Mossman trail

Drive south-west from Port Douglas to the leafy sugar town of Mossman and take a short detour to the Mossman Gorge, where indigenous rangers will impart their knowledge of the region. Mossman was settled by Jamaican cedar getter Dan Hart in 1877. He soon turned to sugar and tropical fruit production. A sawmill was established in 1880 and rice was also grown. Sugar was seen as the best prospect for the district’s future. A private sugar mill operated between 1883 and 1888. A cooperative sugar mill began production in 1897, with sugar transported to Port Douglas for export.

Mossman emerged as the administrative centre of the district after the destruction of Port Douglas in the 1911 cyclone. The courthouse, banking facilities, and post office operated here from the 1920s. The new Spanish mission style hospital was built in the early 1930s as well as new shire council offices. The original St David’s Church of England was lost in the 1911 cyclone and was gradually rebuilt over time. It is surrounded by an avenue of raintrees at the northern end of town. The old National Bank is now an art gallery and the Exchange Hotel is a great place to dine or to stay for the night.