053 Stand where the Rainforest meets the Reef

Cape Tribulation is home to the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-Listed areas lie side by side: the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

Cape Tribulation, around 110km north of Cairns, is home to the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-Listed areas lie side by side: the Daintree Rainforest, the most ancient and primeval in the world at 135 million years of age, and the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef.

Described as the “land that time forgot”, the Daintree is home to 20 percent of Australia’s bird species and around 60 percent of its butterfly species. There are even ancient species of trees – like the Idiospermum australiense and King fern – which were believed to be extinct for millions of years until being rediscovered in the Daintree.

So if you’ve ever wondered what the world looked like way back when, head to Cape Tribulation (aptly named by Captain Cook when he ran his boat into a reef off-shore) for a unique example of a place that’s lived through the dinosaurs, dramatic climate changes and ice ages. And the fact that it’s also a stepping off point for exploring the Reef – the largest structure in the world composed of living organisms – makes this a very special place indeed.

Where // The Daintree Rainforest covers 1200km² of northern Qld and the Great Barrier Reef spans 2600km of the Qld coast. Cape Tribulation is 110km north of Cairns. www.destinationqueensland.com

Did you know? // The Daintree Rainforest was named for Richard Daintree, pioneering photographer and surveyor of the region. Other areas to bear his name include the town of Daintree, the Daintree River, Daintree National Park and even Daintree Reef just off the coast at Cape Trib.