We exchanged our week of relative luxury in Palm Cove for another farm stay, this time the romantically named Harvest Moon which was a few kilometres north of Mossman on a property run by the delightful Bill and Geneva and adjacent to a cane field.Β
To get to Mossman we traversed one of the most scenic coastal routes in Australia where the Captain Cook Highway hugs the coastline for most of the distance between Palm Cove and Port Douglas.
Whilst the views were stunning, the road also required some concentration so when the Palm Cove accommodation rang to say Russell had left his hat behind we drove back in the Jimny for a slightly more relaxed view π
One of the spots that was easier to stop at on our extra trip was the quirky Gatz Balancing Rocks near Wangetti Beach. Someone started piling the local pebbles on top of one another and it has now become a tourist and Insta hotspot and a good excuse to stop and stretch the legs and breathe in the sea air. I did my bit and added a couple, Russell was less impressed I think π
Arriving back at Harvest Moon we set up camp with the Great Dividing range our virtual backyard, not a bad view for the next few days.

We had chosen this spot as a launch pad just that little bit closer to Mossman Gorge, the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation but Mossman itself was a pleasant surprise.
The Saturday market which is held under massive mango trees, yielded a plethora of local (to us, exotic) fruit and a smattering of other bits and pieces that we can’t fit in the motorhome and so have stopped being tempting.

We did buy some pawpaws, avos and a ‘chocolate pudding fruit’ or Black Sapote which surprisingly had the consistency of firm custard and was actually very nice when it ripened a week later.

Our hosts had given us some tips about local swimming holes (given that the beaches are out of bounds due to crocs,) the local Rotary Park three minutes drive away was stunning and very popular on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
There was still the obligatory Warning: Crocodile sign but we were assured they didn’t come this far upstream…
The next spot we checked out was the finish point for Backcountry Bliss adventures…. more about that later but suffice to say it whet our appetites.
Each evening Bill lit the campfire and most of the other people staying would come over for a bevvie and a chat about what they had been up to that day, we learned quite a few interesting tips this way and shared a few as well. Most nights there were between 4 and 6 other rigs parked here and therefore it was never crowded or too noisy. Several couples we spoke to were homeschooling kids and had been on the road for awhile and we exchanged stories about dodging Covid and lockdowns with relief (so far.) The resident dogs Sugar and Spice were regular visitors and made me miss Milo and Poppy even more π’
Mossman Gorge was on the hit list and access has changed a lot since my first and only visit 26 years ago (courtesy of Boots Pharmaceuticals.) You can now only drive to the visitor centre which is run by the local indigenous community and then a shuttle bus takes you to the gorge itself for a little over $12 each. The narrow road was unable to handle the volume of traffic and rather than clear more rainforest this was seen as the best (and surely the most profitable) solution. You can walk but it is nearly 3km and there is no pedestrian path and it is discouraged.
We did the right thing, (lugging our picnic bag and camera gear) and then proceeded along the well maintained boardwalk and path into the actual Gorge and river.
What a beautiful spot! There were perhaps 20 other people when we first got there, a couple of groups swimming (which is also discouraged, mainly due to the dangers of rapid water level rises in wet season, people have died here) but most just enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
I got the GoPro out and had a little play with underwater shots from the rocks, fish were plentiful and the water absolutely crystal clear.
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By the time we left it was almost just us and the brush turkey who came down for a drink.
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Having both been to conferences in swanky five star Port Douglas hotels we drove in Saturday afternoon to get a taste of life outside of resorts and visited iconic Four Mile Beach for a quick hike up to the lookout. Port Douglas when I first visited (in 1995) was a sleepy little village with some great eateries in rainforest settings, now it is more like a glam beachside suburb, holiday units abound and the main shopping strip has most of your favourite stores. I guess its a change for the better…
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As the shadows lengthened we walked around to the marina where the sunset cruises were departing and the day trips were coming back to disembark.
Hitting the road early (for us) the next day we arrived at Daintree Village around 0930 to see that there was a river cruise departing within the next 15 minutes. We had discussed croc cruises previously and neither of us were that enthused but presented with such a convenient option decided we would go. Our captain was very informative and knew where all the wildlife was hanging out and for $25 each we decided we had made a good choice.

The local famer has lost four cows this year because he refuses to put permanent water in the adjoining paddock (according to our captain) forcing the cattle to come down to the river to drink….. some are quicker than others.
Crocs are quite territorial and this one has about 4 wives and they don’t stray far from their patch, its estimated there about 250 odd ‘salties’ in the Daintree River. At this point we were about 20 kms from the mouth and the true salt water. Apparently the more timid and not considered dangerous freshwater crocodile does not co exist with the salty. Like captain Nick said, “it would be like throwing a pig to the salties!”
Back in the car, the next stop was the Daintree River ferry, the only cable ferry in tropical Australia and the only way to continue northward. A return fare is $39 and you must remain in the car for the ten minute crossing, in peak times there are often lengthy delays but we had only a five minute wait before it arrived and we were soon on our way.
From beautiful Mt Alexandra lookout you can see right down to the mouth of the Daintree.
The Daintree Discovery Centre had been recommended by our host so when the sign came up a little further down the hill we went in to check it out. A combination of board walks, the canopy tower, several excellent interpretive displays plus the Jurassic walk complete with animated dinosaurs were well worth the entrance fees.
By lunch time we had moved on to Thornton Beach, another inviting beach for the unsuspecting. We had lunch at the unexpectedly trendy cafe, an enormous prawn cocktail that could have served as a main and crispy skinned atlantic salmon on an avo mash accompanied by a decadent pink grapefruit gin. Heaven…
All is not as it seems though, a couple of years ago two women were enjoying a post dinner wade at the beach when one was taken by a croc as the other watched helplessly. The signs aren’t there for decoration.π
Moving slightly slower post lunch, we finally arrived at Cape Tribulation and its seemingly endless beach….. the iconic “where the rainforest meets the Reef.”
There is always a silver lining with Covid, we were so lucky to almost have the beach to ourselves which was a good thing as my drone experimentation didn’t always go according to plan, thankfully Russell is a surprisingly good catch π
With so much to fit in one day I was disappointed that on our way back we didn’t reach the famous Daintree ice cream company until just after they closed but luckily the newer kid on the block, Floravilla, closes slightly later.
“Lovingly created icecreams that capture the essence of the local ingredients to produce a unique range of flavours. Our processes blend traditional icecream making techniques with an exotic mix of tropical fruit, and flavours to produce an amazing icecream experience.”
Yep, we can vouch for that.
By the time we got ‘home’ the sun was setting and Bill had the fire going ready for happy hour. Russell prepared the G&T’s whilst I captured an aerial view of Harvest Moon.
Tomorrow, we hit the rapids π
6 thoughts on “Further North Queensland”