It was during 1990 that our first information book went to press. The road to Daintree was only one lane with a one lane bridge and the road to the ferry was mud or dust depending on the season. Hire car companies rewarded spies if they reported cars going over the Daintree River onto the gravel roads. The small ferry only ran 12 hours a day.
Tourists were confused by the term "Daintree"

Has a lot changed?
Edition 4 of the books is out of print, my bone fide maps were unashamedly traced and photocopied by people who should know better, the roads improved, there is a bigger ferry for 18 hours a day and…..
tourists are still confused by the term "Daintree".

"It was a hard apprenticeship entertaining boatloads of tourists in the middle of the day in the summer"

Chris Dahlberg 1989

"The silly b+++++s are still doing it"

Chris Dahlberg 2009

Chris Dahlberg and Denise Collins arrived in Daintree at the end of the disastrous Pilot's dispute in 1989. Chris started on the river as a boat driver/guide in November and saw his first crocodile several weeks later. It was a hard apprenticeship entertaining boat loads of tourists in the middle of the day in the summer and not long after came the rains. It seemed as if the rain wouldn't stop and it went on until April.
Denise started as the receptionist at a cruise centre and met a lot of tourists who shared their thoughts with her.
Some days we didn't work because the buses couldn't ford the flooded creeks and some nights we entertained tourists and shared our groceries because the buses couldn't get them home.
Understandably some of our visitors were not happy with their Daintree experience and yet, armed with good information, it can be a wonderful place to visit.

Has a lot changed since 1989?
There are now some better bridges, more people can stay overnight and the Daintree River is now world renowned for it's dawn wildlife cruises and birdwatching.

Chris and Denise worked at the grass roots level and got to know a lot of tourists. They soon found out what tourists expected.
Chris and Denise are responsible for some "firsts" for Daintree:
First TAFE co-ordinator  (1986)
First Daintree Tourism map. (1990)
First tourist book about the Daintree River. (1991)
First Daintree tourism guide book. (1991)
First dawn wildlife tour on the Daintree River. (1992)
First Bed and Breakfast licence in the Douglas Shire. (1993)
First Daintree tourism operation website. (1994)
First Daintree accommodation website. (1994)
First independent Daintree tourism Website. (1994)
First Daintree Wonga Map. (2006)
First Daintree iphone websites. (2008)
First Tropical North Queensland Mobile Phone website. (2009)
First QR codes in Daintree/Port Douglas. (2010)
First Daintree iPhone App (2011)
First Cairns & Tropical North Queensland App (2011)