A heavy downpour soaks the Daintree rainforest, the oldest in the world. The treasures of this cathedral of nature provide a respite from the constant stimulation of mobile devices. It is appreciated that in this area of Australia, which is older than the Amazon, there is no coverage. The senses discover ancient plant species that provide shelter and food to a constellation of unique animals. It stops raining, and without the blanket of water the hostility of the place is perceived with crystal clarity. It is as if one had traveled to the past, to Gondwana and the Jurassic period. We are facing 180 million years of history and reflection is inevitable: the passage of time is relative in Cape Tribulation.
This spit of land located in northern Queensland is home to two ecosystems that are UNESCO world heritage sites: daintree national park and the Great Barrier Reef. Precisely, on one of the reefs the ship ran aground in 1770. Endeavor of Captain James Cook. The British explorer put Tribulation last because “all his problems began” there. His trip was delayed considerably and when he ventured to investigate the crocodile-infested, muddy winding roads he concluded that the area was not habitable. There was, however, one caveat to his analysis: the Kuku Yalanji tribe had been there between 30,000 and 50,000 years.
In this remote tropical paradise of pristine beaches, sand and mangroves kiss the Coral Sea under the gaze of enormous trees. Are the green dinosaurs, among which there are at least 12 species of primitive plants that are not found anywhere else on the planet. A few kilometers away, the reefs of the Great Barrier Reef rest in crystal clear waters and between small cays. Whether on land or submerged in the depths, the visual spectacle witnessed here is astonishing. Here are some keys to this trip to immortalize.
The order of the factors does not matter
The nearest airport to Cape Tribulation It’s Cairns. There you can start the route with a rented car. The two main destinations are: Port Douglas (66 kilometers from the starting point) and Cape Tribulation (139 kilometers). Which place to explore before or after is up to the traveler. In this case, we chose to follow the order of the coast towards the north and on the way to Port Douglas we stopped at Palm Cove, a spectacular beach with long palm trees lined up that provide a most photogenic image.
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Port Douglas is a small coastal town with a population of 5,500 that lives entirely off tourism. In addition to the wide range of hotels, tourist apartments, restaurants and bars, there are also several operators that organize boat trips to the Great Barrier Reef, such as Sailaway Reef & Island Tours. There are more personalized experiences compared to the more crowded ones, and others dedicated exclusively to oxygen diving. We opted for a catamaran of around 50 people that took us to Mackay Reef, right in front of Cape Tribulation. Breakfast and lunch are included and snorkeling equipment is provided.
The rise in sea temperatures has caused four bleaching processes in seven years. In 2020, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation analyzed 1,036 corals from the air of the 2,300 kilometer length of the reef. 60% were affected. Although it was healthy during our visit, marine biologist Federico Facchin assured us that “temperatures will rise again and, surely, we will have another coral bleaching event” during this southern summer. We cling to the present and observe how hundreds of marine species coexist in just a few square meters: turtles, Napoleon fish, percula clown fish and even a blacktip shark (harmless, apparently). The color range is enormous and the nuances of these creatures make time fly. The day ends shortly before sunset.
![Elevated view over Daintree National Park at sunrise, Queensland, Australia](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/TITAGARMPJBEZF45AXFHOE43MM.jpg?auth=b8b9cafcfaf2957e4929db64071b98867085da596c1ab917243824f37f705c21&width=414)
We wake up in Port Douglas and head towards Cape Tribulation. They wait 84 kilometers heading north, along the rainforest of Daintree National Park and with the sea and the barrier reef to the east. About 20 minutes into the trip we stopped at Mossman Gorge, the entrance point to the park. The cultural center offers many clues about the way of life of the Kuku Yalanji. There is a bus there that ascends one of the tree-covered mountains that rise from the river. We get off in the middle of this fascinating green-tinged orography and take the two paths equipped with walkways. Quickly, you feel the tropical humidity and perceive the exuberance of the vegetation with the most primitive cycads, ferns and mosses that exist. The diversity of plant life is overwhelming: there are some 3,000 species of plants from 210 families; 50 of them are unique to this region.
‘Glamping and hiking’
We are an extremely remote place. The only road route from Cairns to Cape Tribulation between the sixties and nineties of the last century only allowed access to 4×4 vehicles. It was paved in 2002, and in 2011 the last bridge was built that allowed year-round access. We crossed the Daintree River by ferry (it is better to buy the ticket in advance) and headed to the accommodation. Among the hotels on offer we opted for the glamping Daintree Crocodylus Village, involved in the jungle. The structure of the tents consists of thick tarps and are erected on wooden platforms. Here you live with cassowaries, very aggressive flightless birds that are best viewed from afar.
After spending a night spellbound by the sounds of animals, the route begins the old-fashioned way: with a map marking the places of interest. Ahead awaits a day by car where you will stop at different points to walk on boardwalks and enjoy the beaches. Although at first glance the sea invites you to swim, it is better not to immerse yourself beyond your shins. “There is always a crocodile waiting for its moment,” locals say.
The beaches of Cow Bay, Alexandra Bay, the spectacular Thornton Beach, Myall Beach or the trails of Jindalba, Marrdja or Dubuji; viewpoints such as Wallu Wurrigga; or permitted bathing like the one at Thompson Creek, contribute to the mysticism of the route. Bizarre species of fauna are hidden among the exuberance. Like the unique green or ring-tailed possums, tiger cats, tree kangaroos or dentate marsupial mice. A third of Australia’s mammals live in this rainforest, where the rarest bats in existence are also seen.
![Cape Tribulation, North Queensland, Australia.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/6BFK7OEDFNCA5KXLZ2NSP2UEOM.jpg?auth=d0fb931c9d85d4084a188fc42c9fe4382e28ee8a387598b118b7a18f90eb4665&width=414)
Cape Tribulation invites the traveler to put on Captain Cook’s glasses and learn the strategies for life in such a hostile terrain. To put yourself in the shoes of the Kuku Yalanji to imagine their survival methods and their ancestral wisdom about the environment. But, above all, it puts a parenthesis on the current millennium and takes us, as if it were an astral journey, to the most primitive of nature. We retrace our path with a certain nostalgia. We return to 2024.
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