Daintree trip planner

Daintree is a settlement in North Queensland 111km north of Cairns and 56km from Port Douglas, Queensland. The McDowell Ranges are near the town while the Daintree River flows nearby. It takes its name from Richard Daintree, a pioneering geologist of British origin in North Queensland in the 1860s. It is within the local government area of Shire of Douglas (between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Cairns Region). At the 2006 census, Daintree and the surrounding area had a population of 78.OverviewDaintree Village was first settled in the late 1870s and early 1880s by timber workers seeking Toona Australis commonly (if incorrectly) known as Red Cedar in the nearby Daintree Rainforest. There were sizeable stocks of "Red Cedar" near the Daintree River. Loggers moved stock down the river to the coast for transport using lashed rafts.Dairy farms were later established allowing a butter factory to be opened in 1924. Beef farming later became a significant local employer.As elsewhere in Queensland, tourism has become an important employer. Daintree Village became famous for early morning tours on the Daintree River and became very popular with visiting birdwatchers. These dawn river trips became a catalyst for the many B&B's that sprung up starting in 1993 and became an important employer of local families. Red Mill House, Daintree Village was the first B&B in the Douglas Shire in 1993 and paved the way for many others to follow.