Rain Forest and Reef Tours
Back Country Bliss Adventures. Amazing wilderness locations, high-quality equipment, excellent staff (including, when available, local indigenous guides), and Wet Tropic World Heritage Tour Operator accreditation give the Bliss team the edge. Based in Port Douglas but ranging much farther afield, the company runs customized, culturally and eco-sensitive small-group day and multiday trips that take you to nature and adventure hotspots from the Atherton Tablelands, Mossman Gorge, and Mareeba Wetlands to Cape Tribulation and Cooktown. They'll take you sea kayaking, wakeboarding, kite-surfing, rafting, hiking, mountain biking, drift-snorkeling in rain-forest streams, and "jungle surfing" in the rain-forest canopy. Queensland, 4877. 07/4099–3677; www.backcountrybliss.com.au. From A$99.
Daintree Tours. This operator conducts day-long, well-guided trips in top-of-the-line 4WD vehicles and custom-built trucks to the Daintree rain forest and beyond, with plenty of stop-offs en route to eat, drink, swim, and explore. Visit the Mossman Gorge, the Daintree rain forest, and Cape Tribulation. You can also arrange a daylong private wildlife-spotting charter to the Outback west of Mareeba, the Atherton Tablelands, and the rugged track to Bloomfield Falls. Ample lunch and refreshments, included in all excursions, ensure you keep your strength up. Port Douglas pick-ups and drop-offs make the early-morning starts simple. Tropical Journeys, 21–23 Warner St., Shop 3A, at Macrossan St., Port Douglas, Queensland, 4877. 07/4099–6999; 1800/055966; www.daintreetours.com. From A$190.
Reef and Rainforest Connections. This long-established, eco-friendly operator offers day trips exploring Kuranda's attractions and local wildlife parks; excursions to Cape Tribulation, the Daintree rain forest, and Mossman Gorge; and Great Barrier Reef cruises with Quicksilver Connections. The popular Kuranda day tour includes trips on the historic Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway; a stroll around charming Kuranda Village, with its markets, curio stores, and wildlife attractions; and a visit to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park or Rainforestation. 40 Macrossan St., Port Douglas, Queensland, 4877. 1300/780–455; 07/4047–9085; www.reefandrainforest.com.au. From A$155.
Tony's Tropical Tours. This company gives entertaining small-group day tours in luxe Land Cruisers that take in rain-forest sights and attractions as far as Cape Tribulation or, if you're prepared to get up earlier, the renowned and ruggedly beautiful Bloomfield Track. Well-informed, witty commentary from local experts, and non-rushed, well-chosen stops and activities—from interpretative rain-forest walks and Daintree River wildlife (croc) cruises, to handmade ice-cream and tropical-fruit tasting—make these trips crowd-pleasers. Refreshments, included in the cost, are a cut above the norm. Tony's also runs off-road tours through the Daintree as far as the Bloomfield Falls and terrific charter tours to the crater lakes, Atherton Tablelands, and Mareeba Wetlands, on which you might see kangaroos, birdlife, and the famed Curtain Fig tree. Port Douglas, Queensland, 4877. 07/4099–3230; www.tropicaltours.com.au. From A$185.
