It might be warm enough to swim, but no one knows what you consider to be warm enough

On Day 2 you will have time to visit Wildlife Habitat. I'd expect to spend a few hours in there.

Morning is the best time for a river cruise

Do you mean the boardwalks in the Daintree? No you won't have time to walk all in one day.

Fresh water swimming is always cooler than the ocean. I am sure there will be many people in the water - stick your foot in and find out.

Cheers.

Sounds like fun! Being from PA(I’m from NY) I expect you willl find it like Florida in April-no local will swim but you certainly will!

You can do Mossman in 1/2 day, I imagine you will be waking up at 2am so getting there by 8 won’t be a problem.

Do the dawn cruise and then have scones and coffee at the little eatery right in Daintree. We went to the Daintree after and for us, we had time to do all the boardwalks. We were way too close to a cassowary on one!

If you can still book an exotic fruit tasting at the Cape Trib fruit farm it was a highlight.

You’ll love it!

TBH we have been to PD twice in the past 2 years, and be sure you do the market if there on Sunday. Great place to buy authentic souvenirs.

If you have a rainy day, the Janbal gallery art experience is really cool.

I don’t want to throw a wrench in your plans and Atherton is great but I have a suggestion-I’d do Harley’s Croc adventure and then Babinda Boulders(hike, swim, fabulous bakery in town) and Josephine Falls and then go back to Cairns instead of a dashing thru the tablelands. We went to Millae Millae as well which gets all the publicity but I like the other 2 better. And you can swim. And the bakery has stuff straight from the British baking show and every bit as delicious as one would hope! But they close at 1or 2 so plan accordingly.

I liked the tablelands but with 1 day it’ll just be a whistle stop day of driving. And you won’t be there at dawn and need to be in Cairns by dusk so I’d do the other.

Also it is pitch black dark at 6pm, being the tropics and you will be propping up your eyelids before 8 so plan accordingly.

Get reservations for dinner NOW at Watergate in PD; it’s our favorite restaurant in PD and maybe Oz. The kangaroo is delicious , if you want that experience. No way you can walk in and be seated.

Have a blast!

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

Yes, we will have a car and plan to self drive these areas.

The earliest river cruise available is at 10:30. Is this early enough or should we opt to do the cruise at the end of the day?

@snowyandsnjggles your suggestion for an alternate for Atherton is a possibility. If we do not want to do Hartley-- is there something else we can do? We want to have time to get out and experience the outdoors.

In terms of dining-- we are planning to wing it. Not a high priority to have fine dining so I have not made any reservations.

Another question-- I see temps close to 80F-- is it okay to wear shorts to theDaintree? With bug spray and solid shoes. I lived in Houston so I know what humidity is like with long pants.

Thanks again for all your help!

The LLBean tropic weight long pants are perfect IMHO and they have deet impregnated ones. We didn’t encounter bugs in June or July and we were camping some of the time.

I would switch vendors for the earliest boat trip. We did Daintree Boatman.

Even if you don’t want fine dining, in PD you need a res or its bar food…Salsa is another great dinner, also Melaluca.

If you didn’t want to do Harltleys I’d do a hike for 1/2 day on that route. Get the All Trails Ap and check it out. Or go on a paddleboard trip in PD in the am. Or lay on the beach at Palm Cove. Or do another reef trip-there’s a half day trip from Cape Trib that was fun tho we like ABC from PD best-but it’s all day.

Cheers!

The Rainforest Habitat is good in PD tropical birds , native animals , butterflies etc . Dont recommend winging it in PD for dinner you may end up queuing for takeaway or self catering. Salsa is well worth booking in advance. A 10.30 River cruise booking should be fine.

You have a busy itinerary ... I would drop the Tablelands to spend more times to enjoy your other destinations. I also suggest you book your restaurants in PD as its always busy and hard to get into regardless if its fine dining or not.

I agree that if you want to eat at Salsa etc in Port D, you do need to book ahead (even weeks), but is it just me, but I'm OK eating at least on some nights at the pubs, the surf club, Tin Shed etc. When we were last in Port D (yes, over a year ago now), we "winged it" and got tables at the Tin Shed and the surf club by booking a day or so ahead. You might not always be able to "walk in" to a table at either of the pubs at 6 pm, but generally tables became free a little after that.