Where two stunning Word Heritage sites meet, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

 
 
Ancient fig tree

Ancient fig tree

The Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world and comprises one of the most complex ecosystems on earth.  It is home to 90% of Australia’s  butterfly and bat species and many rare and endangered plant and animal species.  A diverse range of birds, frogs and insects inhabit the Daintree rainforest, including the cassowary, and many of these species visit the Wildwood gardens and orchards.

Over 7 acres of Wildwood is untouched virgin rainforest which is listed within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.  This ensures this pristine area of forest – our wildwood – and all the wildlife within it, is protected and preserved for future generations.

The Daintree rainforest offers a wide range of activities for visitors of all ages to enjoy, including many which are suitable for families and younger children.  From Wildwood, guests can easily access Daintree rainforest and wildlife walks, swim in freshwater creeks, snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, horse ride along white sand Cape Tribulation beach, cruise on the Daintree river in search of crocodiles, birds, butterflies and other wildlife and have the chance to see cassowaries in the wild.  

Rainfall is likely at most times of the year. The wet season usually begins around Christmas and is at its wettest during February and March. Swimming at the beach is not possible because of the potential for marine stingers and crocodiles.

 

Wildwood has one of the most diverse collection of rare and exotic fruit trees in the Daintree with over 800 trees and 50 different species.  Guests are welcome to come and enjoy any of the fruits that are in season during their stay. Most of the fruits are from the Amazon, South East Asia, India and the Caribbean and include varieties that many of us may not have tasted before including jaboticaba, miracle fruit, marang and sapote.  Wildwood is also the proud owner of over 400 mangosteen fruit trees – commonly known as the queen of the fruits and our personal favourite.

Wildwood’s fruit trees have been grown from seed, handpicked for their flavour and sourced from high quality producers around the world.  This means that even fruits that you may have tasted before, such as papaya and star fruit, are likely to have a more delicate and beautiful flavour than those you’ve tried before.

wildwood exotic fruit mangosteen
wildwood exotic fruit black sapote
wildwood exotic fruit rollinia
wildwood exotic fruit mamey sapote
wildwood exotic fruit yellow mangosteen
wildwood exotic fruit soursop

Wildwood began 25 years ago as the dream of an exotic fruit farm.  In 1986 our predecessors decided to transform abandoned grazing land into an organic orchard and spent the next decade collecting seed from around the world and planting more than 100 different species and 2,000 fruit trees from the Amazon, South East Asia and the Caribbean.

The orchard has been established on the philosophy of permaculture, a system we continue today, which mimics the rainforest and provides a supply of nutrients to the trees in rotting material and vegetative matter.  To achieve this, large number of legume trees, bananas and legume ground covers are planted through the orchard to create a food forest and provide a rich nitrogen supply to the plants.

We took over the orchard and accommodation in 2014 to offer guests at Wildwood the chance to stay on these beautiful grounds and enjoy and experience all the mature fruits in the gardens. When guests are not enjoying it, our two young boys Ben and Oliver have the chance to run wild and be free in nature

The owners of Wildwood in Cape Tribulation were recently invited to contribute to the wonderful Earth Hour cook book and are now featured in Planet to Plate.  The book is a beautiful collection of recipes provided by Australia’s leading chefs, including Neil Perry, Luke Mangan and Kylie Kwong.  It also features first-hand stories from Australian farmers highlighting the impact global warming is having on their farms and the nation’s availability of fresh, homegrown food.

You can read about Wildwood, sample the recipes and learn more about the impact of climate change on Australian farmers here