Australia tourist information on accommodation, tours, cheap flights and car hire.
Accommodation | International flights | Domestic flights | Tours | Travel insurance | Car hire | Online shopping | Dating | Humor

Transport in and to Cape Tribulation

Transport to Cape Tribulation

Unless you live in north Queensland you will have to fly to the nearest international airport Cairns first.
Cheap flights are readily available on the internet now as competition along the east coast is tough, try the handy search box below or see more cheap flights to Cairns here.

Flight Centre - Australia's #1 Travel Agency

The Daintree - Cape Tribulation area is easily reached from Cairns and Port Douglas by car or coach service. Several door to door bus services depart Cairns and Port Douglas daily and reach Cape Tribulation in about three hours. There is a cable ferry crossing across the Daintree River operating from 6 am till midnight and now that the road is sealed all the way from the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation a conventional car is all you need, a four wheel drive is needed to go further north of Cape Tribulation. Driving time from Cairns to Cape Tribulation is about 2.5 hours and from Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation about 2 hours.

Some car rental companies still object to their cars going to Cape Tribulation, ignoring the fact the road has been sealed all the way to Cape Tribulation since 2002, so check before you rent.

Hire car:

rental car on the way from cairns to cape tribulation
The road from Cairns to Cape Tribulation is a very scenic drive

RentNewCars.com.au is an Australian company that exclusively distributes Europcar & Thrifty's Australian fleet of 16,000 new vehicles and offers access to over 200 locations around Australia.
You can browse available cars and book online to have your car waiting for you on arrival in Cairns and all cars from RentNewCars.com.au can be taken as far as Cape Tribulation.

Car Rental in Australia at Rentnewcars.com.au

australia car rental

Once you have crossed the Daintree River on the ferry please keep your speed down, these birds can cross the road very unexpectedly and a collision with one of those birds would be disastrous, both for the bird and the local eco-system, your rental car and your wallet, and not to mention the risk of getting lynched by greenies!

The sign on the right shows a bit of creativity by local midnight artists, it looks like even the local council has a sense of humour as this graffiti has been here for years now.

daintree river ferry

There is a cable ferry across the Daintree river that runs from 6 am till midnight.

cassowary warning sign at cape tribulation

 

Bus transport:

Several bus companies run door to door services from your Cairns or Port Douglas accommodation or airport to your Cape Tribulation acccommodation, they usually run twice a day, email or phone them for up to date departure times, their websites are not always up to date. Usually they only leave Cairns in the mornings, so if you fly in later in the day you will need to rent a car or find some accommodation in Cairns.

Country Road Coaches

coach transport to cape tribulation

This bus does a run all the way from Cairns to Cooktown, so is a good option if you plan to head further north after your Cape Tribulation stay. They depart Cairns at 06.45 in the morning, arriving in Cape Trib about 10.45 but not every day, contact them for up to date info. More info....

Phone 07-4045 2794

 

Sunpalm Coach

bus to cape tribulation

Sunpalm Transport operate scheduled coach and bus transfer services between Cairns, Port Douglas, Daintree, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown, they will transfer you door to door to your accommodation in Cape Tribulation. More info...

Ph: (07) 4084 2626

 

Coral Reef Coaches

cape tribulation bus transport

Coral Reef Coaches operates daily transfers between Cairns, Port Douglas, Mossman and Cape Tribulation. They will transfer you door to door to your accommodation in Cape Tribulation.

Phone (61) 07 4098 2800
or within Australia 1300 781 404

Transport in Cape Tribulation

To get around in Cape Tribulation you have a choice of hiring a mountain bike from one of the resorts or jumping on the shuttle bus. It runs on the hour from the Dragonfly restaurant and goes as far north as the Beach House and as far south as Coconut Beach resort, for the cost of $4.- per person, this way you also get to meet Martin, one of the local characters. If you do not have your own wheels and you stay in Cape Tribulation itself you will find the beach, shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance of where you are staying, in other areas between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation you may find yourself a bit further from those services. Most tours will pick you up with courtesy buses from your accommodation but not all so check before you book.

Guided tours from Cairns and Port Douglas

Cape Tribulation is a place that you really need a few days for to fully appreciate, however if you are running out of holiday time and simply can not afford more than a day before you have to go home, you can do a day trip, seeing it in a day is still better than not at all, and it may convince you to return in the future for a longer stay.

Companies like Adventure North , Wait-a-While Rainforest Tours, BTS Tours , Down Under Tours , The Adventure Company , Trek North Safaris and Tropic Wings all do tours to Cape Tribulation, some as day tours and others go all the way up the Bloomfield Track through to Cooktown.

Cape Tribulation in a day

cape tribulation in daintree national park
Cape Tribulation
© Billy Tea Bush Safaris

Your naturalist guide will meet you at your accommodation and after introductions all around we drive north along the scenic route to Mossman. Lush farmland contrasts with seascape as we approach the majestic Daintree River. Time for a short morning tea break then its 'all aboard' for an informative river cruise. Relax and enjoy the splendour only the Daintree can offer as you learn of Estuarine Crocodiles, mangrove forests and wildlife, this is nature at its best!
We then ascend the Alexandra range, pause for a panoramic view of the World Heritage Tropical Rainforest merging with the Coral Sea. A delicious BBQ with home made salads, tropical fruit and Australian wine is prepared whilst you take the opportunity to swim in a tranquil freshwater stream. Our tour does a little more. It takes you beyond Cape Tribulation along the 4WD only 'Bloomfield Track', allows time for a swim in the Coral Sea at Cape Tribulation (seasonal) where the "Rainforest meets the Reef". A short afternoon refreshment stop where you can pat a Kangaroo, scratch a Cockatoo, have a cold beer or sip a cup of the local tea, we then begin our homeward journey somewhat wiser for our 'Rainforest Experience". More info....

 

AIR TRANSPORT:

click here

 

Daintree Airstrip

 

This family owned airstrip welcomes charter flights, helicopters, microlights and ultralights. The strip is unsealed – grass with some blue metal and gravel. It has a windsock, strip markers and no lighting. It is one mile in length and landing fees apply.

Phone 07 - 40 989 202

 

Daintree Air

Daintree Air operates flights between Cairns, Port Douglas and Cow Bay, which is the nearest air strip to Cape Tribulation.

Phone 07 - 40349300 or within Australia 1800246206

 

Some maps that may help you plan your travels;

location of cape tribulation

The "town" of Cape Tribulation

cape tribulation map

 
The Daintree River to Cape Tribulation area

cape tribulation map
cape tribulation map

 
Far North Queensland

cape tribulation map

BACK TO TOP OF PAGE
click here

Contact us | Advertise with us | Need a website? | |Disclaimer & conditions of use for this website | Add your link | Search this website | Webmasters