This Mother’s Day, Newsport is celebrating local mums who go above and beyond for their families and communities. One of them is Kathleen Smith, a proud Daintree local who’s been making a difference for decades.

Kathleen fell in love with the Daintree 36 years ago and never looked back. 

Drawn by the region’s rugged beauty and a dream of raising “rainforest children,” she and her husband built a pole house on five acres, living entirely off-grid with solar power and rainwater tanks.

She raised four children and is blessed to have two beautiful grandchildren - all of whom live locally and share her strong work ethic and community spirit. 

“They’re honest, reliable, hardworking kids,” she shared proudly.

Kathleen believes that staying close to your children means supporting them where you can. 

It's a philosophy she lives by, not just as a mother, but as a neighbour and community member. 

“If you want to be in it, then you’ve got to be in it,” she says.

That mindset was clear during the recent floods, when Kathleen and her grown children used their boats to deliver food and supplies to isolated locals. 

With their deep knowledge of the river and the area, they became a vital lifeline to those cut off by rising waters.

 As one of the early residents of Forest Creek, she’s helped build a strong, close-knit community. 

For 15 years, her family organised Christmas parties at the SES shed, bringing locals together and making sure no one felt alone during the holidays

Today, despite her children being grown, Kathleen shows no signs of slowing down. 

She works full-time with My Pathway in Cow Bay, supporting jobseekers, while also managing a small holiday rental in Daintree Village.