Daintree/Cape Tribulation

[Ren77]

Hi members, we (@navmatt and I) are planning a trip up north in September and were looking for some advice/recommendations in regards to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. ie, van parks, must do's etc. Can you get an Expanda to Cape Tribulation or are you best parking and just doing a day trip? We have seen some conflicting info.......Thanks in advance

 

[chartrock]

Hi @Ren77, I hope to be able to help by then as we are planning a trip to the cape starting from the Gold Coast around the end of June, getting back home mid September. I will be watching this thread too, looking for info on what and where.

 

[Ren77]

Hi @Ren77, I hope to be able to help by then as we are planning a trip to the cape starting from the Gold Coast around the end of June, getting back home mid September. I will be watching this thread too, looking for info on what and where.

Awesome, sounds like a good trip! If you need somewhere to stop for the night in your travels, you are most welcome to our power

 

[chartrock]

Awesome, sounds like a good trip! If you need somewhere to stop for the night in your travels, you are most welcome to our power

I might just take you up on that offer @Ren77. I'll check in before we leave, hopefully with a bit of an idea where we will be and when.

 

[jacbaz]

We're also heading up to the Cape this year ... leaving Melbourne at the end of July, returning mid September. From memory when we were up there in 2015 you can get vans into Cape Trib, however we did a day trip from Port Douglas. I believe I may have been a touch seedy this day following cane toad racing and karaoke!!!
This year we're taking the camper trailer ... we will also be following this post for info ... I'm hoping to not have to book too much so that we can wing it a bit ... any info appreciated!

 

[Bluey]

Ring a place called PKs jungel village last place before it turns to dirt road to see you still can take vans there you used to be able to
They have got bridges over creek crossings now up to there so road is narrow but ok
Cape Kimberly had a park too just over the Daintree river dont know if it still is camping place mite have been called club crocodile
Great place up there i love it cape trib only place where rainforest meets the reef you can go out to the reef from PKs snorkeling and diving this is also good far less people than busy places like Cairns and port Douglas
Palm cove has nice van park across from beach and a fishing jetty again nice little place not far from a zoo up there where we had breaky with animals and koalas of corse you pay loved palm cove go there on your way
Port Douglas is ok but over rated and too busy for me Cairns is good lot of tourist but they come and go quickly night markets and the like
Townsvile and Cairns have great water front splash parks for kids huge areas
Now airly beach also on your way has the best water front swiming pool i have eva seen and everything is free to use all this stuff Mission beach is also a must stay quite little place van park right on beach camping there one night in a tent we had 500mm of rain in wet season
Make sure you eat Spannish Mackerel such a nice fish to eat better than burramundi i think its my favourite fish and i like my sea food fish and chip shops have it like we have flake which you wont get up there
Crab sandwich and prawn sandwich also good i have heaps of info if needed pm me or on here tell me what you need
Can i come ???????

 

[Ren77]

Thanks @Bluey
It's always so much fun planning a trip hey! We live just south of Townsville in Ayr so have been up to Cairns etc a few times. We loved Palm Cove too (although haven't stayed with the van). We are attending a wedding in Mission Beach so our trip will be an extension from that. So excited to venture to places we haven't seen yet. I knew we would find some experienced fellow members with great advice!!

 

[Dobbie]

As a Queenslander I'm ashamed to say I've never been to cape trib or the Daintree.

I've flown into cairns a few times, been around the gulf and Cloncurry and Charters Towers area etc but, for some reason, never been north of Cairns.

Well remedy this situation soon, I hope. So I'm interested in getting recommendations such as this for places to go.

Anyone been to Cobbold Gorge lately? It looks good on paper but Im hoping it's not too touristy .....so any comments appreciated.

 

[Ren77]

We came across this caravan park when doing some research. It's in Cape Trib. Looks awesome! Hubby contacted them via email to ask about caravans etc and they said that they have had plenty of vans bigger than ours there. Just have to time the ferry for high tide to compensate for the heavier van (due to the angle of the approach to the ferry or something like that)

http://www.capetribcamping.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/Cape-Trib-Camping-1159538500737409/


We are thinking this might be a top spot to use as our base for 4-5 days and go exploring from there (day trip to Cooktown etc)

 

[Bluey]

Thanks @Bluey
It's always so much fun planning a trip hey! We live just south of Townsville in Ayr so have been up to Cairns etc a few times. We loved Palm Cove too (although haven't stayed with the van). We are attending a wedding in Mission Beach so our trip will be an extension from that. So excited to venture to places we haven't seen yet. I knew we would find some experienced fellow members with great advice!!

i lived in Ayr for a while living in the van park with all the backpacker pickers ahhhhhh the memory's
I loved going to alligator creek for a swim I worked from a excavation mob in town Nalders he wasn't impressed when I left to keep traveling they mite be gone now it was a long time ago

 

[mbr37746]

I too will be watching this thread and sound like a couple more as well with interest, we've a planned trip to cape next May. We
Weren't thinking about taking vans at all but it may be we take them as far as Cairns or similar then store them for the couple of weeks of 4wheeling we have planned from there.

 

[Drover]

Many , many moons since I travelled up that way, all changed to cater for the tourist dollars now , watching with interest as we may go again....One thing that wouldn't have changed is the idiot drivers on the dirt, so take care.

 

[Dove]

We did that area last year. We stayed in Port Douglas and drove up for the day. We then moved to Cooktown and covered that area including the Bloomfield track back to Cape Trib.

There is alot to see from Port Douglas and likewise from Cooktown. Cape Trib has very few facilities and further to drive to see other sites.

 

[navmatt]

We have done the Cairns/Port Douglas thing a few times wandering up the tablelands etc, Cape trib looks to be the go for four or five nights. @Ren77 is keen on the flying fox over the forest junglesurfing.com.au as one of the things to do. Myself and number two daughter keen on wetting a line also. A day trip up the track to cooktown and lazing around the beach and sightseeing the Daintree should keep us occupied for that time. September seems so far away

 

[Dobbie]

We hope to get there in July....so I'll report on anything we discover.

and we're winging it....unless it's very obvious we need to book.....but hoping to find places out of the major towns and do day trips to the bucket list places like Daintree etc.

With our recent ability to attract huge amounts of rain they'll probably have a second wet season in the dry....but we've now made our storm covers so that means, hopefully, they'll never be needed.. See what happens.

(Just found my 30 yr old crayfish traps...rusted out....things just don't last it seems)

 

[Tonykarter15]

You have no problems getting a van to Cape Tribulation. The road is narrow and twisty but OK. Depending on your tow vehicle, you could do a day trip along the Bloomfield track to the Lions Den hotel.

 

[chartrock]

You have no problems getting a van to Cape Tribulation. The road is narrow and twisty but OK. Depending on your tow vehicle, you could do a day trip along the Bloomfield track to the Lions Den hotel.

From which direction? There is a road down from Cooktown and one up from Port Douglas which requires a ferry crossing and I am wondering if you can take the van from Port Douglas to Cooktown via Cape Trib.

 

[Tonykarter15]

From which direction? There is a road down from Cooktown and one up from Port Douglas which requires a ferry crossing and I am wondering if you can take the van from Port Douglas to Cooktown via Cape Trib.

You can take a van across the ferry to Cape Tribulation but I wouldn't do the Bloomfield track with one.
You can take it through to Cooktown but would have to go through Mareba and past Lakelands