Daintree Village is located on the southern bank of the Daintree River just 20 Kilometres north form Port Douglas and 60 kilometers north of Cairns. The village offers a variety of accommodation from budget B&Bs to luxury private holiday homes and resorts including the famous Daintree Eco Lodge & spa.

DAINTREE VILLAGE
By Daphne Titus-Rees
www.daintreevalleyhaven.com.au

Tiny funky little Daintree Village was originally a settlement created in the 1870's by timber-cutters and is now an unspoilt oasis in the midst of some of the loveliest and most varied scenery in the far north of Queensland. Today low-impact tourism and sustainable cattle- and tropical fruit-farming in the beautiful valleys beyond the Village form the lifeblood of this laid-back little township with all it's charm of yesteryear.

Daintree Village was the base for timber-cutters who came to log the red cedar which once flourished in the area. Today the timber industry is long-gone but there is an interesting timber gallery, featuring beautiful work by a local craftsman..

The Village hosts a number of restaurants, artists' studios, locally-created souvenirs and picnic areas complete with free electric barbeque and picnic table. There are guided walks, river cruises and an exciting 8wd Argo tour.

The mighty Daintree River flows past the Village and is home to many estuarine crocodiles which are frequently spotted from the safety of one of a number of wildlife-watching cruise-boats which leave from the Village jetty. Birds and butterflies abound - the Daintree Village region is a world-renowned birdwatcher's paradise and there are several specialist guides.

Accommodation choices in the Village and it's surrounding valleys range from a famous spa resort, traditional B&Bs, retreats, farm-stays to budget cabins..

Beyond the Village are scenic drives which take the visitor along winding valley trails which follow the courses of the upper reaches of the Daintree and into the valleys of Stewart Creek, Douglas Creek and Upper Daintree through a delightful mix of rolling green cattle country and areas of lush tropical rainforest.

The cattle are tropical breeds now bred for their beef whereas in earlier days there was a thriving dairy industry. The butter factory in Daintree finally closed down in 1962 when it was no longer profitable to produce butter there. Descendants of the original settlers still live here, some operating thriving beef-cattle properties.

The Daintree River was only discovered by Europeans in 1873 when Scottish geologist and explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple named the river and the first settlement, Daintree Village, after Queensland's Agent-General in London, Richard Daintree. Before the road to Mossman was completed in 1933 Daintree Village was an inland port with the only access being by river.

The Village gave it's name to the famous World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park which stretches in sections between Mossman Gorge in the south to the Bloomfield River in the north..

 So, if you are seeking a quiet, relaxing base from which to explore all that the tropical north has to offer, the Daintree Village region has everything you could wish for.

By Daphne Titus-Rees
www.daintreevalleyhaven.com.au

The Daintree River
The Daintree River is the great dividing river that separates the Daintree rainforest from the rest of the world. Passing over the crocodile infested river is a symbolic entry into the beautiful tropical forest, and it feels as though you are entering a unique and ancient place. Indeed, you are.

The Daintree River Ferry, 50km north of Port Douglas, is the only way to cross the river. It operates on a cable system and is capable of taking up to 16 vehicles across the river at a time. The trip from the south bank to the north bank of the river takes about 5 minutes. This is the only cable ferry operating in a World Heritage area in the world.

The Daintree Ferry makes its first crossing for the day at 6AM and doesn't rest until midnight. This pattern is repeated seven days a week. The cost per vehicle at the time of writing is $20 for a return trip. However, for buses, vehicles with trailers and motor homes etc, higher fees are due. The Daintree Ferry is the only means of crossing the river; therefore visitors are warned to expect delays. With over 400,000 visitors per year using this ferry to enter the World Heritage Area, this is a major undertaking for the operators.

It is possible to take a privately owned vessel up the Daintree River, however skippers must be aware of the danger of crocodiles. There have been incidents of crocodiles attacking boats that have ventured too close to nests.

Floods develop quickly in the river. In March 1996, record flood levels swamped roads and properties throughout the Daintree region. Statistics gathered at the time recorded 606 millimetres of rain falling in 24 hours.

The Daintree River is home to a dazzling array of tropical life. It supports saltwater and freshwater marine life, including the dreaded saltwater crocodile. There have been numerous reports of deaths in the Daintree River from crocodile attacks, so it is important not to step close to the riverbank and absolutely never swim in the river.

The mouth of the Daintree River opens onto a giant sandbar that shifts with each changing tide. Due to the ever-shifting deep centre of the sandbar, entering the Daintree River has always been a problem for ship captains. The river winds through thick mangrove swamps where the water remains very salty. As it progresses through the rainforest, the water turns fresh. At this convergence point, an abundance of wildlife congregate, particularly fish.