Name: Daintree Wilderness Lodge
Address:
City, State: Wet Tropics, Queensland Australia
Telephone:
Price (per room per night):
What's it like?
It takes less than five minutes to cross the Daintree River by ferry but once on the other side, you enter an entirely new world.
The road leading north is immediately narrow and windy, fringed by a continuous jungle of tall and ancient trees that form a spectacular lowland rainforest. Stately mahoganies, boxwood and yellow walnut giants reach 50m into the sky, their broad buttressed bases reinforcing an already regal presence in the forest.
The variety of palms, ferns, and vines that cling and compete with each other
in this dense and dripping wilderness is endless. Sometimes they reach out to
touch our car as we drive slowly through this wonderland of greenery. To our surprise
the road is still sealed and in excellent condition. Our destination is Daintree
Wilderness Lodge where we arrive 20 minutes after crossing the river. A few
metres into the driveway and we are enveloped by a florescence of wild and beautiful
foliage. And it's as though someone has dimmed the lights.
Stepping out of the car, it's easy to see why. The lush rainforest canopy overhead has almost completely sealed off any direct sunlight. Only the occasional splash of sunshine filters through to cast weird and changing patterns across the giant leaves of cycads and the waving fronds of fan palms.
Daintree Wilderness Lodge was constructed on eight hectares of virgin fan
palm rainforest by Anna and Mal Graham. The Grahams designed and built the lodge
themselves back in 1991. The lodge is now run by Peter and Kerry Muller who took
over the business in April 2004.
The seven individual bungalows, reception centre, and restaurant were constructed in a way that ensured minimal impact on the forest floor and on the lives of native birds and animals. So fastidious were the Grahams where conservation was concerned that remarkably, in this dense and dimly-lit jungle, only two live trees were removed in order to complete the project. Clearings were created by hand with crowbars and shovels. Where trees hindered construction, buildings and pathways were built around existing vegetation. Today, those original trees and vines grow through roofs and floors.
Since its establishment, Daintree Wilderness Lodge has maintained a dedicated policy of not only protecting and preserving the pristine environment of which it is so much a part, but also of providing quality ecotourism experiences for guests and helping to educate them on the soundness of correct environmental management. For these reasons, and others, this superbly located holiday destination has been awarded EcoCertification by Ecotourism Australia.
A "touch and feel" table at the Lodge helps guests identify various seeds and pods on the forest floor and guided rainforest tours are conducted by night.
Here, in the immediate surrounds of the lodge are hundreds of species of rare and exquisite plant species. The area boasts the highest concentration of primitive flowering plants in the world.
Our particular bungalow is built in a spectacularly beautiful grove of fan palms. Many tower 20m above us and are up to 200 years old. Their unusual and attractively-pleated fronds make them easily distinguishable from other varieties here.
We noticed a cooling change in temperature the moment we entered the rainforest
proper, possibly as much as 10 degrees celsius. The Greater Daintree region
has been described by many naturalists as possibly the best example of lowland
rainforest left in the world. One of the largest of the Australian rainforest
wilderness areas, it also provides a habitat for numerous animals and birds. The
Wompoo Fruit dove and the cassowary, the Spotted-tail quoll and the Longtail pigmy
possum, which is barely bigger than a mouse, are among the most celebrated of
those found here.
Metre-high boardwalks connect bungalows to each other and to the lodge's restaurant and pool area. From the vantage point of the boardwalk immediately outside our accommodation, we have observed a wide variety of bird species. Some have been spotted high in the canopy but there have been others, like the fussy little Orange-footed scrub fowl which insists on scratching around on the forest floor and clucking away at us in annoyance whenever we dare to photograph him.
Fifty metres away, a pair of brilliantly-coloured sunbirds are building a nest. We also saw a pair of Boyds Forest Dragons fighting out territorial rights, standing on their hindlegs and clashing like dinosaurs from another age.
Daintree Wilderness Lodge is proof that to maintain sound ecotourism philosophy
and practice does not necessarily mean going without the comforts of home. The
lodge accommodates up to 18 overnight guests. Luxury bungalows are set in complete
privacy each with its own ensuite and separate, connecting boardwalk.
A viewing roof means guests can lie on their beds and take in activity in the rainforest overhead. A mini-bar, ceiling fan, tea and coffee making facilities make for very comfortable living in a pristine forest environment.
A short hike of about five minutes leads to the Blue Pool, a peaceful, natural, fresh-water swimming pool fed by crystal clear rainforest streams. The colour of the water is really a reflection of blue cobalt pebbles that line the bottom.
Some of the palms found here were saplings 25 centuries ago. One relic from another age, a magnificent lepidozamia cycad, can be viewed further along the forest pathway and the age of this king of the rainforest has been given as more than 4,000 years!
There's something quite humbling about being on your own in the forest, in the still of the evening, knowing the trees at whose feet you stand were there centuries before you were even born. And, hopefully, will still be there centuries after you pass on. The need for greater understanding and protection of our unique natural treasures is quickly confirmed on those who share this moving experience.
A five minute drive from the lodge is the Daintree Rainforest Environmental
Centre. Here, touch screen technology allows access to a variety of topics,
ranging from flora, fauna, ecology and evolution. An excellent rainforest boardwalk
can be taken alone along well-defined paths or in the company of an experienced
guide.
But the highlight of the centre must be its recent acquisition - the Canopy
Tower. This 23m high construction provides possibly the best above-ground
level views of rainforest available anywhere. A solid, safe structure, the Canopy
Tower is ideal for people of all ages to use and enjoy the wonders of the rainforest
at five different levels.
Each level has its own large viewing platform, and at the top, the overview of the forest canopy is dramatic. It's a photographer's dream.
For those who like to mix their jungle adventure with a visit to the coast, there
are two wide, sandy beaches, at Cow Bay and Thornton Beach, within a short drive
of Daintree Wilderness Lodge. The Cow Bay Hotel sells country-size counter
meals and there are one or two restaurants or tea houses in the area also. There
could be few more peaceful dining spots anywhere, however, than right in the heart
of the rainforest at Daintree Wilderness Lodge itself. With a fine dining menu
and cocktail bar overlooking the forest greenery, this is certainly the place
to leave all worries behind.
The retreat is especially appealing to nature lovers and creative people. Writers and painters, as well as stressed out business executives, all benefit from a stay here.
During the two days I have spent here, the Lodge has played host to guests from
the United States, Canada,
Italy and various parts of Australia.
And there was the London author researching the origins of natural medicines derived
from the world's great rainforests.
For most who choose to visit and stay a while in this magnificent, if somewhat
remote region of our country, access is by motoring from Cairns.
This is, without doubt, one of the most breathtaking scenic drives in the world.
Twenty minutes or so north of Cairns, the highway
hugs the coastline. Here, the warm, turquoise waters of the Coral Sea wash onto
secluded, little coves and rocky headlands and picturesque, white sand beaches.
On most of these, the only life seen is the occasional seabird. To the west, the
rugged escarpment of the Great Divide sweeps to the very edge of the road. The
undergrowth is lush and especially colourful during summer months with miniature
waterfalls cascading to the roadside.
For more information:
Daintree Wilderness Lodge
Tel +61 7 4098 9105
Daintree Rainforest Environmental Centre
Tel +61 7 4098 9171
Daintree Cape Tribulation Tourism
Tel +61 7 4098 9126
Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Tel +61 7 4031 7676
- By Neville Allen
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