Mossman
Postcode: 4873
Mossman is a town of 1700 people in Far North Queensland, Australia, on the Mossman River. Originally known as Mosman, the name was changed to avoid confusion with the Sydney suburb of Mosman. It is located on the Captain Cook Highway 75 km north of the regional city of Cairns. Mossman is the administrative centre of the Douglas Shire, a local government area that includes the tourist resort of Port Douglas 20 km to the south. Mossman Gorge, a popular attraction within Daintree National Park, is located west of town. Sugar cane farming is an important aspect of the local economy, with Mossman Central Mill, the only sugar mill in the district, processing the cane before sending it to Cairns for shipping domestically and internationally.
The region’s sugar capital the Mossman Central Mill throbs and hums its way through the sugar cane crushing season (June – October) when it is possible to do guided tours of the entire process inside the mill. The quaint cane trains rattle back and forth through the town hauling in the harvest and out in the fields you might chance upon the breathtaking sight of a cane fire in full force.
Five minutes west of Mossman you will discover Mossman Gorge, a very accessible and scenic section of the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park. Here the Mossman River tumbles its way over and around huge granite boulders that line the gorge creating cool clear freshwater swimming holes.