This adventure starts today!
We first did this trip back in 2013 as part of our honeymoon and we are beyond excited to be back here doing it again! This time we have a total of 6 x 4WD’s, 1 x Camper Trailer, 12 x Adults and 3 x Children and we are all absolutely pumped for the weeks ahead! As we all came from different parts of Sydney and QLD we all made our way up to Cairns as our starting point. After a group dinner and drinks last night for everyone to meet each other, we met up again early this morning to start our trip.
Our first stop of the morning was Port Douglas. While we were up here we figured it was a chance for everyone else to see a little more of this beautiful area. Surrounded by palm trees, it’s not hard to realise you are in paradise. This is the perfect place to come and chill. The town is built for tourists, with many cafes, bars, day spas and of course shops. It’s kind of got a bit of an upmarket Byron Bay feel about it. Far too touristy for us, but beautiful for sure.
Next it was a short drive to the small town of Mossman. Sitting at the foot of the hills and surrounded by cane fields, Mossman is a small town in tropical North Queensland, not far north of Cairns. It’s a pretty little town with country stores dotted along the beautiful tree-lined the Main Street.
Just out of town you’ll find the famous Mossman Gorge, which sits in the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park. The Mossman River tumbles over huge granite boulders that line the gorge and this creates the perfect freshwater swimming hole. The water is crystal clear and it’s cold, very cold! I think this is our 3rd visit to Mossman Gorge and the water has been freezing on every visit …. some people call it refreshing!
It’s very much a tourist orientated place now, with plenty of money making, completely different to our previous visits. It’s still a stunning area, but it’s definitely lost a bit of its charm.
The Kuku Yalanji people are the indigenous inhabitants of this area with history dating back 50,000 years.
Our last stop of the day, and our home for the night, will be Laura, a very tiny little town with only a few buildings, of course including a pub …. the old Quinkan Pub, and this is where we are planning on camping for the night.
This area is known as Quinkan country, after the Aboriginal spirits which are depicted at the Aboriginal rock art sites in the area, Split Rock and Gu Gu Yalangi. Another little bit of history, apparently in 1873 Archibald Macmillan was exploring in the area and named the local river, Laura, after his wife.
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