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
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
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
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
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
Local photographer, Tracey Jones is the host of the Port Douglas Sunset Photography Tour. This is a 3 to 3.5 hour unique experience capturing the beauty of Port Douglas at its most magical time of day. Check price and availability on this walking photography tour here. This photograph tour visits four iconic locations: Rex Smeal … Read more
In Port Douglas the sun rises over the Coral Sea and sets behind the mountains to the west of Port Douglas. The best place to see sunrise is the beach, the best place to see sunsets is Rex Smeal Park or anywhere along Dicksons Inlet. Sunset sailing cruises are a popular Port Douglas activity, rightly … 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
There aren’t a lot of options for horse riding in or near Cairns or Port Douglas, but there are a couple of places I can tell you about. Horse or pony riding is available as day tours, for 1 hour, 1.5 hours, for multiple-day horse-riding experiences and as courses, classes and lessons. Possibly your best … Read more
Julatten isn’t a town, it’s an area or local on The Tablelands in Mareeba Shire, about a 40 minute drive from Port Douglas Queensland. There isn’t much in Julatten, but what’s there is nice. I’ve lived in Julatten for 3 years now, so you found a great website to tell you all about it! Some … Read more
Here are some new activities in Port Douglas and Cairns for the end of 2024 going into 2025. A Day Trip To Hartleys, Crocodile Adventures To Include The Skyrail and Scenic Train, With Port Douglas Pick-Up This is new and a great idea! Most tours to Kuranda use the Skyrail (cablecar) to go up the … Read more
Nobody will tell you that the wet season is the best time to visit Port Douglas, Cairns, or Far North Queensland, but it can be done. In this post, we’ll spell out the realities of visiting during the wet. We’ll tell you what you can do at that time of year. We’ll also tell you … Read more
Cairns is a popular vacation destination in Queensland Australia. It is a gateway to The Great Barrier Reef, The Daintree Rainforest and the UNESCO listed Wet Tropics of Australia. But is it safe to swim? In this post we go into the dangers of swimming in the sea (The Coral Sea) from Cairns and give … Read more
Yes, you can self-drive into the Daintree Rainforest and visit the Daintree Discovery Centre “by yourself” without a tour or guide. There is no admission charge for entering the Daintree Rainforest National Park north of the river, but you will have to pay to use the Daintree Ferry. It’s expensive but quite an experience. We’ll … Read more
Most overseas visitors to Australia want to check out the local wildlife. This post covers where you can see koalas, crocodiles, platypus, sugar gliders, cassowaries and more. This site focuses on Port Douglas, Cairns, and surrounds, but we’ll also mention a few stand-our places to see Australian wildlife in Queensland. Where To See Koalas As … 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
I have bad news for you, there is no such thing as a cheap hotel in Port Douglas, it’s an expensive place, but in this post, we’ll run you through some of the best cheaper hotels in the Douglas Shire and fill you in on where to find some great deals on budget stays. We’ll … Read more
Australia has two main carriers for its mobile network. The larger and more widely known is Telstra. This used to be government-owned and run. The other major carrier is Optus, it’s slightly smaller in coverage. Vodafone is also present in Australia, but there is limited coverage outside the main cities. Telstra tends to be a … Read more