Daintree River Crossing

This morning we left our home in Palm Cove and headed north once more.  The drive was short but spectacular!  It's the only place on earth where two World Heritage Areas meet - the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.  It's a breathtaking coastal drive journeying through pretty, pebbly beaches with rainforest clad mountains on one side and the Coral Sea on the other.

We arrived at the Daintree Ferry Crossing just after 11 am along with everyone else on the planet!  While waiting in the car queue we read the information brochure we'd been given last Saturday, advising us to travel outside of the peak times of 11am to 12.30pm.  Oh well, it was a nice view and we had access to a packet of Butternut Snap biscuits!  All was good!

The Daintree Car Ferry has been retained as a unique gateway to this special region.  The wait was about an hour, and the crossing was fun in the car with the caravan in tow!  It was actually the first river crossing we've done where Jack wasn't scared stiff!

Winding for 140 kms, the Daintree River is one of the longest on Australia's east coast, providing diverse habitats for many species.  Once across the river, it is reported to be one of the most scenic drives in the world, and I have got to agree!  The road is narrow and winding and the canopy of the trees on either side of the road almost touches overhead to make it feel as though you're driving through a rainforest tunnel.  The dappled sunlight and swirling mist that occasionally filters through the canopy made it feel like we were driving through the enchanted forest!

The Daintree Rainforest is named after Richard Daintree, an Australian geologist and photographer (1832-1878).  It is the world's oldest surviving rainforest with examples of plant species that existed millions of years ago! 

We didn't have far to drive on the north side of the ferry crossing before turning off the main road  to travel the 5 kms of dirt to get to our new home at Cape Kimberley.  Cape Kimberley forms the northern boundary of the 12 km wide bay into which the Daintree River flows. Between the river mouth and the cape is the 3.5 km long Cape Kimberley Beach. The Koala Beach Resort that we now call home is at the northern end of the beach, directly opposite Snapper Island (2 kms offshore).

The  circumstances seem a little unclear, but the resort has pretty much closed down.  When I called to book a site the fella advised me that the place is closed for renovations "but you're welcome to stay and use the facilities available in return for a donation."

This appealed to us as it meant that we get the to stay beachside in this fantastic location with pretty much nobody else!  There are a handful of other campers/workers here, but it really does feel like we have our own rainforest and our own beach.

So it was that we spent a relaxing afternoon setting up house among the melaleuca paperbarks and making a camp fire in preparation for the Daintree damper and marshmallows that were to come....