Hidden gem, Mossman Gorge, QLD: Floating down this magical tropical waterway is paradise

North of Port Douglas, just past the sugar cane town of Mossman lies one of the most beautiful tropical rivers. Most visitors turn off earlier, making for the resort town of Port Douglas, the Great Barrier Reef or the magnificent Mossman Gorge with its enormous boulders and ancient rainforest that inspired the movie Avatar. But drive through Mossman, hang a left and you'll discover this short but magnificent waterway loved by locals.

The river, which the local Aboriginal people call Jinkalmu, is one of the shortest and cleanest in the world and starts in the hills behind Mossman. It flows east through a deeply incised valley, through the gorge, part of the Daintree National Park, and onto the coastal plain where the river is crossed by the Captain Cook Highway. Eventually it discharges into Trinity Bay and the Coral Sea between Newell and Cooya Beach.

Margaret Heffernan, whose family operate drift snorkelling tours on this magic stretch of waterway describes the river as "paradise".

"The water is so clear that it looks shallow until you step into it; cool and inviting in the warmth of the tropical air. Small fish dance around your feet not in the slightest bit worried about your movements. Palms and ferns encase the bank and looking up the rainforest trees carry bird nest ferns on their branches," she said.

Juan Walker, a Kuku Yalanji man who owns and operates Walkabout Cultural Adventures, said the river is special to locals. "As kids we floated down the river on rubber tyre tubes, which is heaps of fun. You often see fresh water turtles, eels, heaps of bird life. Occasionally you'll see water snakes or shy platypus."

Because the water comes from the mountains, it's typically icy cold and crystal clear, having being cleaned as it runs through the big boulders found in Mossman Gorge – the algae on the rocks filtering away sediment and bugs. Past the gorge, the water rounds a corner and becomes a river just down from the famed Silky Oaks Lodge; ancient rainforest one side, lush cane fields the other.