Cairns to Cooktown by campervan: Daintree, Cape Tribulation and the Bloomfield Track

Seventy kilometres of the Captain Cook Highway, most of it along the coast, with Rex Lookout about halfway. It is one of the best short drives in the country and it takes about an hour if you do not stop, and three if you do.

Port Douglas is a good lunch stop and a better base than Cairns for the reef, but it is expensive and the campgrounds fill early in the dry season.

The ferry crosses the Daintree River just north of Mossman and runs continuously during daylight. It is a short crossing and it is the gateway to everything that makes this region special: the rainforest, the cassowaries, the boardwalks, and the beach where the reef meets the jungle.

Cape Tribulation has campgrounds right behind the beach. Book ahead — there are only a handful and they fill in the dry season.

Beyond Cape Tribulation the road becomes the Bloomfield Track, and this is where the decision happens. It is unsealed, steep in places, and crosses several creeks. It is a genuine 4WD route. A standard campervan should not attempt it — hire a 4WD if Cooktown is the goal.

The alternative is to drive back to the highway and approach Cooktown from the south via Lakeland. It is longer but sealed, and it is the right choice for most people.

From December to April the creeks along the Bloomfield Track flood and the track closes. Even the sealed road to Cape Tribulation can be cut by flooding at the Noah Creek crossing. Check road conditions before driving north in the wet.

The Dubuji boardwalk, the Marrdja botanical walk, a night spotlight tour for wildlife, and a crocodile cruise on the Daintree River. Allow three nights to do it properly rather than one.