Port Douglas & Daintree

Where two World Heritage areas meet: head out to the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs and Low Isles, then come ashore for Mossman Gorge and the world's oldest rainforest, the Daintree.

Port Douglas & Daintree lies in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, about 67 km north of Cairns. It is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage natural sites, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland rainforest, sit directly side by side. Port Douglas is a refined, laid-back seaside resort town centered on Four Mile Beach and the restaurants of Macrossan Street, and it is the departure port for snorkeling trips to the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs and Low Isles. Twenty kilometers to the northwest is Mossman Gorge, run by its Indigenous owners. Farther north, across the Daintree River by ferry, you enter the Daintree Rainforest, which is well over a hundred million years old, and the road runs all the way to Cape Tribulation, where rainforest meets beach. The climate has a dry and a wet season: May–Oct is dry, sunny and crisp, the best time for reef trips and rainforest hikes; Nov–Apr is hot, humid and wet, with occasional cyclones and box jellyfish in the sea, so swim only inside stinger nets or wear a stinger suit. Getting there: the nearest airport is Cairns International Airport, and you can take a shuttle bus or rent a car and drive north along the scenic Captain Cook Highway in about 1 hour. Driving yourself is the most convenient way to see the rainforest; a 4WD is needed north of Cape Tribulation. We suggest 3–5 days: 1 day on the outer reef, half a day at Low Isles, and 1–2 days for Mossman Gorge, a Daintree River crocodile cruise and Cape Tribulation. Notes: saltwater crocodiles live in the rivers and along the coast, so never enter the water outside designated areas; keep your distance from any cassowary you meet in the rainforest; mobile coverage and fuel stations are scarce north of the Daintree, so bring enough fuel and drinking water before you set off.

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