Iron Range National Park, Cape York

The Iron Range National Park is a lesser known area of Australia thanks to its remote location but it shouldn’t be overlooked. The landscape is diverse and beautiful including mountain ranges, dirt roads and lush green rainforest. The area is 850km north of Cairns and the trip requires a good 4wd vehicle but the extra effort is well worth it.

Be sure to visit during the dry season (June to December) if you plan on driving as the roads flood and become inaccessible. If you want to visit during the wet season, the best option is to take a 90 minute flight from Cairns to the tiny airport in the indigenous community of Lockhart River. A short drive from the airport and you’ll be in the heart of the rainforest spotting some of Australia’s rarest native species.

The national park is family friendly and kids will love spotting birds, reptiles and wallabies or burning off some energy with a run along the famous Chilli Beach. The historic WW2 township of Portland Roads is a great place to catch a charter boat out to one of the last untouched areas of the Great Barrier Reef.

The area is isolated though so be sure to book all your excursions and accommodation well in advance. The Greenhouse is a great family owned accommodation surrounded by the rainforest with comfortable cabins, modern facilities and free wifi. For those on a serious budget, camping in the National Park campsites is an option but, be warned, these are very basic with no hot water and only long drop bush toilets!

Being in the middle of the rainforest, places to eat are few and far between so bringing your own food and being as self sufficient as possible is the best option. However, The Greenhouse accommodation does offer catering onsite and has a small cafe and “Out of the Blue” is a lovely seafood cafe in the Portland roads township.

For a real adventure, pair your visit to the Iron Range with a once in a lifetime Cape York 4wd trip to the very tip of Australia!