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Cairns & the Daintree Rainforest
Why Go? Cairns...... 250 Tropical, touristy Cairns is an unmissable stop on any East Cairns’ Northern Coast traveller’s itinerary. Experienced divers and first-time Beaches...... 261 toe-dippers swarm to the steamy city for its easy access to the Great Barrier Reef, while those more interested in sub- Islands off Cairns...... 263 merging themselves in boozy good times are well-served by Atherton Tableland.....264 a barrage of bars and clubs. For day-trippers, the Atherton Port Douglas...... 269 Tableland – home to cooler climes, volcanic-crater lakes, Mossman...... 274 jungly waterfalls and gourmet food producers – is just a The Daintree...... 275 short and scenic drive away. The winding road from Cairns to ritzy Port Douglas offers Cape Tribulation...... 276 spectacular coastal vistas, but it’s north of the Daintree River Cooktown...... 280 that the adventure really begins. The magnificent Daintree Lizard Island...... 282 National Park stretches up the coast, with rainforest tum- bling right onto white-sand beaches; don’t be so awestruck by the stunning surrounds that you forget to keep an eye out for crocs! Further up, the Bloomfield Track from Cape Tribu- Best Places to lation to Cooktown is one of Australia’s great 4WD journeys. Eat ¨¨Ochre (p257) ¨¨Lillypad (p257) When to Go ¨¨Flames of the Forest Cairns (p273) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500 ¨¨Sassi Cucina e Bar (p273) 16/400 ¨¨Mocka’s Pies (p273) 30/86 12/300 20/68 8/200 Best Places to 10/50 4/100 Stay 0/32 0 J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Tropic Days (p256) ¨¨Pink Flamingo (p272) May Port Douglas June A costumed November The ¨¨QT Resort (p272) turns on the re-enactment of reef’s annual pizazz for Cook’s landing is coral spawning ¨¨Mungumby Lodge (p280) Carnivale. the centrepiece of is a delight for ¨¨Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm the Cooktown Dis- divers. Cabins (p279) covery Festival.
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Four Mile Beach Mile Four Mt Carbine Mt
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Port Douglas Port
Gorge Mossman
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Mossman McLeod
Newell Beach Newell
Peninsula
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National Park National
scenic railway. scenic National Park National
Snapper Island Snapper
Daintree returning to Cairns by by Cairns to returning
Village
Kuranda (p264) and and (p264)
Daintree
Cow Bay Cow
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Great Barrier Reef Barrier Great
the rainforest to to rainforest the
81 River
Thornton Beach Thornton cable car through through car cable Daintree
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Reefs
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Cape Tribulation Cape Agincourt
Roadhouse
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Falls in the crystal-clear crystal-clear the in Section
Bloomfield
Cape Tribulation Cape
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S E A E S
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Daintree Wujal
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Ayton Douglas (p269). Douglas River
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Reserve Annan
Archer Pt Archer
Diving, Diving, 1 Quinkan
Highlights
Annan River Annan
Rainforest Rainforest
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Endeavour
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Cairns Cairns National Park National
Endeavour River Endeavour 10 miles 10 0
25 km 25 0
Nob Pt Nob
(80km)
Lizard Island Group RIsland ainforestLizard
Cairns & the Daintree 248