My experience living and working in the world’s oldest rainforest in Jan – Feb 2019.

For the last month, I’ve been living right in the midst of the oldest tropical rainforest on the planet.

The Daintree Rainforest, located in the far north of Queensland, Australia, is estimated to be around 180 million years old.

All the wild nature here appears to support this outrageous claim.

Every day I walk past gigantic, gnarled trees that have lived through more history than I ever will.

Whenever I stroll along the beach I realize that these warm, wildlife-filled waters have been faithfully rolling along this coastline for millennia.

On my first day in Cape Tribulation, I was lucky enough to see a cassowary, one of world’s rarest and strangest giant birds.

It was just meandering through the woods with its fuzzy, ostrich-like body and its bright blue head topped with an intimidating horn.

Living in Cape Tribulation really does feel like living in another age sometimes.

It’s an age where technology has not yet taken over people’s lives. Where the powerful essence of nature is the force that drives day to day life.

With no free wifi and very limited phone reception, my days have become filled with quality time with the natural world.

I take leisurely walks along the sunny beach and hike through the thick forest.

I often embark on adventures with friends to find freshwater swimming holes.

These are the only places where we can escape the blazing heat and swim freely without fear of getting chomped in half by a saltwater crocodile.

We also love to climb a giant rock on the Cape Trib headland, where you can see sea turtles swimming in the turquoise waves below.

I’ve had run-ins with crazy insects, giant spiders, glow in the dark fungi, jungle turkeys and pythons.

Every evening giant flying foxes and bats screech while soaring just over our heads.

Each night when I walk to the bathroom, I have to dodge giant toads that hop across the walkways.

Even just walking home from a night out feels like an adventure, as there are no streetlights in Cape Trib.

I remember walking home in the dark one night with two friends, in the rain, and we literally couldn’t see two feet in front of us.

At that moment I felt so small and insignificant compared to the overwhelming darkness, and it was beautiful.

The lack of internet really forces everyone to look for entertainment outside of our phones.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to disconnect and just live in the moment.

We are truly so isolated here.

The closest actual town with shops is about an hour away.

After spending so much of my life with everything I could ever need right at my fingertips, living here is teaching me to be content with less.

Every day I get to feel soft white sand beneath my feet and see rich green mountains towering behind me.

I’ve torn through so many books and had so many hilarious, interesting conversations with people.

One time I shaved a local’s back so he could be more confident while dressing in drag for the night.

My coworkers and I have endured many foot races, thumb wars, arm-wrestling matches, and other sorts of childish contests.

I’ve finished a workout with fresh water straight from a coconut and eaten my body weight in exotic fruits like mangosteens and rambutans.

I’ve slept in an abandoned cabin on the grounds of a bat rehabilitation center.

And I’ve seen the most gorgeous array of stars right from our backyard.

Our little community in the Daintree has grown stronger every day.

We’ve been having bonfires on the beach, swinging on rope swings over a creek, and checking crab traps in the muddy mangroves.

Some of us pick rambutans at the tropical fruit farm across the road for some extra cash.

We often have group workouts, runs, and yoga sessions.

We find ourselves playing hilarious games in the pool and playing card games when the torrential rain prevents us from going outside.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve lived so immersed in nature.

I’ve grown accustomed to the humidity and the constant presence of spiders, insects, frogs, lizards, and other creatures.

Constant bug bites, sunburns, and unknown scratches and cuts have become normal.

And this little oasis in the middle of the jungle has become like home.

If you’re looking to visit Cape Tribulation yourself, here are some helpful tours that can help you see the best parts of the area!

• Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation Day Tour from Cairns
• Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation & Mossman Gorge Day Tour from Cairns or Port Douglas
• Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation 4WD Tour
• Great Barrier Reef Tour from Cape Tribulation (WAY better than visiting the Reef from Cairns because there are fewer crowds and less pollution!)

Traveling to Australia?? Visit iVisa.com to get your visa online.

And for anyone interested in living and working in Australia for a year or more, check out my Guide To Working Holiday Visas In Australia (First and Second Year)!

To read about more of my adventures in Australia, check out these articles:

6 Beautiful Places In New South Wales, Australia

East Coast Australia Road Trip Guide (Noosa To Sydney)

Life As A Fruit Picker In Australia

12 Things To Do In Wollongong

10 Amazing Things To Do In Tropical North Queensland

15 Best Day Trips From Sydney