Discover breathtaking beauty in the Wet Tropics with this 9 day itinerary

If you’re going to visit one of the world’s oldest continously living rainforests (one that is older than the Amazon), you don’t want to rush it. After all, it’s a prehistoric land, 130 million years in the making.

It’s a place that deserves immersion, and there’s quite a bit of ground to cover. The Wet Tropics stretches almost 450kms along the Queensland coast – from the southern edge of Cooktown to the northwest of Townsville.

Tread lightly with this nine-day Wet Tropics itinerary for a full nature immersion and leave with a soul-nourishing experience

Day one: Cairns to Port Douglas

Get acquainted with the scale of the Wet Tropics with a bird’s-eye view over the canopy in one of Skyrail Rainforest Cableway’s glass gondolas. Stops at Red Peak and Barron Falls – Known as Din Din to the Djabuganydji people – provide the chance to get down to ground level and learn more from complimentary ranger guided tours.

Then, forest bathing levels on high, the drive north to Port Douglas is just over an hour of ocean-hugging curves and knockout vistas of rainforest-cloaked mountains plunging into the sea. As you pull into the driveway at Thala Beach Nature Reserve, mountains make way for the coconut plantation that crowns this Advanced Eco-certified lodge.

Tonight, you could dine onsite at Osprey’s – the view is one of the best in the region – or settle into a Port Douglas institution, set within lush tropical gardens, at Nautilus. The restaurant has been luring visitors – and the likes of Mick Jagger and David Bowie – to Flagstaff Hill for almost 70 years.

Day two: Port Douglas to Daintree & Cape Tribulation

The Wet Tropics may only blanket 0.2% of Australia’s landmass, but within its boundaries you’ll find 40% of its bird species, 60% of butterfly species and 65% of fern species, which is to say it’s a flora and fauna wonderland. The pinnacle is found after a drive north to cross the Daintree River on the Daintree Ferry, when you’ll arrive at Cape Tribulation – the only place in the world where two World Heritage sites coexist, side by side.

Maximise your visit with a local expert, like Tony’s Tropical Tours. As well as getting you to the big hitters, their Daintree Rainforest tour includes an exclusive guided interpretive walk through a private property in the Noah Valley – a ‘refugium’ where plant species have survived undisturbed for millions of years and the ideal setting to ponder the interconnectedness of all things.

If you’re keen to experience the Daintree after dark, join FNQ Nature Tours for their afternoon and nocturnal tour which includes a Daintree River cruise on a solar-powered boat, dinner at Whet, and night wildlife spotting in the Northern Daintree. Return to your Port Douglas accommodation or stay in the rainforest at Daintree Ecolodge.

Day three: Mossman

Bio-cultural diversity is alive and thriving at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, where Kuku Yalanji guides will introduce you to 60,000 years of land management and lore. This morning, join one of the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walks to be welcomed onto Country by its custodians and gain a glimmer of their knowledge as you explore this pristine waterway.

For an even deeper immersion, kick off the day with a drift down the river on an inflatable raft with Back Country Bliss who combine their River Drift Snorkelling experience with the Mossman Gorge Cultural centre in a full-day tour. Fuel up afterwards with healthy fare and locally roasted coffee that helps to fund reef restoration projects on the Great Barrier Reef at Beechwoods Cafe in Mossman.

Then return to Port Douglas or stay right on the sacred waters of the Mossman River at Silky Oaks Lodge. The luxury lodge is fresh from a $20-million renovation with 40 treehouse-style suites tucked into the Wet Tropics rainforest.

Day four: Mossman to Atherton Tablelands

Water is the guiding theme of this morning’s journey through the Atherton Tablelands, the food bowl of North Queensland and an important part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. You could start the day on the waterfall circuit, taking in Millaa Millaa Falls, Ellinjaa Falls and Zillie Falls or head straight for Lake Eacham in Crater Lakes National Park to swim in a volcanic crater.

In Yungaburra you’ll find the majestic Curtain Fig, whose aerial roots drop 15 metres to the forest floor in a spectacular show of nature’s prowess. Earmarked for settlement in the early 1900s, thankfully the mabi forest of Curtain Fig National Park was considered too stony to be cleared for agriculture. With only about four percent of mabi forest now remaining in Australia it’s an arresting reminder of what we stand to lose if we don’t protect the Wet Tropics.

While in Yungaburra, take a stroll on the 2.3km Peterson Creek Wildlife & Botanical Walking track for the chance to spot the rare Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo – the Wet Tropics is the only place in the world where you’ll find them. Barefoot Tours or FNQ Nature Tours can get you to all of the above if you’re looking to join a day tour.

Enjoy a late lunch on the deck at Mungalli Creek Biodynamic Dairy and Farmhouse Cafe, where everything is made on the premises (save room for their cheesecake for dessert). Tonight, bed down at Canopy Rainforest Tree Houses & Wildlife Sanctuary, set within 40 hectares of rare upland mesophyll vine forest on the banks of the Ithaca River.

Day five: Boulders and castles

Head off this morning for the 1.5 hour drive south to Babinda, stopping halfway to stretch your legs on the Mamu Tropical Skywalk. The cantilever viewing platform is a humbling viewpoint, 37 metres off the ground, over the rainforest homeland of the Mamu Aboriginal people. Once you reach the Babinda Boulders, it’s time for a swim in the emerald green waters of this boulder-strewn waterhole – the confluence of several fast-flowing creeks.

Backtrack a little to arrive at Etty Bay where you’re all but guaranteed an audience with one of the Wet Tropics most famous inhabitants, the flightless cassowary. Check in for the night at The Old Church in Mena Creek – a cute and cosy church-to-BnB conversion – and take a short walk down the street to experience Paronella Park after dark, it’s a must do.

Day six: Mission Beach

Mission Beach is calling! But first, make a stop on your way south to explore Djiru National Park – once an important hunting and foraging area for the Djiru people. This protected patch contains some of the last remaining Licuala fan palms in the Wet Tropics, and is another spot where your chances of coming face to face with a southern cassowary are high. During winter, clusters of thousands of butterflies can be also found flitting throughout the trees.

Take the 1.5km Lacey Creek Walk, keeping an eye out for saw-shelled turtles or hire a bike with Mission Beach Bike Hire to hit the 12km Musgraves Trail. If you’d rather explore on a white-knuckle ride down the rapids of Tully Gorge National Park, rafting tours with Raging Thunder depart from Mission Beach.

Refuel at Bingil Bay Cafe then check into your accommodation for the night at Sealords B&B with views of Clump Mountain National Park. There’s so much to do in Mission Beach you may be tempted to stay a little longer. Find more Mission Beach accommodation options here.

Day seven: Hinchinbrook Island

A little further south, the Jurassic majesty of Hinchinbrook Island awaits. You could go hardcore and trek the multi-day Thorsborne Trail yourself or you could drive 90 minutes to Lucinda to join a tour with Wild Hinchinbrook Adventures and enjoy a guided walk to Zoe Falls or the more secluded Mulligan Falls in one day.

Grab some picnic essentials from Ingham’s Italian Deli & Cafe (JK’s Delicatessen) or fresh seafood from Wild Local and bed down for the night at the Big4 Lucinda Wanderers Holiday Park or Lucinda Motel.

Day eight: Wallaman Falls to Paluma

Sure, you can explore Australia’s tallest single-drop waterfall by yourself, but join a guided tour with Ben from Wild Hinchinbrook Adventures and you’ll venture deeper into Girringun National Park than simply seeing Wallaman Falls. There’s more waterfall action to be found 60 minutes south at Jourama Falls in the Paluma Range National Park.

Grab a bite – and a scoop of delicious fresh mango sorbet – at Frosty Mango, en route to your eco digs for the night at Hidden Valley Cabins, where a home-cooked meal is followed up with the chance to spot a platypus.

Day nine: Paluma Range National Park

On the final day of your Wet Tropics sojourn, it’s time to meet the southern bookend of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Drive 40 minutes east to Little Crystal Creek in Munan Gumburu/Paluma Range National Park and take a dip in its cool, clear waters beneath an historic stone arch bridge. Further along at Big Crystal Creek there’s a larger swimming hole and grassy spot for a picnic, but if you’ve got a sense of adventure, you’ll head straight for the smooth rock slides. Keep your eyes to the trees for a chance to spy the rare golden bowerbirds who call this area home.

Bidding the Wet Tropics adieu, from here it’s about 60 minutes drive south to Townsville but make a pit-stop at Balgal Beach for fish and chips from Fisherman’s Landing. A glamping tent at Townsville Eco Resort makes for a fitting end to this nature-charged trip.