Daintree Homestead

Welcome to Daintree Homestead 😊 our blog about sustainable, self-sufficient living in the beautiful Daintree Rainforest.

If you’re like us, you’re concerned about your impact on this planet. You worry about our society and its wasteful habits. You are also passionate about the environment and want to do your bit to preserve it for future generations.

Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by your busy, modern life and wish for an easier way. You dream of escaping the rat race and owning land where you can return to your roots and be self-sufficient.

Or you may want some inspiration to help reduce your ecological footprint and live more sustainably, whether you have an acreage property, a house in the suburbs, or a tiny city apartment.

Whatever your situation, we created Daintree Homestead to show you it is possible to live a more sustainable, self-sufficient life, and you don't have to give up your creature comforts to do so (unless you want to!).

We also wanted to highlight all the Daintree Rainforest offers, so that this unique part of the world can be appreciated and protected. The rainforest is our inspiration for greener living, and we want to make it yours, too!

So, Who Are We?

We are Rachel and David, two greenie nomads, passionate about the natural world and its wildlife. Our paths crossed while backpacking in Byron Bay, and we visited and explored many of the world’s natural wonders together.

However, reality eventually hit, and it was time to settle down and call somewhere home.

At first, we tried living in Brisbane. The problem was that we knew suburban life was not for us. We would never be content living in the city long-term. We wanted to slow down, reconnect with nature, and live more sustainably.

In 2006, we moved from Brisbane to Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. We had a crazy plan to buy a large block of land in the rainforest, but we had no idea how we would do so and what was involved.

However, we knew that Tropical North Queensland would be perfect for us. How could we not love a place where ‘the rainforest meets the reef’? A place with two natural world heritage sites right on our doorstep!

Our Dream Come True

We didn’t have much money and worked hard to save for a deposit. Two years later, we had enough saved to convince the bank to give us a mortgage! We then purchased a 10-acre property in the Daintree Rainforest.

The land had no house and no mains power or sewerage. It was accessible by a small ferry over the Daintree River from the south or a 4-wheel-drive track from the north. In the wet season, both routes can be impassable!

Some people thought we were mad, and they probably still do 😉.

Once we bought the land, we continued to live and work in Cairns to save money. In the meantime, we spent many, often very wet, weekends trying to keep up with all the work required to maintain our property.

It was a chore to drive two hours, work, and then sleep in a soggy tent full of mosquitos, but we persevered! Then, in 2010, we built our eco-friendly, off-grid home with solar panels and rainwater tanks. Daintree Homestead was born!

How Can We Help You?

We are incredibly fortunate to be ‘living the dream’ here at Daintree Homestead. So, we want to share our trials and (cape 😉) tribulations with you to encourage you to live a more sustainable life, no matter your circumstances.

It is possible to live sustainably without sacrificing modern-day comforts. You can live off-grid and still have running water. You can experience all this beautiful world has to offer with minimal impact on the environment.

We also want to inspire you by showcasing the wildlife and ecosystems of the Daintree Rainforest, our inspiration for sustainable living. Without a change in our behaviour, the Daintree Rainforest and other natural wonders will not survive.

We still have a lot to learn; however, by sharing our experiences, we can help and inspire you to make more eco-wise choices in your own life. We all have the power to choose wisely and make better decisions for our planet, health, and well-being.