Mushy with Mossman - outing from Port Douglas
A small but enchanting town in the mountain foothills just
beside the World Heritage site of Daintree National Park,
Mossman has its own charms. Located just 75 kms from Cairns and
20 kms from Port Douglas, it has its own history. It was named
by explorer George Dalrymple after the mineral's explorer Hugh
Mosman. When the latter's 11-years old Aboriginal servant
Jupiter found gold at Charters Towers in 1872, this place shot
into fame. What followed was the short-lasting gold rush that
was critical to the development of Queensland. To avoid
confusion with the suburb in Sydney, it was named Mossman, and a
village was setup in 1876. In 1896, the year of the first modern
Olympics, the first sugar plantation was established in the
area. Today there is no gold in the area but sugar supports one
of the largest industries in the area, with the famed Mossman
Central Mill standing as a historic testimony to it.
The mill throbs with a gusto of its own during the crushing
season (June - October), and if you happen to visit Mossman
during this time, you might feel the local people crowding
around the mill like buzzing bees during a frantic blossom. You
might find quaint cane trains trundling through the country
lanes, picking from yellowed cane fields the crop of the season.
If you are fortunate you might see blazing golden cane fires in
the fields. You can also get a guided tour of the mill where you
get to see everything up close.
The Karnak Playhouse located in the Whyanbeel Valley in Mossman
is a famous tourist spot. An incredible open-air theatre
inspired by and named after the Temple of Light in Ancient
Thebes (by the Nile - the temple of Sun god Ra), it seats 500
people in tropical setting under a starlit sky. A laser system
is in constant use to give constant efficient service, and the
Kubirri Bar and Restaurant will feed you with lovely gourmet
food made from local produce. The popular Lasers in the Jungle
show has live performance creating an unforgettable visual
spectacle. It enacts a journey to the beginning of time letting
us meet with times gone past, the ageless flora and fauna and
the mountains, and the changing and dissolving shapes and
sounds. The nearby Mossman Gorge, situated within the Daintree
National Park, is the place where the Mossman river tumbles and
cascades over granite boulders, creating beautiful spectacles
and swimming holes. Home to the Indigenous Kuku Yalanji people,
one may see the absolute symbiosis these people have built with
the threatening nature around.
Mossman is home to many other attractions, each of which
deserves a lot of your attention. A little to the north is the
local golf course where you can try your hand at golf, or you
can go a little further and see the pristine Newell Beach. There
is also the Wonga Beach, which is the southern watershed of
Daintree, and is a fabulous spot for walking, bathing or bird
watching.
Mossman is situated just a few minutes drive from Port Douglas.
Mandalay
Shalimar offers you a range of accommodations facilities,
whether you want to stay in the resort town of Port Douglas, or
within walking distance of Mossman.