King Island lies several kilometres to the north west of the cape.

[2] The cape consists of granite outcrops which formed 250 million years ago.

[4] Several animal species have existed in an isolated section of rainforest for millions of years.

[4] A field of granite boulders has prevented bushfires from affecting the area and kept moisture in.

[4][5] In March 2013, a team of scientists and filmmakers joined the ranks of the few human visitors to the misty rain forest atop the Melville Range, a small mountain range on Cape Melville, part of northeastern Australia's Cape York Peninsula.