Take your taste buds on a journey of discovery with a visit to the Cape Tribulation Exotic Fruit Farm. Tucked away in the rainforests of Cape Tribulation, this amazing farm has an exotic tropical fruit orchard with more than 2,000 fruit trees, representing more than 100 different species from the Amazon, Borneo and the Caribbean. The fruits grown here are too many to mention but include abiu, black sapote, durian, ice-cream bean, lychee, mangosteen, rambai, sapodilla and star apple. No matter what time of year, there is always something to taste. Tours commence at 2pm daily with over 10 fruits available to try. As well as tastings, learn how to prepare and eat the exotic fruits and stroll the orchard. The farm is just over a two-hour drive from Cairns, so why not make a night of it and stay in their eco-certified bed and breakfast accommodation.
Floraville Ice Cream Factory and Art Gallery is a delicious, cultural attraction that will delight all your senses. Obviously, both parts of the business are very different, yet complimentary at the same time. First let’s look into the ice cream and with 26 different flavours, it’s hard to know where to start. This is traditional, biodynamic ice cream hand-made on the premises using milk and yoghurt from Mungalli Creek Biodynamic Organic Diary (on the Atherton Tablelands). The flavour selection includes all of your traditional favourites, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, as well as an exciting combination of tropical and exotic fruits such as black sapote and coconut, passionfruit and banana and sweet potato and ginger. The art gallery showcases watercolours by Betty Hinton and photographs by her husband, Bill. Betty has had 13 solo exhibitions at major centres across eastern Australia and her delicate studies of Australian flora and fauna are created on cotton rag paper with delightful detail. Floraville Ice Cream Factory and Art Gallery is open seven days a week and is located 11km north of the Daintree River.
Take a walk on the wild side with a Jungle Adventures Night Walk. Lasting approximately two hours, but taking you on amazing journey through the forest undergrowth, the walks are limited to 11 people, providing a very intimate rainforest experience. What can you expect to see on a Jungle Adventures Night Walk? Sleeping birds and rainforest dragons are a feature, as are bats and possums, spiders and insects and some simply stunning rainforest reptiles, including the beautiful amethystine python. The rainforest by night is a busy place and depending on the season you will enjoy a chorus of cicadas, singing frogs, or eerie quite as the mountain mist slips through the trees. To participate in a Jungle Adventures Night Walk you must be over eight years of age, have moderate fitness and be wearing comfortable walking shoes. The walks operate daily, except Christmas Day and New Years Eve.
Be like tarzan and swing through the trees for a very unique perspective of the Daintree Rainforest, on a Jungle Surfing Canopy Tour. This amazing attraction is located on a private 45-acre reserve in Cape Tribulation, approximately a 2.5 hour drive north of Cairns. The Jungle Surfing Canopy Tour experience includes flying through the treetops on flying fox ziplines and stopping at five tree platforms, to enjoy amazing views over the ancient rainforest canopy, peering down over bubbling streams and out to the Great Barrier Reef. Fully guided by professionals, there is no experience necessary to participate a Jungle Surfing Canopy Tour. Operating seven days a week, each tour takes around two hours and should be booked in advance. Note: Self drivers should meet at Cape Tribulation Pharmacy five minutes before your pick-up time, as you can not drive on to the property yourself.
Explore the rainforest on a fascinating, half day guided tour along private, jungle trails with Masons Tours. Local guides take you on this amazing journey of discovery where you will learn about strange, ancient and dangerous rainforest plants and swim in the beautiful Myall Creek (remember to wear your swimming trunks). Each tour includes guided commentary from experts in the field, covering the history of the Daintree Rainforest, its modern day conservation and ecology, bush tucker, traditional Aboriginal culture and its unique wildlife. It should be noted that the walks are not ‘high comfort’, which means the guides focus on providing an authentic rainforest experience, not a pampered one. Rain or shine, the walks go on and raincoats are supplied if needed. The walk itself is no longer than 5km, but average fitness and mobility is a necessity.
Ocean Safari provides an Advanced Ecotourism Accredited experience on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of the Daintree Rainforest at Cape Tribulation. The Ocean Safari’s inflatable vessel carries limited numbers, meaning you can escape the crowds and enjoy the reef and snorkelling all to yourself. Once aboard, you will enjoy an exhilarating ride to the reef, where you’ll visit two snorkel destinations with an extraordinary array of corals and marine life. Your half day tour is accompanied by an experienced Skipper and Eco Host, who provide interpretation and information on this fascinating natural environment. Departure times are available in the morning from 9am and afternoon from 1.00pm. The check-in point is at The Boardwalk Café, which is head office for Ocean Safari and just over the road from PK’s Jungle Village.
Take to the seas in a unique kayaking tour, which is limited to just a privileged few. Snapper Island lies at sea, just beyond the mouth of the Daintree River, and is one of the few islands accessible by kayak from the mainland. The paddle itself is mildly challenging and a degree of physical fitness is recommended, but if you are up for it, then the exertion is definitely worth your while. Beaching on an idyllic sandy stretch, you will enjoy a tropical lunch and some land exploration, before heading to another beach for more swimming and sun. The tour is subject to weather conditions and can be booked as a half or full day excursion. The minimum group size is two and you will be fully supervised by qualified guides.
