DESCRIPTION
Itinerary
Day 1: Cairns to Cooktown via Wet Tropics and Northern Atherton Tablelands Outback Area
Pass By: Atherton Tablelands, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Starting just south-west of Cairns and rising more than 700m above sea level, the Atherton Tablelands is a lush, fertile region of rainforest, wetland and savannah.
Pass By: Discovery Tours Australia, Cairns, Queensland 4870 Australia
This exclusive 3-day tour takes in the best bits of North Queensland’s history and amazing natural beauty, with everything taken care of. It ticks all the scenic boxes, with stops at the Daintree National Park, Cooktown and the Atherton Tablelands, touring with a small group in air-conditioned comfort. Visit historic Cooktown and its many surrounding attractions, learning about the region’s interesting history from Captain Cook’s first encounters through to the Gold Rush. This tour also spends time in the iconic Daintree Rainforest and visits Cape Tribulation, where the reef meets the rainforest. Our very experienced local Naturalist Guide will provide informative commentary throughout. A showcase of people, place and past.
Stop At: Mulligan Highway, Mulligan Hwy, Mount Molloy QLD, Australia
Travel through the Outback Savannah Country from Mt Molloy along the Mulligan Highway. Stop at Bob’s Lookout with sweeping views across the northern end of the Atherton Tablelands before arriving at the Historic Palmer River Road House for Lunch.
Continue towards Cooktown and mysterious Black Mountain, climbing rugged terrain in the 4WD to Archer Point Lighthouse, a beacon to guide ships along the Great Barrier Reef.
Duration: 4 hours
Pass By: Endeavour River National Park, Endeavour Valley Road, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
Fantastic views from your accommodation and around Cooktown.
The Endeavour River is wide at the mouth, and progressing north, lined with over 25 species of mangroves. As it branches it changes dramatically to narrow creeks lined with palms and rainforest flora. It is along the Endeavour River that Solander first documented much of Australia’s flora.
Stop At: Grassy Hill, Hope Street, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
The views today, especially at sunset and sunrise, are still as spectacular as in 1770 making Grassy Hill one of Cooktown’s most popular attractions, receiving a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Barron Falls, Barron Gorge National Park, Kuranda, Queensland Australia
Experience the Spectacular views over the Barron Falls & Gorge from the viewing platform just a short walk from the car park.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Clohesy River, Koah QLD 4881, Australia
This is where we begin our four-wheel drive journey. Our exclusive access permit sees us visit areas not open to the public. Our track winds through rainforest and over some of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. We’ll view ancient King Ferns before stopping at Clohesy Boardwalk, where your guide will interpret the rainforest surrounds and introduce you to the giant strangler fig tree, which is hundreds of years old.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Davies Creek National Park, Davies Creek Rd, Mareeba, Queensland 4880 Australia
Granite outcrops, open eucalypt woodland and clear, flowing streams are the striking features of these parks.
Stop At: Henry Ross Lookout, Kuranda Range Road, Smithfield, Queensland Australia
Views over Cairns and the Coral sea from the Kuranda Range
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Mount Carbine, Mount Carbine, Queensland
You can drive through it almost without noticing existing for its wolfram mine but there are some great swimming holes around, and a great four wheel drive track
Pass By: Mount Molloy, Mount Molloy, Queensland
Mount Molloy is a tiny, historic, timber and mining town with few attractions. It has a huge pub – the National Hotel; a rusting and historic steam engine; and a graveyard which is the resting place for the hugely important explorer and prospector, James Venture Mulligan. Possibe stop here for Morning Tea
Pass By: Mareeba, Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba, an important regional service centre, is the largest town on the Atherton Tablelands. It lies at the heart of the tableland’s agricultural activities and is surrounded by coffee plantations, mango and paw paw farms, avocado farms, macadamia nut plantations as well as sugar cane fields and orchards specialising in pineapples, bananas and cashews.
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight Cooktown at Hotel
Day 2: Cooktown to Cape Tribulation
Pass By: Bloomfield River, Far North Queensland, Queensland Australia
Wilderness Area – Visit the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal and the Spectacular Bloom field Falls
Pass By: Cedar Bay National Park, 40km South of Cooktown, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
Wilderness Area
Stop At: Bloomfield Road, Bloomfield Rd, Bloomfield QLD, Australia
Iconic 4WD Track from Wujal Wujal to Cape Tribulation
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Cooktown Museum, Cnr Helen & Furneaux Street, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
The museum houses an extensive collection of local Guugu Yimithiir artefacts, along with an original anchor and canon from HMB Endeavour that were salvaged in the 1970s and a model of the ship that dates to the early twentieth century.
Learn the fascinating story of the first recorded act of reconciliation between the local indigenous people, the Bama, and Lt. James Cook. This largely untold story involves events that occurred during the 48 days when Lt. James Cook and his crew of HMB Endeavour repaired their ship after running aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Told from both perspectives, the story relates the interactions between Cook and the Bama over the capturing of turtles by the crew. Its outcome is integral to the story of Reconciliation in Australia.
Experience the history of this remarkable town in the beautifully restored Sisters of Mercy convent school building. Built in 1888 – 89, this three-storey building once operated as a school for day students and boarders.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Finch Bay, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
Wander this isolated beach with your guide. Spectacular Views and the possibility of a Crocodile Sighting
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Nature’s Powerhouse, 1 Walker St, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
The Nature’s Powerhouse facility, located in the historic Botanic Gardens, features the Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery, Exhibition Space, Café and the Cooktown Visitor Information Centre. Nature’s Powerhouse is an innovative building located in the beautiful, heritage listed Cooktown Botanic Garden
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Cooktown Botanical Gardens, Finch Bay Rd, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
The Cooktown Botanic Gardens were established in 1878 making them one of Queensland’s oldest regional botanic gardens. The Gardens are located within the 62 hectare Gallop Botanic Reserve, situated 1.5km from the centre of Cooktown.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Keating’s Lagoon, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland Australia
This 47 hectare park protects a scenic wetland in the Annan River catchment, an important refuge for thousands of waterbirds that flock here in the dry season. The area has been a source of food and medicine for the Traditional Owners for thousands of years.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Annan River National Park, Mulligan Highway, Cooktown, Cook Shire, Queensland 4895 Australia
It starts near Shiptons Flat south of Helenvale, and runs past Lions Den Hotel and Black Mountain National Park to the coast where it mouths just south of Cooktown. The best place to access it is around the old Big Annan River Bridge – once one of the largest of its kind in Australia.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation Rd, Diwan QLD 4873, Australia
Rainforest meets the reef
Pass By: Rossville Bloomfield Road, Rossville Bloomfield Rd, Bloomfield QLD 4895, Australia
Stop at the Historic Lions Den Hotel for lunch. Then travel through the scenic northern section of the Daintree National Park en route to Wujal Wujal community.
Stop At: Cape Tribulation Beach, Cape Tribulation, Queensland Australia
Stepping straight on to the beach from the rainforest is a very special experience at Cape Tribulation.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Overnight Cape Tribulation at Hotel
Day 3: Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas to Cairns via the Captain Cook Highway
Stop At: Daintree River, Queensland, Australia
Experience the World’s most diverse mangrove ecosystem aboard the Solar Whisper for a Cruise on the Daintree River
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mossman Gorge Road, Queensland 4873 Australia
You are welcomed with a traditional ‘smoking’ ceremony that cleanses and wards off bad spirits. The walk then meanders through stunning rainforest and takes in traditional huts or humpies. Your experienced interpretive Indigenous guide demonstrates traditional plant use, identify bush food sources and provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationship with this unique tropical environment. Your guide demonstrates traditions like making bush soaps and ochre painting. At the end of the tour enjoy traditional bush tea and damper.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Daintree National Park, Queensland, Australia
Take in the best bits of lush tropical rainforest, cascading rivers and the iconic Cape Tribulation beach, the only place on earth where two natural World Heritage listed sites, the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest, exist side by side.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pass By: Daintree Rainforest Cooper Creek Wilderness, 2333 Cape Tribulation Rd, Cape Tribulation, Queensland 4873 Australia
Search for the elusive Cassowary
Pass By: Thornton Beach, Thornton Beach, Cape Tribulation, Daintree Region, Queensland
Ancient paperbarks in the forest coming right upto the beachfront
Pass By: Port Douglas, Port Douglas, Queensland
Have a look at this iconic Australian Tourist town
Pass By: Palm Cove Beach, 111 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove, Queensland 4879 Australia
Cairns beautiful Northern Beach village
Stop At: Rex Lookout, Wangetti Beach, Wangetti, Queensland 4877 Australia
Returning to Cairns along the scenic Captain Cook Highway take in the breath taking views over the Coral Sea
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Floravilla Ice Creamery, 335 Cape Tribulation Road, Cow Bay, Queensland 4873 Australia
Say G’day to Betty and enjoy an all natural homemade Biodynamic icecream. Browse the gallery and the beautiful gardens.
Duration: 15 minutes
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
