Daintree & Mossman Gorge: Rainforest Walks, River Cruise & Lunch

4.88

(351 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You’re early!” That’s what Janine said when we shuffled out of the van at Mossman Gorge — she was already waving at us from under the eucalypts. She handed me a mug of tea (smelled faintly lemony) and asked if I’d ever seen a strangler fig up close. I hadn’t. She grinned and said, “Wait till you see one eating a tree.” The air was thick — not hot exactly, but heavy with that green smell you only get in rainforests. There were birds everywhere but not much noise except for this low rushing sound from the river.

The Daintree Rainforest day trip from Port Douglas is a bit of a patchwork: one minute we were picking our way over mossy roots in dappled light, Janine pointing out tiny ferns (“that’s a staghorn — don’t touch, it’s sharp!”), next we were on the riverboat with Neil. He wore battered sunglasses and could spot crocodiles before anyone else even saw ripples. When he cut the engine to float near the mangroves, it got quiet enough that you could hear insects clicking — then someone spotted a young croc sunning itself on a log. I didn’t expect to feel nervous but my heart thumped anyway.

Lunch was at this spot where the trees opened up just enough for sunlight to hit our table. Simple food — fresh bread, salads — but after walking all morning it tasted like more than that. Someone asked Neil about how long he’d lived up here and he just shrugged: “Long enough to know when it’ll rain by the smell.” I still think about that view over Snapper Island from the lookout; everything looked impossibly far away and close at once. We ended up at Cape Tribulation beach where rainforest meets reef — sand squeaking underfoot, salt in the air, everyone kind of quiet for once.