Some 35 minutes by car North of Mossman is the tiny picturesque village of Daintree, sitting over looking a bend in the Daintree River, just beyond the turn off to the Daintree River Ferry. Once an important timber town, present day Daintree has pleasant, easy going village charm and tropical character. Having had to find new direction in past years tourism is now by far the main source of income. Browse the art and crafts shops, the general store, or the timber museum with workshops or sample delicious freshly caught barramundi at one of the local restaurants.

Other industries that have excelled in this region have been the many plantations of tea, coffee and tropical fruit; the latter having created a niche market for dessert wines. Because of the high rain fall, there is an abundance of grass in the meadows all year round, mainly on the periphery of the forest, local farms have been able to take advantage of the drought in other regions and have taken to fattening cattle prior to shipment to overseas markets.

The Daintree River and the surrounding areas are abundant with wildlife, now acknowledged as a bird watchers haven the world over. As tourism has become a thriving industry, one of the biggest draws has been the area's most infamous inhabitants, the estuarine crocodiles. Nowadays there are a number of river cruises where, from the safety of a boat, you can see these relatively unchanged reptiles sunning themselves or gliding through the water. Look out for other local celebs’ snakes curled high among the canopy, the little green tree frog or some of the many other species. Guides are always at hand to point out a variety of orchids and other tropical epiphytes that grow in the forest.

Today approximately 17,000 hectares of the forest between Daintree River and Cape Tribulation has been declared as a National Park and much of the area has now received the status “World Heritage Listed”’ to ensure that the rainforest remains protected.

Daintree National Park, established in 1988, consists of about 7,000 sq km (2,734 sq miles) of ancient tropical rainforest spread over the Bellenden Ker range of mountains and the lowlands below them. This is believed to be the oldest virgin rainforest in the world, being from 50 to 100 million years old, back when the whole of Australia was covered by similar rainforests. Today Daintree Tropical Rainforest is a dense, wet forest, in a high rainfall area (at least 250mm annually) with consistent warm temperatures producing prolific forest growth.

Southern access into the lowland Daintree Rainforest is by way of the only cable ferry in tropical Australia, the Daintree Ferry. This will be just your first taste of a unique and very ancient region. As one would expect there is an exciting variety of trips to the region available from half days including lunch to 7 day Safaris. But to really understand this spectacular rainforest, locals recommend that sometime is spent listening to the night sounds.

There are a number of areas that have seen settlement, mainly by those employed in the tourist or associated industries as well as retirees. With the improvement in the infrastructure the beach properties in particular, are becoming more attractive as private holiday retreats. There are restrictions of course; the most significant of these has been the lack of mains power. While in the eighties this was a disadvantage, now with the great advances in battery technology, solar energy and domestic water turbines, all made relatively cheep now taking into consideration government grants, most see the environmental benefits far outweighing the inconvenience, if any.

Ecotourism is the main employer, either in the accommodation sector which ranges from back packer hostels to the five star luxury resorts, or the nature safari tour market. As in most holiday destinations there is always a shortage of professional staff and managers generally.

While there are a number of small commercial businesses in the area they are geared more to the tourism market, and local residents use Mossman as the closest retail centre. This is also the case for children’s education although there is a small local school Daintree State School catering for students up to year 7. Mossman offers a full school system including a State High School with facilities for 450 students.

Daintree, with it’s increasingly popular tourism industry, has a bright future particularly know more than ever with the larger holiday organisations moving in. If you are considering relocating buying a holiday home or just investing in a block to preserve it for future generations Daintree, Cap Tribulation, Cow Bay and Thornton Beach are all areas to be considered.

The area is administrated by the Douglas Shire Council and incorporates the following communities:

• Daintree Village (South of the river)
• Cape Kimberley
• Cow Bay
• Baileys Creek
• Cooper Creek
• Thornton Beach
• Noah Beach
• Cape Tribulation

For more information visit the Daintree Village Tourism Association and the Daintree Cape Tribulation Tourism Association websites.

Community Services

• Ferry: The ferry over the Daintree River operates from 6.OOAM to 12.00 Midnight. The after hours number for emergencies is 4098 7536 or 015.630.494. Residents of the Shire are entitled to concession tickets through the Douglas Shire Council allowing them passage on the ferry at a reduced rate (a $10 pass is valid 12 months), alternatively there is a option to purchase a book of 50 tickets for $10. Visitor tickets are also available (40 tickets/person/year) for residents north of the Daintree.
• Schools: The Alexandra Bay Primary School near Cow Bay 4098 9137 Fax: 4098 9182) has classes from year 1 - 7, with a one day per week pre-school program. There are currently 72 students enrolled. A daily bus service operates in the district (north of the Alexandra Range). The nearest High School is in Mossman, with a daily bus service operating along the main road, currently as far as Noah Beach. Phone 4098 1368 Fax 4098 1806.
• Rubbish Collection: A transfer station is located at Cow Bay. It is currently open on Monday and Wednesday between 7.30AM and 3.30PM, and on Friday and Saturday between 7.30 and 11.30AM. As well as general waste disposal, there are facilities for aluminium and glass recycling. For those residents on Forest Creek road, weekly garbage and recycling collections occur. Adams Waste will remove commercial or domestic rubbish. Phone or Fax 4099 3111.
• Medical: A health centre operates north of the Daintree. It is located next to the Diwan Community Centre on Tea Tree Road. The hours are limited to 10AM - 12 NOON Monday-Friday. 4098 9296 or after hours via the Mossman Hospital, Mr 4098 2444. A baby clinic is held every first and third Wednesday of the month, with home visits by child health nurses and community health nurses available.
• Police: The nearest police station is in Mossman 07 40981200.
• Rural Fire Service: An active rural fire brigade is located at Cape Kimberley. State Emergency Services (S.E.S.). There are also State Emergency Service facilities located at Diwan and Forest Creek Road.
• Mail Service: A twice weekly mail service operates on Tuesdays and Fridays from Mossman Post Office, Tel: 4098 1147. Several local shops and tourist facilities provide mail distribution points.
• Sport: The Alexandra Bay Sporting Club operates fortnightly cricket games from April to. November, as well as other occasional sporting events at the Diwan Reserve. Tennis facilities can be accessed at the Primary School. Childerns playgrounds are available at the Diwan Reserve, Tea Tree Road and at the Forest Creek Road SES shed.
• Shopping: The nearest supermarket is in Mossman. There are a number of small shops north of the Daintree River which supply basic requirements.
• Fuel and Gas: There are three main fuel outlets including Cow Bay Service Station and Rainforest Camp. Liquid Gas is supplied at several local outlets.
• Library: A mobile Library visits Forest Creek Road and Alexandra Bay School fortnightly. This is based at the Douglas Shire Library in Mossman, 07 4098 2594.
• Day Care: There is a child care centre at Cow Bay, (07) 4098 9144.
• Bus Services: Coral Coaches provides a twice daily service from Cape Tribulation to Mossman (leaves 7AM and 1PM from PKs), connecting to Port Douglas and Cairns. There is also a seasonal bus service through to Cooktown. (07) 4098 2600.
• Newspapers: The Cairns Post and southern newspapers can be bought daily from local outlets. There is also a weekly local paper published by the Port Douglas and Mossman Gazette (07) 4098 1486.

The community service information shown above is part of the information presented in the Daintree Lanholders Information Kit prepared by the Daintree Community Information Liaison Committee (DCILA) which represents landowner groups in the area.

It also contains shire planning information, construction and development recommendations, and discussions of issues relating to building and living in a sensitive World Heritage Area. Anyone considering moving to the Daintree/Cape Tribulation region should download a copy of this document. More information is also available in our FAQ section.

The University of Queensland has published a 172 page independent report regarding further development in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation entitled Daintree Futures Study.

This report is informative and was undertaken by the Rainforest Cooperative Research Centre being published on 12th August, 2000 and forwarded to the Wet Tropics Ministerial Council.