He takes no more than 10 people at a
time on 2-, 3-, and 4-hour cruises. Chances are you will spot lots of fascinating
wildlife on his 2-hour night cruise, and even if you don't, it's worth it just to see
the stars! A 2-hour trip costs A$45 (US$29). Night trips depart from the Dain-
tree Eco Lodge, 20 Mossman Daintree Rd., 4km (2
1
⁄
2
miles) south of Daintree
village; day trips leave from the public jetty next to the Daintree River ferry
crossing. Take the Captain Cook Highway north to Mossman, where it becomes
Drat Those Aussie Mozzies!
Mozzies, as Aussies call mosquitoes, love the rainforest as much as people
do, so throw some insect repellent in your day pack when touring the
Daintree and Cape Tribulation.
Tips
