Your children will discover plenty of amazing sights in Cape Tribulation. The beaches are clean, sandy and ideal for seaside explorations. But it’s the rainforest and all its resident creatures that will probably grab their imaginations the most. From crocodiles to koalas, and more bizarre insects than you’ve ever seen, the wildlife around Daintree is world class.

Cairns Rainforest Dome
For a different take on the indigenous rainforest of Cape Tribulation check out this extraordinary zoo under a dome in Cairns. Although it’s nothing compared to visiting the real thing in Daintree, this attraction is popular with kids for its close encounters with koalas, kookaburras and the resident four-metre long saltwater crocodile named Goliath. Phone: +61 7 4031 7250.

Daintree Entomological Museum
While you are visiting Daintree Rainforest National Park, be sure and stop by this fascinating museum dedicated to the amazingly diverse array of bugs and butterflies which live in the rainforest. Some of the planet’s rarest insects are here, including some truly magical butterflies and alien-looking beetles.

Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre
One of the best ways to introduce yourself and your kids to the amazing world of the Daintree rainforest is at the park’s Discovery Centre. Check out the educational interpretation centre before heading to the treetop canopy where there are elevated walkways and a tower. The scenes up in the trees are different to those experienced from ground level.

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures
This amazing park claims to offer the original Australian crocodile show, and it’s hard to argue against this once you see the attractions. At the centre of the action is its five-acre lagoon stocked with 23 estuarine crocodiles. Every day at 11:00 they hand-feed these beasts and give an interesting lecture. But 15:00 is when the Croc Attack show starts, featuring a 45-minute performance with a death roll and other thrills. Tours of the farm are given twice each day, and there is also koala feeding and a snake show. The attraction is located on Captain Cook Highway, 16 miles south of Port Douglas. Phone: +61 7 4055 3576.

The cultural activities in Cape Tribulation itself are limited to Aboriginal centres and a couple of historic towns related to the early settlement of this region by Europeans. However, the choices are much wider in the nearby cities of Port Douglas and Cairns where a handful of art galleries and museums fill in the gaps.

Ben Crop Shipwreck Museum
This fascinating museum houses an impressive collection of relics from historic shipwrecks in the area. More than 1,000 nautical relics are on display, including pieces from Cook’s Endeavor and the famous Pandora which wrecked offshore from Cape Tribulation. Since the cape was named for its ability to catch ships and sink them, this museum, located at the Pier Marketplace in Cairns, provides an important aspect of local history. Phone: +61 7 4031 0102.

Cairns Regional Gallery
If you are a fan of art, you won’t want to miss visiting this impressive little art museum in Cairns. A wide range of artwork from some of far north Queensland’s most renowned artists are on display in the wonderful old Public Offices Building. In addition to these local works of art, the gallery exhibits a steady schedule of temporary exhibitions by major Australian artists. Phone: +61 7 4046 4800.

Cooktown
This tiny little town in Cape Tribulation makes for an interesting daytrip. This was where the explorer Captain James Cook made his first landings in the region. There is a great little museum in town dedicated to the ‘Discoverer of Australia’, and the town itself is fun to wander around.

Kuku-Yalanji Aboriginal Village
This Aboriginal group has lived in Cape Tribulation for millennia. Visitors to their village will learn about traditional bush medicine, food and Dreamtime legends. Join the Dreamtime Walks tour for a guided walk through the rainforest to sacred sites and see cave paintings. Handicrafts are available for purchase at the excellent gift shop and art gallery which is located on the road to Mossman Gorge. Phone: +61 7 4098 2595.

Port Douglas Market
One of the best ways to spend an afternoon is checking out the outdoor markets in Port Douglas. Vendors come from all over far north Queensland to sell their unique and handmade products at little booths. The market is set up in a pleasant green park overlooking the Coral Sea, so you couldn’t ask for a better backdrop for casual shopping.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
This award-winning Aboriginal culture park was the first to open in Australia, and remains a major highlight in the Cape Tribulation area. Visitors can enjoy traditional dance and song performances in the 25-acre park, as well as learn about the history and beliefs of the Aboriginals at the Creation Theatre and Magic Space Gallery. A suspension bridge takes visitors to a village area where they can try throwing a boomerang or playing the didgeridoo. The park is located on Captain Cook Highway, Smithfield. Phone: +61 7 4042 9900.

Despite being primarily a nature destination, Cape Tribulation and Daintree have a surprisingly wide range of cafés and restaurants in the area. Many of the eateries in the national park region are connected to resorts or pop up randomly wherever there is a patch of private land. Nearly all of them offer amazing views, particularly if you dine outside on the verandah.

South of Cape Tribulation there are many more eating options in Port Douglas and Cairns. The small town of Port Douglas has enough eating establishments to satisfy anyone. In the town centre, Macrossan street is lined with cafés, bakeries, restaurants and coffee shops. Since this quaint little town is a hot destination with the jet-set, there are some excellent menus to choose from. With the sea right in the backyard, fresh exotic seafood and shellfish are mainstays on most menus. Add to that the abundance of produce and tropical fruit grown in the lush interior and you’ve got some high quality cuisine.

If you are in Port Douglas on a Sunday, head over to the fresh food market under the mango trees at the seaside end of Macrossan street. The stalls here sell everything from coconut milk to fresh pastries. The local pubs in Port Douglas and Cairns are another must if you want to experience how North Queenslanders unwind. These traditional pubs are the only way to enjoy a real Australian beer at its finest.

Don’t expect the glitzy shopping malls that punctuate Australia’s larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne in this part of the country. Retailers focus more on ambiance and locally crafted products than brand names and fashion. Cape Tribulation has very little to offer in the way of shopping stops with the exception of the Aboriginal Culture Centre. If you want to do some serious shopping, your better bet is to head to Port Douglas or Cairns, where there are plenty of shops to choose from.

Cairns naturally has a larger array of shops than Cape Tribulation due to its size. The capital of Queensland is particularly known for its excellent markets, the most famous of which line the Esplanade every evening selling a wonderful range of food, arts and crafts. The other face of Cairns’ shopping scene is the malls which provide a more comprehensive experience. Pier Shopping, along the seaside, focuses on tourist items such as local art and quirky specialty shops. The Cairns Central shopping centre is where you can find everything from large department stores to intimate boutiques.

Port Douglas has its share of great shopping as well. For an outdoor market experience, head to the waterfront park on Wharf street on a Sunday for the festive and colourful Sunday Markets. Artists, craftsmen, and food vendors sell a fantastic selection of items. Specialties of the region are traditional Australian bush hats and oilskin jackets made from the finest materials.

In the heart of Port Douglas is a quaint shopping strip intermixed with cafés and pubs. These small boutique shops sell local items like indigenous artwork, antiques from the sea and high street fashion brands. For something special, check out the delicious and unique tea grown on the Cubbagudta Plantation in the rainforest by the Daintree Tea Company.

The outdoor recreation opportunities in Cape Tribulation are about as good as it gets in Australia, which is saying a lot. The Daintree rainforest provides all the wildlife and nature walks you’ll ever need, while the nearby Great Barrier Reef has some of the world’s finest snorkelling and scuba diving. Dozens of pristine and deserted beaches dot the cape offering beachgoers endless choices, and there’s even some incredible golfing and horseback riding in the area.

Beaches
Cape Tribulation is home to some of Australia’s most stunning and pristine deserted beaches. The sand seemingly goes on forever, so visitors simply need pick the right environment and enjoy the beauty. Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach has the most action, with parasailing, jet-skiing and other water sports available. Nearer to Cape Tribulation, Noah’s Beach and Cow Bay are both great places to get away from it all. Myall Beach’s boardwalk and Cape Tribulation Beach’s accessibility make them more crowded, but that’s a relative concept in Cape Tribulation. From May to September the sea is free of jellyfish, but from October to April it’s best to swim in the stinger safety net areas.

Bird Watching
The Wet Tropics rainforest around Cape Tribulation and Daintree is one of the most diverse birding regions in the world. More than 50 per cent of all known bird species in Australia are found here, and several tour companies run bird watching safaris into the rainforest or along the Daintree River.

Horseback Riding
A great way to experience the Daintree rainforest and amazing beaches of Cape Tribulation is on horseback. There are a number of outfitters near Port Douglas who run different trips through the rainforest and sugar cane plantations to hidden waterfalls and swimming holes.

Sailing
If you enjoy sailing, don’t miss the chance to get out on the Coral Sea and explore the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. Port Douglas is a sailing mecca, with two excellent marinas in town offering excursions on sail boats or small cruisers. A daytrip out to the Low Islets is a highlight of this region for sailors, and a number of outfitters can set you up.

Snorkelling and Scuba Diving
Just off the coast of Cape Tribulation is a long strip of healthy coral reef. This reef is unique in that it lies next to the rainforest, with the freshwater runoff making it hard for the coral to survive. This is the easiest site for snorkelling, but the proximity of the Great Barrier Reef makes it a shame not to go out on a boat and hit some of the really spectacular world-famous dive sites. There are sites for divers of all levels, and amazing snorkelling at Mackay where the reef is just two metres underwater.