Noah Range to reopen on Cape Tribulation Road

The isolation of the Cape Tribulation community is set to come to an end before Easter as the Noah Range reopens.

Douglas Shire Council workers will escort Cape Tribulation residents along the track while work is undertaken to restore the road.

The isolation of the Cape Tribulation community is set to come to an end before Easter with the reopening of the Noah Range.

Douglas Shire Council has confirmed the opening of Noah Range on the Cape Tribulation Rd on Thursday, March 28.

The road will open under traffic management from 6am – 7.30pm daily, for vehicles no longer than 12.5 metres, whether towing a trailer, campervan, or caravan.

The road has been closed since the devastating deluge produced by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which dumped over 2000mm of rain across five days in parts of Douglas Shire, causing historic flooding and sending the Daintree River to record flood peak of 15.85m.

Cape Tribulation couple Paul Green and Wilma Perry say ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper "completely changed" the region's river systems and terrain.

Significant landslips damaged several parts of the road north of the river including Alexandra Range and Noah Range.

Whether the road remains open will depend on there being no further heavy rainfall events,

but the installation of bar

Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd said military assets were required to clear landslides along Cape Tribulation Road.

riers at the bottom of landslips has improved resilience, the council said.

Deputy Mayor Lisa Scomazzon thanked the community of Cape Tribulation for their

patience while staff and contractors dedicated more than 7500 hours creating a safe

passage through Noah Range.

“It has been a challenging time for those left isolated after a 56-metre landslip at Noah

Range in December and we are well aware of the ongoing stress, both financially and

emotionally, TC Jasper and the flooding that followed has caused for this community,” Ms

Scomazzon said.

Cape Tribulation resident Stephen Maloney, standing amidst the wreckage near Rykers Creek, is frustrated with the lack of assistance provided following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

“Many of the tourism operators have been without an income while the need for regular

closures at Noah Range impacted on their ability to go about their everyday lives.

“The safety of road users, staff and contractors was always council’s priority but we realise

it has been a long wait for those that lives rely on access to Cape Tribulation Road.”

Tourism Port Douglas Daintree chief executive officer Glen Hingley said it was tremendous

to see that the road to recovery would finally be open to the small businesses of Cape

Tribulation.

Large culverts on the famous Bloomfield Track, north of Cape Tribulation, have been washed away with the road in a significant state of disrepair.

“As one of Queensland’s true jewels in its tourism crown, having visitors again able to

experience Cape Tribulation means that the eco-sustainable tourism businesses that

depend upon year-round visitation can again operate, providing locals employment,” Mr

Hingley said.

“Cape Tribulation is a very special place, providing eco-travellers from around the globe the

opportunity to experience the only place on the planet where two world heritage-listed

sites connect, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.”

Originally published as Noah Range to reopen on Cape Tribulation Road