Trips out of Port Douglas

Gday
Grab a vehicle and go up to the Daintree forest. That will take most of a day, bit of driving, a coffee, walk through the forest , over on the ferry. There's a day.

Last year we went on a drive up to Cape York. The Queenslander train Brisbane to Cairns and then 4WD all the way to the tip. The cars came on the train with us.

Our first off bitumen drive was an easy drive along the Black Mountain Road from Kuranda, above cairns, to Mossman. Easy forested drive that you could do in a 2WD as a loop drive Port Douglas south to Cairns, then up the hill towards Kuranda (time to check out the village) then the Black Mountain Road up to Mossman and back to Port Douglas. A lovely bush drive. No permit was required. Give it a go and take a cuppa. Not too many spots to stop on the Black Mountain Road but we found one next to a creek.

The drive north through the Daintree and along the Bloomfield Track to Cape Tribulation was easy with two sections to concern anything less than a good awd. Namely the Bloomfield Creek crossing and a steep concreted climb that 2wd's would struggle with if wet or damp. The rest of the Bloomfield Track you could do in a billycart. But remember that was last year.

The first major 4WD track north was the CREB track which starts at Daintree Village and ends up north of Roaring Meg Falls and you could come home via the Lions Den and the Bloomfield Track. May be a bit much for a single days trip. Maybe a local could comment on it. The CREB Track is definitely not for the less experienced 4WDer. Can be hazardous when wet. Some of the track is clay based.

Phil

Note the Bloomfield crossing has been washed away, I believe it is still closed.

Check at least

Thanks guys,

All sounds good. I know we will get sick of the resort after a couple of days so a good trip off the beaten track will fix us up!!!

(Only reason we are going to a resort is time constraints)

Cheers,

Grizzle, you don't need a 4WD to get to Cape Tribulation but you will need one to go further. If you want to do a 4WD drive trip a return trip to Bloomfield Crossing is doable in a day and you will have seen the best part of the Bloomfield Track. The main point of interest north of Bloomfield is the Lions Den Hotel but you can leave that for another time.

Another easy day drive is to go inland from just south of Mossman to the Peninsula Development Road (the one to the Cape). Turn left to Mareeba. Then left again on the Kennedy Highway at Mareeba returning to the coast through Kuranda, then back up the coast to Pt Douglas. About 200 km without side trips. Great views of the coast from mountain lookouts and mountainside rainforest.
Enjoy!
Kevin