This is one of Australia’s greatest adventure drives, remote, beautiful and deeply cultural.
Trip Overview
Total distance: ~152–165 km return
Total drive time: Full day (~2–3 hours excluding stops)
Vehicle: 4WD essential (steep pinches, creek crossings)
Best season: Dry season (April–December)
Check road and creek conditions with lodge staff for the Bloomfield Track before departure.
07.30 Enjoy a yummy tropical buffet breakfast at Mungumby Lodge before you depart. Fresh coffee and tea, juices, cereals, fresh cut fruit, yogurt, boiled eggs. A nice way to start the day
Leave just after breakfast when rainforest birdlife is most active. The journey starts at the very northern end of the World Heritage rainforest
Birdlife around the lodge and en-route:
Morning mist often hangs in the valleys around Wallaby Creek — ideal for photography.
Rossville is a small rural rainforest settlement set among mountain foothills. Named after miner Jack Ross in the late 1800’s, once a center of tin mining activity and timber harvesting. This area once supported farming and transport routes linking Cooktown to the Bloomfield region. You will note the transition from wet tropical rainforest mountains to coastal lowlands
Continue toward the coast, before arriving at Ayton, a quiet seaside community, we recommend a short drive down Weary Bay Rd to view a remote beach and bay that was named by Cook in 1770 as his oarsmen became weary of sounding out the river bed. The bay looks the same as it did then.
Landscape:
Birdlife:
A peaceful place to pause and enjoy the salt air.
Drive to Wujal Wujal, home of the Kuku Yalanji people and take some time to enjoy this lovely spot. We recommend a trip to the general store buy some fruit and meet with some of the locals who live there.
Cultural significance:
Please respect:
After Wujal Wujal lies Bloomfield Falls, the head of the Bloomfield River system. Drive past the bridge until the end of the road, park your car and walk to the falls. An easy walk and must do as the falls cascade over the boulders to the river below
What to experience:
Wildlife:
This legendary 4WD route links the Bloomfield region with Cape Tribulation and for many years been a walking track for the Kuku Yalanji people travelling between Mossman Gorge, Daintree and Wujal Wujal. One of the many places along this coast where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. It was along this path that in the early 80’s hippies protested against the development of this track. Tying themselves naked into the trees and burying themselves before the bulldozers they brought the significance of this area to the attention of the Australian public.
Driving highlights:
Nature & wildlife:
This section is as much about the journey as the destination.
When Cook made his departure from the coast he used Cape Tribulation and a mountain peak behind it to guide his way to open water. This is where his tribulations began and he was sorry to have used the mountain behind because the path lead the Endeavour into dangerous waters where he hit the Great Barrier Reef. This region hosts deep rich rainforest swamps that hug the coast climbing their way to the highest of peaks behind. A truly spectacular sight in any weather
Dubuji Boardwalk
Kulki Lookout
Birdlife:
A short walk from the car park brings you to one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.
Experience:
No swimming — crocodiles present.
Lunch – Cape Tribulation Area
Options:
Afternoon – Return Journey to Mungumby Lodge
As the day cools:
Drive carefully — wallabies, Cassowary and reptiles are common in the afternoons.
Back at Mungumby Lodge
Arrive back at Mungumby Lodge late afternoon.
End the day with:
Possible nocturnal sightings:
Practical Tips
Why This Route Is Special
This journey connects:
All in one unforgettable day you will have an exciting stories to show and tell.
The following items of clothing and equipment are recommended for this trip:
Comfortable walking boots/shoes (with a good tread/non-slip sole), Light-weight shirt (long sleeved for sun protection), Sports or running shoes, Shorts, T-shirts, Swimwear, Cotton or synthetic athletic socks, Light-weight sweater or sweat shirt, Sunglasses, Sunscreen and sun-blocking lip balm, Light hat wide brim or peaked cap, Camera and batteries, binoculars (optional) Personal water bottle (optional), Waterproof jacket, light-weight Warm pullover or jacket (May-Sep)
