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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 what you can’t do. This post was inspired by a reader who emailed me about visiting Port Douglas in January and February.
Port Douglas is quite busy over the Christmas school holidays. The majority of the Christmas tourists arrive on Boxing Day and the Christmas season normally stretches to Australia Day, (26th January 2025). Port Douglas and Cairns should be fairly busy. February is the really quiet month in Port Douglas and this is when some restaurants will close down completely or just be open a few days per week. Storms can cause even more closures. We’ll talk about that in this post.
Is it Too Hot To Visit Port Douglas in the Wet Season?
This depends on you! How hot is too hot? There are plenty of people who live year-round in Port Douglas, Cairns and FNQ. We survive. I have to admit, I don’t like the heat! Today, it’s the end of September, it’s starting to get too hot for me and the next few months will be tough. We all start looking forward to when the weather breaks and the first rains of the wet arrive to bring some respite. Those first thunderstorms in the late afternoon are always welcome.
The grass is getting brown now, it will be crispy before the rains come. Within days of the first downpour, the grass will be flushed with green again. It’s amazing how fast things change after the first rains. To see our region at its greenest and most lush, you have to see it in the wet. A tropical monsoon climate can be pretty spectacular.
If you’re visiting Port Douglas as a tourist your accommodation is very likely to have good air conditioning and your hotel room or apartment will be cool. Likewise, vehicles have air conditioning. It’s only when you set foot outside that the heat slaps you in the face.
In Port Douglas, almost all of the restaurants, pubs, and bars have outside seating and no air conditioning. Some people will struggle with al-fresco dining in the wet season. We often go to The Courthouse Hotel to eat pub food, they have good fans outside. Another good option for a pub meal is the Julatten Hotel.
Julatten is at elevation and it’s normally about 5 degrees cooler than Port Douglas. They serve good pub food. They’re closed over Christmas this year. There are gorgeous views of green mountains from the deck. From Port Douglas, the drive to Julatten is about 40 minutes. Turn right towards Mossman, then take a right up the range road. This road is sometimes closed by storms and landslides in the wet. It’s pretty rare.
The whole of the Tablelands should be quite significantly cooler than Port Douglas, Palm Cove, or Cairns. So long as there are no major storms, the wet season is a good time to visit Kuranda or tour the Tablelands. Maybe take this food and wine tour and check out the dairies and wineries of The Tablelands.
You can book a Kuranda tour from Port Douglas, Cairns, or Palm Cove, we recommend you take the Skyrail Cableway up, and the Scenic Train down. You have time to explore the rainforest, tour Kuranda’s attractions, and see Barron River Falls. The falls should be at their most spectacular in the wet. Take a look at this Kuranda day tour here, (with a lowest price guarantee) from Cairns or Port Douglas. This is a must-do daytrip in our region and gives you the chance to experience so much.
Which hotel should you choose for the wet season? You need a hotel with a pool! I’d opt for one of the hotels with the big lagoon pools. They may stay pleasantly cool. Small pools can be like a warm bath in summer. Consider The Sheraton, Sea Temple, or Oaks Resort in Port Douglas. These would be our top three choices for a Christmas vacation in Port Douglas. For Cairns, consider The Cairns Hilton. Palm Cove has its own Sea Temple, see it here.
The Beaches in The Wet Season
You can have perfect beach days, as in the photo above, in Port Douglas in the wet season. Winds will be low and the sea can be glassed out and crystal clear.
Four Mile Beach (Port Douglas) and other beaches north of Cairns can close sometimes during the wet season. If the sea is rough and waves are breaking over the stinger net, they’ll close it. It won’t keep stingers out. Of course, the wet season is stinger season (read up on that here) and you need to take precautions.
After heavy rains and extreme storms the water can be murky and full of run-off debris.
Visiting The Great Barrier Reef in The Wet Season
You can experience incredible visibility on the Great Barrier Reef in the wet season, and very warm seas and low winds. You stand a better chance of not having seasickness and snorkelling is much more fun in calm seas. You can book your reef cruise here, most are available on this platform. If you’d prefer to book Wavelength online (our top recommended cruise), this is where you can do that.
The reef boats run all year, right through the wet season from both Cairns and Port Douglas, weather allowing. If it’s very windy, rough, or stormy boats may not run. If there is a tropical storm in the area you’ll see something very unusual, the marinas will almost empty. The boats go to safer moorings up-river.
The water temperatures will be at their highest in the summer months, making for a warm comfortable swim. You shouldn’t need a wetsuit but you will need to wear a stinger suit to protect against the possibility of deadly jellyfish. You can have a great day swimming or snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef during the wet season, but the weather is always a bit of a gamble.
What You May Not Be Able To Do in The Wet Season in Port Douglas/Cairns
Heavy rain can close freshwater swimming spots. The force of water can make swimming unsafe at Mossman Gorge, Shannonvale Swimming Hole, and more.
Serious tropical storm rain can cause landslides. The worst-case scenario happened at the end of 2023 when Cyclone Jasper closed the main Cairns to Port Douglas highway and closed down most of the Daintree Rainforest north of the Daintree River. You will still see some of this damage today and repair work is ongoing.
That said, there is no reason to not visit Cairns or Port Douglas because of last year’s cyclone.
There is an alternate route from Cairns to Port Douglas via Mareeba, Julatten and The Tablelands. This route was also closed for a few days after Jasper’s flooding.
There is a chance that the Cairns Skyrail may close in bad weather but you should still be able to visit Kuranda by road. On the plus side, The Barron River Falls are at their most spectacular in the wet season monsoon rains. The same goes for all of the waterfalls in the region.
We experienced power outages and water supply problems in the region after the last cyclone, this is very unusual, as are major cyclones.
There is a possibility that some outdoor tours and activities may not operate in bad weather or after excessive rain. For instance Hook-a-Barra, river drift snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain bike tours (particularly The Bump Track), hot air ballooning, white water rafting, and more.
A lot of the local walks are best kept for winter enjoyment. In the wet season, you’ll be hot, it could be muddy, there may be a lot of mosquitos and fallen trees can block routes. Also, snakes are more active in the summer months.
I would prefer to visit any of the major outdoor attractions in winter. The summer months are too hot for me to be outdoors with no air-con for long. So places like Herberton Historic Village, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures or The Wildlife Habitat, or Paronella Park are easier to enjoy when it’s not as hot. The “best time” is when you can visit, of course, and maybe you deal with heat better than me!
The best time to see crocodiles in the wild is the cooler months. But I wouldn’t let that stop you taking a croc-spotting tour on The Daintree River or from Port Douglas, your chances are still good.
We also don’t recommend sleeping in a tent or camper van without air conditioning in January, February, or any of the summer months. We’ve done it, it wasn’t fun. You’d be better off in a hotel.
Activities and Things To Do in The Wet
The wet season can be a good time to visit indoor attractions like the Cairns Aquarium or the Military Museum in Smithfield. There’s not much by way of indoor things to do in Port Douglas. If you’re lucky with the weather you will have your pick of all the best “things to do” in the region. If you have a week in Port Douglas you should have a day when you can visit the reef. A storm can stop the boats running for a few days, so a shorter stay is more of a risk.
It doesn’t rain all day every day in the wet season in Port Douglas, Cairns or Palm Cove. It’s unusual to see days of rain but you may see afternoon thunderstorms and tropical downpours. It really is quite an experience to see a good tropical storm. If it rains when you’re out on the reef, it shouldn’t spoil your day. It doesn’t rain underwater! Exploring Mossman Gorge in a downpour, or The Daintree Rainforest, may not be ideal.
Port Douglas Sunday Markets operate year-round, but the wet season market is usually smaller. The Marina Markets don’t operate in the off season. Dates are in our post about the markets if you follow the link. If you plan to visit the markets during the wet season we recommend going very early, before it gets too hot.
What Should You Wear in The Tropical Wet Season?
I’d recommend you pack shoes that will cope with a lot of water. Rubber flip flops or thongs are ideal. Leather shoes and cork-soled shoes can be destroyed by water.
Avoid clothing that will become transparent when wet (either through sweat or rain,) Also avoid clothes that show marks when they are wet. Wear whatever you like to wear in hot weather. There are no hard and fast dress rules in Australia and no real requirement to dress modestly. Obviously, change out of beach wear if you’re leaving the beach or resort pool.
Some restaurants have dress requirements, but nothing very formal. Port Douglas can be quite “dressy” so if you want to pack your best dress, go ahead.
You may find loose-fitting clothing more comfortable. Loose clothing will also protect you from mosquito bites, somewhat. Personally, I cover up to protect my skin from the sun. I’m happy wearing jeans in the heat, but you do you!
Do you need a rain coat or an umbrella? We rarely use either. The rains are warm, but if you need to stay dry, go ahead!
Wet Season Dates
- The wet season dates for Port Douglas and Cairns are officially November to the end of March.
- Summer in Australia is officially December 1st to the end of February.
- Cyclone Season is December to April. But cyclones and tropical storms can occur outside these dates.
- The wettest months are January, February and March. Average rainfall for January sits around 14 inches, 36 cm, February 18 inches, 45cm, March 15 inches 37 cm. December is usually drier than January/Feb/March. November isn’t usually very wet, 9cm, 4 inches, is typical.
- The hottest months are December, January and February. You’re likely to see temps in the low to mid-30s centigrade, around 80 F.
- Humidity is highest in the wet season, around 80%, but year-round the humidity is fairly steady, between 74 and 81%.
- Go to this page for the best and most accurate weather sources for the region.
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All information on this page represents our personal experiences and opinions.
