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Discovering the Daintree
The resort town of Port Douglas lies 75 kilometres north of Cairns on Trinity Bay. Founded in the 1870’s as a port for the Hodgkinson River goldfields, it was Christopher Skase who developed the Marina Mirage on Dickson Inlet which led to the tourist boom of the 1980’s and the establishment of the numerous stylish resorts, boutiques, upmarket eateries and cruises to the surrounding reef.
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Trendy Macrossan Street which runs through Port Douglas, leads to Anzac Park where the Sunday markets are a menagerie of stalls selling arts, crafts, fruit and vegetables and are well patronised by residents and tourists alike. Historic St Mary’s by the Sea is a small non denominational white timber chapel that stands proudly on the headland of Anzac Park and has withstood floods and cyclones since it was built in 1911.
From Marina Mirage you can take a cruise down Packers Creek onto the river. We boarded the “Lady Douglas” and cruised through the Marina which is home to the million dollar yachts, luxury craft and unique vessels that tour the Great Barrier Reef. Our cruise introduced us to the varied wildlife of this area – crocodiles which frequent the river and laze on the mangrove banks and the magnificent sea eagles that swoop down to snare their prey from the abundant catches in the river. A substantial lunch is provided on the “Lady Douglas”, with local produce a specialty.
Overshadowed by Mount Demi, the small town of Mossman is 18 kilometres from Port Douglas. During the sugar harvest, cane trains run down the main street to the large mill in the town. The serene Mossman Gorge in the Daintree National Park is a stunning jungle of rainforest and clear swimming holes that are born as the Mossman River cascades over the granite outcrops. A 2.4 kilometre sealed walking track makes a visit to the gorge a family affair. Guided tours are conducted by the traditional owners – the Kuku Yalanji people, who will delight in showing you their ancient cave paintings and special sites inside this magical peaceful part of the Daintree.
A further 35 kilometres along the Mossman-Daintree road brings you to the small village of Daintree which is surrounded by untouched rainforest. Accommodation is available here and several small tour companies, who operate cruises on the Daintree River, can be located in the peaceful country town. In this area, you can see how the ingenious native birds and eagles have joined the 21st century by building their nests in the microwave towers that are constructed along the road.
Access to Cow Bay and Cape Tribulation is via a car ferry over the Daintree River and is situated 24 kilometres from Mossman. From here the road leads you into the spectacularly beautiful Daintree Rainforest. This is where the mountains drop into the sea and it is one of the wettest areas on earth. The huge diverse flora includes some plants that flourished when dinosaurs walked the earth and the fauna includes 18 percent of Australia’s bird species and 62 percent of butterfly species. The tropical rainforest also includes a staggering 92 percent of known ferns. The Daintree National Park is part of the ancient land and preserves a permanent record of the evolution of this great continent. We trod the many boardwalks and marvelled at the beauty of this living museum. Covered picnic spots are erected near the boardwalks and provide shelter from the frequent drenching rain.
The road winds up to beautiful Cow Bay and then to the indigo blue waters of Alexandra Bay before terminating at Cape Tribulation which was named by Captain Cook in 1770 after his ship, the “Endeavour”, ran aground on the surrounding reef. Here camping grounds, resorts and hideaways allow you to enjoy the ancient magnificence of this precious and truly memorable part of Australia.
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