Description: Mossman Gorge, Daintree National Park is a very accessible and scenic section of the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park just north of Port Douglas. Strangler figs and epiphytic plants flourish and the crystal-clear Mossman River cascades over granite boulders. The area is also home to colourful Boyd's forest dragons. The Gorge provides a nice, easy and accessible introduction to tropical rainforest. Ideally, it is best experienced first thing in the morning, while the birds are calling, and before too many people arrive. Tour groups begin to arrive as early as 8.30am. Avoid hot summer afternoons, especially on weekends.
Right at the entrance of the park is the Mossman Gorge Aboriginal Community, who also conduct excellent guided walks on Aboriginal life in the rainforest. Home to the Kuku Yalanji people, the Gorge is the ancient site of many local Aboriginal legends. The traditional Aboriginal land owners conduct tours from their base adjacent to the Gorge Community. The tours take visitors through the rainforest explaining traditional Aboriginal rainforest plant use. All tour guides are Kuku Yalanji and well versed on the stories and legends of the area. Visitors on the guided rainforest walks are treated to a 1½ hour walk along private, easy graded tracks, visiting special places and culturally significant sites, past traditional bark shelters and over cool rainforest streams.
The experienced interpretive guides demonstrate traditional plant use, identify bush tucker sources, share their dreamtime legends, explain the history of cave paintings and provide an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationships within this unique tropical environment. The Dreamtime Walks are conducted four times a day after which guests enjoy a tea and damper at the end of each tour. Costs are Adults A$35, child A$20.
The drive into the park is through a very attractive tunnel of rainforest. The large pipe that can be seen on the left is directing water from upstream to the towns of Mossman and Port Douglas. In the summer, the spectacular buff-breasted paradise kingfishers can sometimes be seen flying across the road, their long white tail streaming behind them, before they disappear into the forest. Chicken-sized orange-footed scrubfowl and Australian brush turkeys can also be seen. The pretty Mossman River can be seen on the right, with its huge granite boulders.
At the end of the road is the main car park, with a picnic area and toilets in the building to the right. Most obvious of the rainforest animals are the Brush Turkeys. Being scavengers that eat almost anything, means that they are often hanging around the picnic area for left-overs. Other birds that are commonly heard or seen flitting around the picnic area, especially earlier in the morning, are the Grey Whistler, Little Shrike-thrush, Yellow-Spotted Honeyeater, Grey Fantail and Yellow-breasted Boatbill.
There are two walks leading from the car park. Both tracks connect up to each other. The one on the right leads to the river, and is slightly longer. The track on the left leads more directly through the jungle. After both tracks join up they lead past several small detours down to the Mossman River with views. One short track leads to a nice sand beach.
Plants on the Mossman Gorge tracks include the usual large leaved Gingers and Wait-a-while, but this is also a good place for the Chain fruits. In summer you might spot Boyd's Forest Dragons, prehistoric looking lizards clinging on tree trunks. On some mornings, turtles can be seen basking on the giant boulders in the middle of the river. Fish can usually be seen in the creek, the largest being the Jungle Perch.
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