For many travellers, Cairns is simply the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. But the reef is only half the story. Just a short drive away lies the ancient Daintree Rainforest, one of the world's oldest living rainforests. Take the scenic Captain Cook Highway north, and you'll trade coral gardens for winding rivers, sunbathing crocodiles, ancient flora, and charming family-run eateries. In Cairns, the adventure doesn't end at the water's edge.

Life Aboard the Great Barrier Reef

You can either explore the Great Barrier Reef on a day excursion or immerse yourself in it on a liveaboard journey to the outer edge of the reef into the Coral Sea. The further away you are from the coast, the more striking the colours of corals are, especially on a clear, sunny day. Diver's Den offers liveaboard journeys with access to some of the Great Barrier Reef's best dive sites aboard comfortable vessels with twin-share cabins and ensuite bathrooms. While you may spend three days drifting above coral gardens teeming with cuttlefish, clownfish, and seahorses, you'll still be left craving for some more of that wondrous undersea panorama. 

After Hours on the Reef

Most Great Barrier Reef day trips wrap up before sunset, but a liveaboard lets you see what happens after dark. As dusk settles in, dive torches cut through the darkness, revealing a completely different side of the reef and its nocturnal marine life.

If that feels a little too adventurous, you can stay closer to the ocean's surface and still come face-to-face with reef sharks! Diver's Den's ‘Sharks in the Dark’ experience lets you lie on a hydraulic platform that is gently lowered into the water from the boat. If you're fortunate enough to be on board during a full moon, you'll likely see reef sharks glide past you in the water, illuminated by the moon’s light and the boat's lights.

Into One of the Most Accessible Ancient Rainforests

Just 1.5 hours north of Cairns, the Daintree Rainforest lies beyond the Coral Sea. Older than both the dinosaurs and the Amazon, this ancient rainforest is a living showcase of biodiversity, with towering fan palms, ancient ferns and dense canopies at every turn. You can also explore the rainforest on guided cultural Dreamtime walks led by the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people, its Indigenous traditional custodians, who share sacred stories and foraging knowledge passed down through generations. While the rainforest's flora often takes centre stage, keep an eye out for a cassowary, one of Australia's most elusive birds, crossing the road before disappearing into the bush. The Daintree is also home to tree-dwelling marsupials, including tree kangaroos. As you drive through the rainforest, you'll notice stretches of trees planted on either side of the road, their branches gradually intertwining to form an extended canopy. Planted decades ago by local schoolchildren, these green corridors now allow marsupials to move from one tree to another without venturing onto busy roads.

Sunbathing Crocodiles Along the Daintree River

A cruise along the Daintree River is your chance to meet one of the rainforest's most formidable residents: the saltwater crocodile. As you glide through mangrove-lined waterways, keep watch for these prehistoric-looking reptiles basking on the riverbanks, particularly during Australia's cooler winter months from May to August.

The best river guides know their regulars well, sometimes by name, age, and even gender. If you're lucky, you might spot a baby crocodile too, looking more like an oversized lizard than the fearsome predator it will become. Few make it to adulthood, with predators, including larger crocodiles, posing a constant threat. Those that survive eventually grow into some of the ecosystem's most powerful hunters.

Cape Tribulation: Where Reef and Rainforest Meet

In 1770, Captain James Cook's HMS Endeavour ran aground off Queensland's northeast coast. Describing the spot as the place “where all my troubles began”, he gave it the name Cape Tribulation. The Great Barrier Reef sits just offshore, creating a sheltered lagoon along the coast. Here, two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet, making Cape Tribulation one of the world's rare places where ancient rainforest and coral reef exist side by side.

Unlike Australia's surf-heavy east coast, Cape Tribulation Beach is wonderfully calm. Fringed by rainforest and backed by the reef, it's the kind of place made for slowing down, spreading out a picnic and simply taking in the view.

Flavours of the Rainforest

If you're exploring the Daintree Rainforest on a small-group tour with Discovery Tours, be sure to savour some of the region's tropical bounty along the way. Your day begins at the Mayi Café at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre with locally grown Daintree Tea, accompanied by warm dampers served with cream and jam. Originally popularised during the Great Depression, Australian dampers were a more economical alternative to English scones, traditionally made with just flour, water and salt.

After a swim in the emerald pools formed by the swift-flowing Mossman River as it cascades over granite boulders, and a walk across one of the suspension bridges at Mossman Gorge, you're sure to work up an appetite for lunch. The family-run Daintree Tea House, accessible only on a guided tour, serves lip-smacking handmade tortellini. The highlight, however, is sharing a platter of locally grown tropical fruits with Richard, the owner, who effortlessly turns dessert into an impromptu masterclass on the region's remarkable produce.

As your day in the rainforest draws to a close and you begin the drive back to Cairns, the sweetest finale awaits at Floravilla Ice Cream, where 91-year-old Betty serves hand-churned ice cream made with locally grown fruit. Watching her patiently scoop each serving is a reminder that the Daintree's greatest treasures are not only its landscapes but also its people, who bring local flavours to life and make the rainforest linger in your memory long after you've left.