Is it worth the trip?
96Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 3 kn gusting 5, Air 26 °C
Wed 4 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 96 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 26°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 393, good
- Wed 493, good
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 698, good
- Sat 793, good
- Sun 896, good
- Mon 997, good
- Tue 1078, good
- Wed 1170, good
- Thu 1284, good
The spot in one fact
- Best in Feb6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 7kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 8kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | 3 kn | 5kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 98, good | 3 kn | 6kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 93, good | 5 kn | 7kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 96, good | 4 kn | 7kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 97, good | 4 kn | 7kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 9 kn | 12kn | 26°C | 0.6 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 70, good | 11 kn | 16kn | 26°C | 0.3 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 84, good | 7 kn | 11kn | 26°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Feb
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul2of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug3of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Paddle Trek Cape Tribulation on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Paddle Trek Cape Tribulation
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. For new paddlers the best month is usually February, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Port Douglas.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,910–US$3,640 each
about US$1,910–US$3,640 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to CNS, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$886–US$1,850 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$148–US$242 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$362–US$604 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$195–US$356 |
| Total | about US$1,910–US$3,640 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Port Douglas
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h 25m by car · 109 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Port Douglas its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 33h 15m
About 33h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CNS, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE), then 2h by road
Flights MDW → CNS on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Port Douglas · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Port Douglas · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits