We were mightily impressed. The gorge itself is only a few kilometres away from the town of Mossman which is surrounded by neat and orderly sugar cane farms. The cane is being cut at the moment so the farms have a patchwork look about them as some paddocks are full of cane while others show the bare red earth while still others show new cane just starting to grow.
The gorge visitor centre contains a well stocked shop and Aboriginal art centre as well as a very spic and span and modern cafe that sells great coffee. Just sitting in the cool shade of the cafe looking at the nearby rainforest, while sipping on a cappacino makes the trip worthwhile. The Visitor Centre is the jumping off point for the gorge itself the entrance to which is 2 kms away and which is accessed by a shuttle bus, for the princely sum of $8.50 or $6.00 concession. You can't take private cars past the Visitor Centre
A visit to the gorge is all about exploring the wet tropical rainforest. There are a couple of ways you can do this. You can sign up for a couple of guided tours that explain the forest from the perspective of the Kuku Yalanji the traditional custodians of this region. This can be somewhat expensive, between $55 and $75 depending on which tour you select, so an alternative is to follow the boardwalk trail that runs along the Mossman River as it flows through the gorge.
The boardwalk trail is not very long very easy on the feet and legs. There are many places to stop and admire the rainforest and the river most of the stops have a board that explains various aspects of the forest and the forest ecology. There is also a place where you can stop for a swim in the river. We decided not to indulge in that particular pleasure.
Anyway here are some photos including some more of Ellis Beach.
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| Mossman Gorge Visitor Centre |
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| Mossman Sugar Cane |
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| Mossman Sugar Cane |
Sounds like a good day trip. Do you have an answer for the bird question yet???
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