Waterfalls to visit from Port Douglas The wet season is the best time to see waterfalls near Port Douglas. After heavy rains, the falls can be dramatic. But you can see waterfalls at any time of year. This post tells you about the best, most beautiful waterfalls to see, waterfall tours to book, plus a … Read more
Cooktown is north of Port Douglas and Cairns on the northeast coast of Queensland Australia. Cooktown is very much worth visiting as a place of historical interest and as an interesting Far North Queensland Town. In this post, we’ll share photos of Cooktown and share our insights, so that you can decide if Cooktown is … Read more
Where to eat in Port Douglas? The best restaurant for you in Port Douglas depends on the time of day, your budget, and what type of food you’d like to eat. Port Douglas has pub food, relaxed dining and quite a few top-end restaurants. You can feast on prawns, steaks, seafood platters, real Italian pasta … Read more
We last visited the Sheraton Mirage for breakfast in 2024. Non-residents can buy the breakfast buffet at this hotel. At peak times it may be wise to book by phone, but you can also turn up on the day. It’s a good buffet breakfast, fairly expensive, but there is a discount for locals, with proof … Read more
Cairns has numerous great attractions within easy reach of the city and CBD but there are also loads of things to do in the surrounding area. In this post, we’ll cover things to do in Cairns first, then add nearby day trips from Cairns. All these “things to do” are available to you if you … Read more
The best time to visit Cairns is broadly considered to be Australia’s cooler months, avoiding the wet season, tropical cyclones, and stinger season. If you’d prefer to avoid these natural phenomena, you should visit between May and October, these are the months many people consider “ideal” for visiting Cairns. However, you can visit Cairns and … Read more
The Atherton Tablelands, known locally as “The Tablelands” covers a huge area in Far North Queensland, close to top holiday hotspots, Cairns and Port Douglas. There is a vast amount to see and do on the Tablelands and your average visitor probably won’t be able to do it all. So once you’ve been to the … Read more
Feeding George the groper used to be a daily event in Port Douglas, but sadly, it doesn’t happen today. I originally wrote this post several years ago, we were regulars at the groper feeding and we have photos. This post is republished on our new site, portdouglasaustralia.com.au, with a few current updates, like, what happened … Read more
If you walk the Flagstaff Hill walking trail and look out to sea, you will see low-lying islands to the northeast of Port Douglas. These are the Low Isles and they are a popular half or full-day trip from our town. In this post, we cover your options for visiting The Low Isles to help … Read more
Stinger season in Port Douglas, Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef area and the whole of Far North Queensland is something you need to be aware of if you plan to visit our part of the world. Some insider knowledge on how to be safe, for you and your kids, is essential. We live up here, … Read more
The Great Barrier Reef is about an hour and a half by boat from Port Douglas. Our town is one of the very best places to see the reef and the team here at portdouglasaustralia.com.au spend a lot of time out there. We know the reef well. If you need any help in choosing or … Read more
The only way to get from Cairns to Port Douglas is normally by road and The Great Barrier Reef Drive is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas hugs the coast offering stunning views of the Coral Sea and various beaches along the way. … Read more
The best time to visit Port Douglas is of course when you can visit. Never let the weather put you off too much, but should you choose summer or winter, wet season or dry and should you factor in stinger season? A lot depends on which of the things to do in Port Douglas appeal … Read more
Where are the best places to see crocodiles in Port Douglas? There are wild crocodiles in Port Douglas, plus some in captivity. There are several ways to see them on your Port Douglas holiday or vacation. We give you the best way to see (or swim with) crocodiles from Port Douglas. Saltwater crocodiles and freshwater … Read more
Where To Start Planning Your Port Douglas Trip? Port Douglas is a stunning destination in Far North Queensland, Australia. It’s one of Australia’s very best vacation spots, with great hotels, abundant restaurants and access to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Visitors to Port Douglas come here to enjoy a tropical climate, the beach, … Read more
Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland and home to the highest pub in Queensland. It is located on the Tablelands, the Cairns hinterlands, at 920m, it’s cooler, lusher, and greener than the coastal strip. It’s a nice rural town to visit, and we think you should add it to your itinerary, particularly if you … Read more
Kuranda, “the village in the rainforest,” is a big tourist draw for visitors to Cairns and North East Queensland. Cairns is the closest city and airport to Kuranda, and there are multiple ways to visit Kuranda from the coast. We’ll go into your options on this page. If you are visiting Kuranda from Palm Cove … Read more
Hartley’s Creek Falls are a series of waterfalls and swimming holes off the coast road north of Cairns and Palm Cove, and south of Port Douglas at Wangetti. You will need to park just off the highway and hike to the falls, through the bush. The path is good and not very difficult, it’s an … Read more
There are currently no liveaboard dive trips departing from Port Douglas for The Great Barrier Reef. If this changes, we’ll do our best to let you know. But there are plenty departing Cairns, just an hour or so to the south. In this post, we’ll give you a few options and show you how to … Read more
There have been a lot of changes around kids’ playgrounds in and near Port Douglas, Queensland, in recent years. New play equipment has been installed, some of the old playgrounds my kids enjoyed have gone, and excitingly, the new water play area is about to open in 2025. If you’re visiting Port Douglas with kids, … Read more
Cairns Australia, a popular holiday destination in Far North Queensland. It’s a great place to stay for visiting the Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda, The Atherton Tablelands and even the Daintree Rainforest. Are you planning a trip to Cairns? Here’s what you should look out for when planning a trip or visiting Cairns. Visiting Cairns Australia … Read more
Best Pubs and Bars in Port Douglas Port Douglas is well-blessed with pubs and bars and most of them serve food. In Australia, you may see a pub called a “hotel”. The Central Hotel and Court House Hotel are two such examples in Port Douglas. There is also an Irish pub and some nice cocktail … Read more
A lot of travellers to Port Douglas Australia, prefer to book their holiday or vacation as a package, rather than book flights and hotels separately. Bundling bookings like this can save you money and just be more convenient. There are several ways to do this, and in this post, we’ll tell you how and where … Read more
Mossman Gorge is a popular tourist attraction to the north of Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas. If you choose to base yourself in Palm Cove, you can still visit Mossman Gorge, but there are fewer tour options. The easiest way to visit is to self-drive, but you can also book transport or a tour. … Read more
If you’re driving through Mareeba, be sure to stop here! I’ve driven through Mareeba hundreds of times in my life and never stopped at the Mareeba Heritage Museum, but yesterday, I did. Make sure you don’t make my mistake. What’s in this post? We stopped at the Mereeba Heritage Museum for breakfast on the drive … Read more
Things to do in Port Douglas Australia, a list of possible activities for you, in or near Port Douglas. You can find detailed posts about all of these “things to do” and how to organise them by following links on this site. List of Things To Do in Port Douglas 1. Visiting the Great Barrier … Read more
5 days is a really common length of stay in Port Douglas because of flights, particularly for visitors from Sydney, Townsville, Brisbane and the Gold Coast airports. It’s long enough to experience Port Douglas, the Great Barrier Reef, and a few extra activities in Far North Queensland. In this post we’ll give you a 5-day … Read more
