An epic rainforest road trip along North Queensland's Cassowary Coast

Its electric-blue feathered neck draped in a bright raspberry-hued wattle, a beautiful southern cassowary gives me a hard stare from a few metres away. I’m momentarily mesmerised — then I spot the dagger-like claws beneath its lustrous black plumage. 

I’d pulled into a seafront pitch at Etty Bay Caravan Park, south of Cairns on Queensland’s rainforest-fringed Cassowary Coast, and, right away, the region had lived up to its name. But after a few minutes, the bird thankfully resumed pecking at the fallen fruits lining the shoreline, in time with the thumping rhythm of the waves.

As a resident of New South Wales, I’d long itched to see this far-flung stretch of coast, known for its wild swathes of rainforest as well as its endangered, human-sized namesakes. But, reluctant to trade my trusty Subaru Forester for a campervan, I’d opted for the next best thing: a rooftop tent. 

The tent attaches to the rack of almost any vehicle, morphing — with a smooth pop-up motion — into a comfortable bed. In Australia, it’s a budget-friendly alternative to the traditional campervan, and equally popular for those not keen to take the wheel of a bulky vehicle. Travellers can rent one as part of their car-hire package, leaving plenty of room in the vehicle for baggage. 

After a barbecue on the shore, I nodded off to the sounds of the Pacific Ocean, a salty breeze washing in through vents in the canvas.

The plan was to continue north along the coast. There were tempting side trips along the way that I wasn’t able to do without a 4WD, but my compact home-on-wheels was generally more than up to the task, navigating backroads and squeezing into tight pitches with ease. After a bit of practice, I fell easily into the routine, and could pack down the tent in less than 10 minutes. 

I’d particularly looked forward to reaching Cape Tribulation, the remote headland where Lieutenant James Cook’s ship the Endeavour struck a reef in 1770. This wild stretch of coast, in the heart of the ancient Daintree rainforest, is home to rare Australian wildlife, including duck-billed platypuses, echidnas and tree kangaroos.

A car ferry across the crocodile-infested Daintree River — the only way to reach Cape Tribulation from the south — transports travellers into a dense tangle of fan palms and giant butterflies. Where the road south of the river is framed by vast, golden fields of sugar cane, here the route is coloured in infinite shades of green. 

On arrival, I traced the road that snakes up into the tangle of greenery as far as the Mount Alexandra Lookout, which offers views that swoop across the canopy to the deep blues of the Great Barrier Reef. The air, thick and warm, felt alive, as if the rainforest were breathing.

For many visitors to this special corner of Queensland, that lofty lookout is the first stop in a fast-paced day trip from Port Douglas or Cairns. But with my temporary home securely strapped to the roof of my Subaru, I was in no hurry to get going. I shifted into slow gear, pulling over whenever a shady rainforest trail or palm-fringed beach appealed. I scanned placid, turquoise creeks and waterholes for lurking saltwater crocodiles, before jumping in for a swim. The frenetic pace of everyday life seemed to slow here, deep in the forest — a place where muscles can relax and lungs can exhale. 

At the jungle-shrouded Safari Lodge, one of several campsites on Cape Tribulation, I was welcomed by a chorus of frogs, rising steadily over the incessant drone of the cicadas. As I stepped into the fading twilight to pop up the tent, an indiscernible shape emerged from the shadows beneath my car. A bandicoot? Then there was a screech from the rainforest canopy. A fruit bat? After my cassowary encounter, I was ready for anything.