Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation

3 July

Having packed our camper trailer and said our good-byes we headed off to Mossman Gorge. It is a place very special to the aboriginal people and they have developed the area to educate others about the aboriginal stories and history. 

Boardwalk at Mossman Gorge

This is a very beautiful spot and has a walking trail that takes about 90 minutes to complete the circuit. Along the way we saw many amazing rainforest trees and ferns and learnt about the way the local aboriginal tribe used them for food, catching food, medicine and for implements.

After lunch we continued our journey from Mossman into the Daintree National Park and across the Daintree River. The short ferry ride took us across the river and the short drive to Cape Tribulation though very winding and hilly roads takes in some beautiful scenery. After stopping at an information centre at Masons Café we found our accommodation for the night at Cape Trib Camping Grounds only 5 minutes up the road with it’s own information centre.

Mossman Gorge

We set up the camper trailer and tent, took a quick look at the beach (which is just the other side of a small stand of rainforest) had dinner and decided that tomorrow we should try out Jungle Surfing. Bring on tomorrow!

Thursday 4 July

We were initially disappointed to find out we could not Jungle Surf as it was booked out but headed off to the Daintree Discovery Centre. Upon reaching our destination we decided to walk the Jindalba boardwalk circuit and although it was raining we enjoyed the stunning scenery before having lunch in one of the many 
undercover picnic areas.

Even though the rain showers continued we decided to continue on to the Daintree Discovery Centre as the temperature was warm enough for the rain not to bother us. We obtained our self-guided tour headsets and learnt many things about the rainforest including the name of one of the blue fruit we had seen lying around on our previous walk.

On leaving the Discovery Centre we decided to have a look at the Alexandra Lookout, which provides a stunning view that looks south down the coast. While it was a cloudy day for us when it is fine you can see all the way down the coast to Port Douglas.

Alexandra Lookout

We decided to stop for ice creams on the way back to camp and found an ice-cream shop that sold flavours from the rainforest. We had 4 flavours: Wattle Seed which tasted like cappuccino, Jack Fruit which we were told tasted like bubblegum (I disagree with that but it was tasty), Coconut, and Black Sapote (tasted like chocolate). Linda and Declan didn’t like them but Tom and I enjoyed them. Declan decided to have a tub of frozen mango pulp instead.

On our return to camp we noticed a cassowary about 1.5m tall crossing the road. By the time we had driven there it had wandered off into the bushes and we couldn’t get a clear photo of it. 
I parked the car and grabbed the camera to get a photo. As I approached it saw me and started running after me. As I had about 100m to run to the car backwards, I managed to get some photos and although out of focus this was the best I could do while avoiding being attacked. The heart was definitely pumping!

Cassowary chasing me

The Cassowary taking a breather

Friday 5 July

This morning we decided to do a few more of the walks before leaving Cape Tribulation for Cooktown tomorrow. 
Our first stop was the Marrdja Boardwalk, which winds through the rainforest and out into the mangroves – an environment we previously had not explored in the Daintree. As the tide was low we were able to see plenty of crabs and fish in the shallow streams. The fan palms and mangroves were fantastic in this area and the information on the plaques during the walk gave us a greater understanding of the mangrove ecosystem.

Marrdja Boardwalk

Marrdja Boardwalk

The next stop was Dubuji Boardwalk, which was fairly similar to Marrdja, but we also took in a different section of Myall Beach (which is the same beach that we are staying next to). As the tide had gone out a long way Declan enjoyed playing in the rock pools and coral and watching the hermit crabs in their shells.

Ulysses Butterfly

Myall Beach

Lookout Point

We called in to PJ’s Village to buy some groceries and, although we didn’t end up buying anything (the prices were astounding), saw an amazing spider and the beautiful Ulysses Butterfly fluttering around the shop.

Lookout Point was our destination for lunch and after eating some beautiful fresh sandwiches and wraps in a beautiful setting, we took the short walk to a magnificent view of the surrounding bay and rainforest hills. On a clear warm and clear day the sight was magnificent.


Upon returning to our campsite we spent the last part of the day at the beach and lazing around the campervan. I took a stroll along the beach to find reception on the phone so I could book our next accommodation – Cooktown.