Daintree Afternoon & Guided Night Walk Tour
Duration:
Operated By:
Pick-Up in Port Douglas Or Daintree Village at 1.30 pm
Soak in the breathtaking coastal views of the Great Barrier Reef from the comfort of your 4WD premium Toyota. The scenic drive offers panoramic vistas of turquoise waters meeting lush green rainforest, with the majestic mountains in the background. Hop on a boat and cruise down the Daintree River to spot crocs, birds, and maybe even a few sneaky snakes! Take a stroll through the exotic fruit garden of the Daintree Ice Cream Company and try some of their delicious ice creams!
Time in the Daintree
When you reach Cape Tribulation Beach, prepare to be mesmerized. Your local guide will share all the cool secrets about the ancient trees, hidden critters, and plants that have been here for millions of years. It’s like walking through a living storybook! After a day of adventure, treat yourself to a delicious meal in the heart of Cape Tribulation.
Guided Night Walk at 7.00 pm
When the sun sets, the adventure continues. As the darkness falls, the rainforest truly comes alive. Your passionate guide will lead you through the night and help you spot the creatures that only come out after dusk. From tiny tree frogs to nocturnal marsupials and perhaps even a shy bandicoot or two. The air will be filled with the sounds of the jungle, as creatures call and move through the trees around you.
Please be aware that all itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, unforeseen circumstances, or the decisions of our tour guides.
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A wonderful adventure on my own with “Farnorthescapes”
I did the whole 16 days with the guide leader Jason who was so knowledgeable, experienced and fun plus the 2 other guides when we had the full capacity. My sincere thanks to you all.I felt so comfortable and safe the entire time.
The 2 days travelling south + inland from Cairns there was lots to see + enjoy. Paronella Park, Yungaburra, rock art and the caves out of Chilligoe where the accommodation was very comfortable. A highlight was the Mungalli Creek biodynamic dairy farm + cafe
The for the majority of the trip there were 11 people spread across 3 vehicles and accomplished guides, Jason, Paul and Gert.
I was very pleased with my choice to go “glamping”as I wanted to immerse myself in the environment. The places we stayed certainly did give that true experience. All the different overnight stops were different and I found it suitably paced. I knew we would have to have some long drives on some rough roads.
Wolverton station which was rebuilding after being battered in the last cycle was great.I so enjoyed a swim and kayak at this beautiful spot.
Rossville where we had a walk and discussion with the very knowledgeable indigenous elder “Mooks”.
Bramwell station where we had an evening of live entertainment.
A relaxing two nights at The Green Hoose set in a beautiful lush garden setting in The Iron Range National Park and nearby Chilli beach.
A fabulous beach where we strolled explored and collected shells.The Fruit Bat Falls were a stand out highlight as we were able to swim here under the waterfall.
Many river crossing, some with Ferries, some we just drove through.
The Old Telegraph track was certainly fascinating to actually see how rough it was but certainly glad we didn’t use it to get to the top end.
Up to the top at Bamaga and the walk to “The Tip” was another highlight The whole journey itself really highlighted the vastness, diverse range of ever changing landscapes and the isolation of the far north.
Another highlight was going by boat, with our very capable friendly guide Paul, to the Island retreat at “Roko Island Resort.”
Then I was thrilled to be able do the ferry across to the very relaxed Thursday Island. We had comfortable accommodation and a very informative tour including interesting war history.
Then back on the mainland for the homeward trip back .
Beautiful Punsand Bay had superb facilities right on the beach and very well maintained and set up in cabins.
Weipa a big mining town was interesting to see but was not a highlight.
Whereas Fairview Station, a huge working cattle station in a beautiful garden setting, with lots of birds and good meals was excellent.
Returning to Cape Tribulation “Ferntree Rainforest Lodge”again for the last night was like a coming home as it was familiar, very comfortable with the pool and an excellent dinner with Jason and Paul. Thanks so much guys !
We had comfortable and spotless accommodation with good breakfasts and the other meals were well chosen for our group and tastes (including our teenage daughter). Our guide was particularly good at ensuring our daughter was engaged and if she needed some down time on the drives she got it. She has been really inspired by all the animals and environments we experienced. We also really appreciated how flexible he was, building in our interests as we went. His unique knowledge and relationships built up over years ensure this was the highlight of our 5-week trip away.
Be very wary of this Company they over promise and underdeliver. They expected and did squeeze 10 guests and 2 drivers into a Toyota 79 series and a 300 series expecting people to travel in the kiddy seats in the boot with their knees up around their ears for about 1,700km. We were people in our late 60's, 70's and 80's who had paid for a PREMIUM Trip not to travel squashed in like sardines. Most accommodation was very good but one was far from acceptable. Food was good. Guide/drivers were excellent but unappreciated by management. Admin is handled from overseas so time difference created lots of issues. Make sure you check every detail before committing to a Cape York trip with Far North Escapes.
The good bits of the trip –
Places visited in the itinerary: These were great especially when we were able to go “off the beaten track” (rating 4-5 star overall). It appeared however that some guests received different itineraries to others even though we had booked the same tour. Our itinerary never showed a visit to Roko Island with an optional fishing excursion. Apparently this was a new addition to the itinerary but didn't appear in any documents we received. Personally, I found little to do in the time spent there. My husband (along with 2-3 other guests) however was keen to do the optional fishing trip once he heard about it but some incorrect or miscommunication between the FNE tour company and the fishing excursion operator resulted in this being cancelled. This caused huge disappointment amongst some guests and left the Premium guests hanging around on the island with little to do until it was time to get the boat back to the mainland.
Guides – our 2 guides Jason and Paul were outstanding. Very professional, knowledgeable about the places visited and the flora and fauna, flexible to guests’ requests, experienced 4WD drivers and fun in the way they conducted the tour and excursions. The only thing we would have liked changed here would be starting each day a bit earlier so there was more time to get through each day’s itinerary and spend a bit more time at the top attractions along the way or doing some longer trail walks at some locations. Some days were very tight in terms of not having enough time to enjoy the different places or even not being able to fit in some of the listed activities or stops while other days offered not much to hold our interest for the full length of the stay (rating 5 star overall).
Accommodation: Most of the accommodation was very comfortable and either met or exceeded our expectations of being premium and comfortable. For outback locations I’d rate most accommodation venues as 4 or 5 out of 5. One major exception was the so-called “Authentic Outback Glamping and Bird Haven” at Wolverton Station. I’d rate this as a 1-star basic camping experience where the ablution block was a galvanized metal shed that was not only dirty but when I tried to have an early morning shower so other guests could get theirs done in time to leave there was no water as the generator wasn’t operating. The donga accommodation at Bramwell Station was also very tight with the double bed pushed up against the wall making it difficult to get out of during the night (2-3 star rating).
Meals: Again meals at the majority of places were great to exceptional (mostly 4-5 star rating). The only exception was at Bramwell where it was very regimented in the way mealtime was conducted and the food wasn’t that great. The breakfast provided was very underwhelming with a pretty small serving for anyone who had a reasonable appetite (rating 2 star). Some great live entertainment provided in the evening at Bramwell however helped to stave off the disappointment here.
The souring aspects of the tour:
Transport: We had the full contingent of 10 people on the tour plus 2 tour guides and although the final itinerary showed 3 luxury 4WD vehicles the company only provided 2 vehicles (a 4-seater and a 6-seater) one of which had very limited baggage space resulting in very crammed travelling conditions that were far from comfortable. Some backpacks even needed to be placed at our feet in this vehicle making conditions even more crammed. This was especially concerning seeing that most members of the group were seniors and some had mobility issues that limited where in the vehicles they could sit making the claim of regular seat rotation untenable for all guests. Despite major concerns about the cramped conditions being raised by several group members with the company on the first day they refused to address this matter. While the itinerary stated that the company has the right to substitute vehicles it fails to say it may reduce the number of vehicles provided even if there are the maximum 10 guests on the tour. So much for their stated claim of “customer support for peace of mind” on their website.
Company communication: Prior to the tour there was quite good communication between the company office and us but once on tour the company representative failed to consider and address any concerns raised. Even though some members of the group communicated their concerns either through phone calls or email, these were not acted upon. I even found the response I received to an email I sent insulting and condescending suggesting that I had a misconception of what the terms “premium”, “luxury” and “comfort” mean and that I was overlooking the fact that we were travelling in the outback. This management attitude really took the polish off the great aspects of the trip. My husband and I are highly experienced travelers who over the past 50+ years have not only undertaken a wide variety of tour types around the world and in Australia including adventure tours like this one, but we have both previously lived in outback areas of Australia so have a pretty good understanding of what to expect according to the type of trip we choose to undertake.
Would I recommend this company to others? Not unless they picked up their game and genuinely listened to and were prepared to address guest concerns if and as raised with them. It doesn’t help that I believe they are the only company that provides truly small group tours in this part of Australia, especially if you don’t enjoy going “cattle class” or go more off the beaten track. Just be aware that the review ratings on Google and Trip Advisor predominantly relate to day trips across a wide number of locations in the region or very short tours.
The tour was wonderful and we experienced interesting, adventurous and some simply beautiful places. The guides, Jason and Paul were absolutely amazing and nothing was too much for them to please everybody and Jason’s knowledge about places, history, landmarks, flora and fauna was endless.
Accomodation ranged from tents, glamping, dongas to hotel rooms and private accomodation and apart from Wolverton station, which was a basic tent with a bed, all was very comfortable and mostly with ensuite bath rooms. Food was plentiful and ranged from good to outstanding.
However, the seating arrangements for 10 passengers plus 2 guides in only two cars was not ideal to say the least. 7 people in a landcruiser 300 series with 2 in the “boot”on children’s sized seats. We are talking about people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, some with mobility issues. The landcruiser 79 series had 3 people squashed on the back seat and it was certainly not comfortable.
Far North would be well advised to add a 3rd vehicle or invest in a 4 wd bus for these longer trips.
A couple of destinations in the itinerary had to be left out as there simply wasn’t enough time in the day to include them.
All in all a memorable trip with some amazing highlights, but transport issue needs to be addressed.
Our guide was Jason, and he is, quite simply, exceptional. His passion for the Daintree — for its conservation, its flora, its fauna, and all the extraordinary little creatures that call it home — is completely infectious. You can tell immediately that this isn't just a job for him. He was bursting with knowledge and enthusiasm, sharing fascinating detail about plants and animals that we would have walked straight past without ever noticing.
One of the highlights of the evening was the UV light Jason brought along. Seeing plants and critters illuminated in ultraviolet was truly amazing!
The only thing we regret is not having more time for our stay in the Daintree. If our stay had been longer, a daytime walk with Jason would have been at the top of the list.
Highly, highly recommended.
Jason the guide rocked up barefoot and I could feel how enthusiastic and passionate he is about the rainforest - awesome!
We unfortunately didn't see any bigger or exotic animals, but lots of little critters and had some UV light action going on. ;)
I would do it again next time I'm up there.
Our guide was incredibly passionate about the rainforest and very talented at spotting animals in the middle of the pouring rain at night. He was so in touch with the place that he gave the entire walk barefoot. He highlighted the main thing he wanted us to take away is that we’re losing our rainforest and that’s an absolute shame. I’d recommend this tour to everyone.
We would never have explored it that way on our own, so it was fantastic to have a guide and learn more about the wildlife and the forest. It was also very special to see the plants and insects under UV light. Beautiful!
We are so glad we did this tour! Our guide, Jason, was amazing! We didn't stay another night, otherwise we would definitely have gone again. With a guide like Jason every walk will be amazing!
I have never met a guide who treats his place with such passion, love and gentleness. He showed us plants that change colour, trees and mushrooms glowing in the dark, insects and animals that seemed to appear from another world. The entire walk felt magical.
Kane walked barefoot the whole time, and it added something I didn’t expect. It made the forest feel alive and safe. It made our group feel protected, as if we were following someone who truly belongs to this land.
I enjoyed every minute. At moments it felt like stepping into Avatar, as if I had suddenly found myself on another planet. At other times it was like walking through Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder”, and I could almost feel myself travelling a hundred million years into the past.
Thank you, Kane. This night will stay with me for a long time.
Inessa
I would highly recommend all visitors to the Daintree to go for a night tour!
Feel it, do not read it!
If you’re coming at Cape Trib, do not even miss this tour, it’s a must-do !
Our guide tried hard and got a second star, she was very enthusiastic and helpful and good at making spiders and crickets sound interesting.
Three young kids under 10 from one family didn’t make the experience any better the youngest got very tired about 1/2 way through.
If you like looking at spiders and crickets and the odd bit of glowing fungi then this is the trip for you.
Did manage to glimpse the eyes of a small croc near the end but all in all a very disappointing noisy boardwalk night walk.
Not worth the $110 per couple
I can just tell you that by the end of it, I was comfortable walking in the forest in the dark (right, it was full moon) and just feeling and observing the wonders of this forest. Thank you Kane!
Thanks Far North Escapes AMAZING!!












