Rafting Trip from Port Douglas

Rugged rainforest-clad mountains and gorges, tumbling waterfalls, varied wildlife, easy access and a fascinating history make Barron Gorge National Park one of Queensland’s most popular parks. The park extends from the coastal lowlands (Lake Placid) to the elevated regions of the Atherton Tableland (near Kuranda), and lies within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The Barron River dominates the park. Rising from the rainforests of Mount Hypipamee, the river winds 60 kilometres across the Atherton Tableland and enters the deeply-incised Barron Gorge, and falls 250 metres onto the coastal lowlands before flowing into the Coral Sea. During the wet season, floodwaters often create a spectacular sight at Barron Falls, best viewed from the Din Din Barron Falls lookout near Kuranda. The park is part of the traditional lands of the Djabugandji Aboriginal people who maintain a close spiritual connection with this country. Their historic walking trails now form sections of an extensive network of walking tracks throughout the park.

Barron River, river in northeastern Queensland, Australia, rising near Herberton in the Hugh Nelson Range of the Eastern Highlands and flowing north across the Atherton Plateau past Mareeba and then east and south through the Barron Gorge to enter the Pacific Ocean at Trinity Bay, just north of Cairns, after a course of 100 miles (160 km). The river, draining a basin of 835 square miles (2,160 square km), was named in 1870 after T.H. Barron, a chief clerk of the state police. Fed by the Clohesy River and Mazzlin, Rocky, and Flaggy creeks, the Barron is dammed to form Tinaroo Reservoir (1958), which supplies irrigation water for a tobacco and mixed-farming area, and bisects Barron Falls National Park. The Barron Falls, 10 miles (16 km) above the river’s mouth, are accessible from the town of Kuranda; the series of cascades plunges 980 feet (300 metres) to the coastal plain and has been harnessed for hydroelectric power.

Port Douglas is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, approximately 70 km (40 mi) north of Cairns. In the 2016 census, Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people. The town is named in honour of a former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880. Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Port Douglas was No. 3 on Australian Traveller magazine's list of 100 Best Towns In Australia.