Must Do: Daintree Rainforest

In 2020, during those awful Covid times, when nobody could travel interstate or overseas and my passport was looking sadder by the day, my friend Lainie and I decided to hit the road. We used the Transfer Car website to transfer a van from Brisbane to Cairns. For just a $1 a day, we drove up the coast exploring little towns, coffee shops and maybe also eating a pie at every bakery. It was the best getaway for a time where getaway's weren't really encouraged. The only thing we had to make sure was that the van had fuel in it (sometimes, forgetting that part and living life on the edge a little bit). We had enjoyed the trip so much so far that when arriving to Cairns, we swapped our Transfer Car for a Traveller's AutoBarn Van (which we now had to pay more than $1 a day for) and kept driving up north.

We journaled everyday about our experience, often taking quiet times in the places where reception was scarce. One of these places was the Daintree Rainforest. Reception was so scarce up there that my boyfriend at the time decided to break up with me because I wasn't texting him back enough (good ridden's). Lainie and I decided that the Daintree Rainforest was one of our favourite spots we had been on that trip, probably half because I was looking for an excuse to break up with him anyways, and half you'll understand if you keep reading along....

It's where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef, where two natural wonders of the world collide to magnify peace and euphoria. We cross the Daintree River in our Travellers AutoBarn Van, paying the ferry man $45 for a return ticket (we are soon to regret this). Once crossing over to the lush and abundant rainforest, you will never want to return to the mainland. But you have to because, well, bills and life and bills.

The roads thinning as we drive through a welcoming committee of vine canopies that intwine and drape over our heads. Pre-downloaded music comes in handy as the phone service starts to die out and we are stuck singing Ed Sheeran all the way to our campsite at Cape Tribulation. Upon arriving to Cape Trib Camping we check into our powered site and move the van across to close the circle of campers already arrived before us. Like a cult, we have new camping neighbours left and right of us, with a gorgeous eucalyptus tree rooted in the middle amongst a make-shift fireplace. The beach access is only a coconut's throw away, not to mention the sharp stump which has been carved to open fresh coconuts that fall onto the sand. We set up camp, make a cheese platter and take it all down to the beachfront. It seems as though everyone is in competition to have the best bonfire and of course, being up for a challenge, we also join in by collecting husks, dry leaves and wood for our fire.

By morning time I begin to feel more present and alert, even without notifications buzzing every second. Off the grid, connected to nature and other campers, this experience is truly peaceful, rich and a must do for anyone travelling around Queensland.

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Elly-Grace Rinaldis is a creative writer based in Brisbane. Elly-Grace is passionate about writing that showcases how incredible the world is, especially any stories featuring Greece and its' people. In 2022, she graduated with a BA in Creative Writing and has since self-published her poetry book 'Five Summers: An Anthology' which is available to purchase on www.ellygrace.com.au.

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