The
Daintree Village is a small settlement located 12km upstream from the
Daintree River ferry crossing. If you're driving to
Cape Tribulation you'll turn off before reaching the quaint village so its a little off the main tourist route. For 4WD adventurers looking for the start of the
CREB Track, you'll need to come this way however as the start of the CREB is the Upper
Daintree Crossing, which is just 9km further on past
Daintree Village. The area is a wonderful place for a quiet overnight stay with many birds, frogs, and butterflies to delight the senses.
Using this trek note, you'll drive north from
Cairns along the Captain
Cook Highway, passing
Port Douglas, and onto
Mossman, so you could also take a side trip to
Mossman Gorge or
Wonga Beach on the way.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
History
Daintree Village was settled during the 1880s to provide
services for the timber workers and dairy farmers. For the next 50 years the only means of getting supplies in and out of the
Daintree Village was via the
Daintree River, as there was no road up from
Cairns. In 1933 the road to
Mossman was opened which included putting a bridge across Barratt Creek.
Today the
Daintree Village is
home to around 100 people, with a 15-student school. It is the farming and tourism industries that sustain the town.
TrekID: 345