I have received some contradicting information regarding how far north in N. Queensland one can safely drive in a regular car. Can you go all the way to Daintree/Cape Trib without 4WD?
(My husband and I will be in the Cairns/MB area for a week in April and are wanting to take a 1 to 2 day trip from CNS to Cape Trib. in our rental if possible.)

Thanks!

Yes you can drive up to Cape Trib in a regular car with no problems as long as it's the dry season/no flooding.

There is no problem in taking a non 4WD rental car through to Cape Tribulation. It is only beyond Cape Trib that it becomes a problem.

Yes, its 4WD only after Cape Trib (north). However, to get the best out of this day would recommend a guided day trip, will get you off the beaten tourist track and you'll learn so much more about this unique area. Pete Baxendell, naturalist guide, is often mentioned here, just do a search.

If you do self-drive, stop at Daintree Mangrove Wildlife Sanctuary, 23km north of Mossman, about 6km south of Daintree River. Amazing collection of Australian cockatoos, finches and there's crocs, cassowaries, emus, roos, quolls, dingos, and best of all, the lovely little sugar gliders. www.daintreewild.com.au There's also overnight accommodation, so you can wake up to a true tropical dawn chorus.

We got concerned a couple of days ago that Daintree and Cape Tribulation might be inaccessible to anyone for several months because there was a paragraph in the Chicago Tribune travel section about ferry disruption. Apparently the company that held the contratc is not having the contract renewed and the new company doesn't have a ferry yet. We e-mailed Mel McDowell at Wilderness Challenge (the company with whom we are traveling up to Daintree) and he assured us that they have worked it out so that there will be no disruption of service. I was quite relieved.