Kulki Boardwalk
Daintree National Park
Directions - From the Daintree Ferry, drive north along Cape Tribulation Road for 35 kilometres, turning right when you see the signs for Kulki Boardwalk (not far past the main settlement of Cape Tribulation). The trail starts on the northern side of the car park as you're walking towards the beach.
The Walk - Hearing the word "Daintree" typically conjures up images of lush green rainforest and an array of tropical fauna like frogs, snakes and birds. Located about two and a half hours north of Cairns, the Daintree National Park near Cape Tribulation is a place I'd been wanting to visit for a long time, and thanks to a family holiday in July 2023, I was finally going to experience this idyllic region of Queensland. Doing a bit of research before setting off, I knew there was a series of short walks running up and down Cape Tribulation Road ranging between 700 metres and a couple of kilometres.
Not really having a solid plan, other than to drive to the area and see what was what, first step was to get to the cable ferry that crosses the Daintree River (book your ticket ahead of time). I had to double check this was the right way to experience Daintree National Park, as there is a town called Daintree to the west. The ferry is definitely the way to go and we would be getting an unseasonably wet day that was similar to my climb up the Manjal Jimalji Trail. After disembarking the ferry, I was loving the twisting road through the dense rainforest but there didn't seem to be much here apart from the occasional accommodation place. Ensuring Caris that we were in the right spot, eventually I decided to head to the northern most walk I had planned and we would backtrack from there. First up was the Kulki Boardwalk, the shortest of the walks that is a short drive from the settlement of Cape Tribulation. Out of the car and staring at the information board at the end of the car park, we headed off along the wheelchair friendly pavement as it initially leads you to a small bridge over a muddy creek.
Having a look out over the water and then the mangroves, it didn't take long to spot our first Fourmanoir's Mangrove Crab scurrying about in the mud. Continuing on, the path meanders through the tropical rainforest, into a world of lush vegetation, fungi and overhanging plants. With the heavy cloud cover, the lighting was perfect for the rainforest, although sometimes it took a very steady hand in the darker areas. Arriving at a metal walkway, this leads all the way to the Kulki Lookout. Emerging into the open, you get great views overlooking Cape Tribulation Beach and the mountain ranges behind. While it wasn't the brightest of days to showcase the tropics, the view was still impressive. Heading back down the way we came, there is a short side quest you can do to access the eastern end of Cape Tribulation Beach. Caris always enjoys a bit of beach combing, so we trundled along the sand for a while, admiring the sprawling mangrove roots and seeing what we could find. Returning to the car park, we narrowly escaped a heavy rain shower that started as we were approaching the car.
Final Thoughts – A nice introductory walk in Daintree National Park, the short return journey provides a decent amount of variety, with mangroves, rainforest, ocean lookouts and a beach walk crammed into 700 metres.
While the weather wasn't giving off sunny tropical holiday vibes, I was more than happy with the even lighting to photograph the rainforest, plus I love walking with the smell of rain in the air.
When combined with the other walks in the area, this is a lovely stop if you've come to see what the Daintree is all about.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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