Cooper Creek Wilderness Tours, Daintree Cape Tribulation

COOPER CREEK WILDERNESS provides ethical access to the most significant portion of the Daintree Rainforest in the Cape Tribulation section of the World Heritage Area.  

The truly sacred places of the world are difficult to find; sought by many, found by few, these amazing treasures are concealed by a timeless barrier of protection. Cooper Creek Wilderness contains an awesome expression of diversity and perserverance. Access to this refugium of Gondwanan forest, with its representative communities of primitive fauna and flora and the accumulated knowledge of inhabitant guides, cannot be achieved from the convenience of public boardwalks; it requires far greater discernment and determination. Treks are on the rainforest floor, unspoiled by artificial structures. Inhabitant guides traverse discrete trails through a complex rainforest environment, part of an ancient landscape. Access may be unsuitable for persons with limited mobility; wildlife behaviour and fauna sightings are unpredictable. Participants need to accept the risks and uncertainties associated with a genuine wilderness experience.

Cooper Creek Wilderness occupies the centrepiece of the last remnant of the oldest-surviving rainforest in the world.  A Gondwanan rainforest relict that has survived more than 135-million years, where ancient plants like the “green dinosaur” remain as living proof of its persistence over the millenia.  Containing the most extensive remnant populations of primitive angiosperms (flowering plant families) in the world, Cooper Creek Wilderness is ideally positioned to showcase World Heritage values to visitors from around the world, through a variety of unique experiences. 

Situated directly below Thornton Peak, the epicentre of refugial significance in the ancient Daintree Rainforest, midway between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation, Cooper Creek Wilderness is hidden from mass tourism, but welcoming to genuine travellers who want to experience the continuity of rainforest existence over an estimated 135million years. 

It takes determination and discernment to gain entry to the primitive sections of the Daintree that are off the beaten track.  The chances of finding extraordinary fauna and flora are increased by participating on both day and night tours.

Cooper Creek Wilderness is a living museum containing every stage in the evolution of plants and animals. It is more than an exciting and interesting place to visit. It contains the forebears of the more modern Australian forests and through its complex interrelationships it provides inspiration and knowledge for understanding of the environment for all mankind.