‘It has an ancient, Jurassic Park feel’: a local’s guide to Port Douglas | Australia holidays

I used to be born and raised in Mossman, 20 minutes from Port Douglas, and have labored in tourism on Kuku Yalanji nation since 1999.The Guardian’s journalism is impartial. We are going to earn a fee for those who purchase one thing by way of an affiliate hyperlink. Be taught extra.After I was younger, Port Douglas was a bunch of native fishers, a handful of outlets and the pubs. When the Sheraton resort opened in 1987, improvement actually kicked off. Now it’s a kind of scenic resort cities you discover everywhere in the world.There aren’t any field jellyfish from Might to October (dry season). That’s peak season so it could go from about 3,500 individuals to 10,000. Moist season is from December or January till mid-April. You’ll get rained on a bit however the creeks are full, the rainforest is lush and the power is completely different with so few vacationers round.FoodFour Mile seaside is on the japanese aspect of city, then there’s a bustling marina with dive retailers, boat centres, cafes and eating places. The buying space is totally on Macrossan Road.Individuals are drawn to eat exterior within the tropical local weather so many of the eating places have out of doors seating. Salsa Bar and Grill is common; it may be arduous to get in. I order a steak however a lot of individuals take pleasure in seafood just like the saltwater barramundi.Origin Espresso roasts its personal beans. {Photograph}: Andrew Watson/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandThe Surfy (Port Douglas Surf Life Saving Membership) is excessive on the levee on 4 Mile seaside with an open-air veranda overlooking the Coral Sea. I do the trout tacos to begin after which I’ll get a steak. It does wine matching too. Zinc is a restaurant and cocktail bar that’s a bit fancier. Join the enjoyable stuff with our rundown of must-reads, popular culture and suggestions for the weekend, each Saturday morningThe Tin Shed on the marina does good bistro-style meals: hen parmigiana, steaks, pastas and children’ meals. It does crocodile spring rolls and tacos, and will get recent fish proper off the boats, like nannygai (crimson snapper), crimson emperor, Spanish mackerel and tuna.For espresso, Sparrow Port Douglas opens at 6am so it’s good for early begins. Origin Espresso roasts its personal beans and has baked items and French pastries. It serves chilly brew, inexperienced tea lattes and chai too.NatureKuku Yalanji dreamtime walks at Mossman Gorge. {Photograph}: Phlipvids (Phil Warring)/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandMossman Gorge is within the south of the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree. It has an historic, Jurassic Park really feel and is regarded as 180m years previous, predating the Amazon by about 100m years.The Kuku Yalanji dreamtime walks at Mossman Gorge are referred to as ngadiku (tales from a very long time in the past). There’s a cleaning soap and paint-making demonstration in addition to bush tea and damper.The rainforest is so various. There’s crimson mahogany timber, crimson tulip oaks and previous strangler figs. Many of the greater animals like pademelons and wallabies are nocturnal however you may see forest dragons, tree snakes or pythons and there are many birds, butterflies and bugs.Port Douglas is about half-hour nearer to the Nice Barrier Reef than Cairns. The smaller boats are the most suitable choice. Sailaway operates a solar-powered glass backside boat and goes to the outer reefs. You’ll possible see turtles and reef sharks in addition to fish. Wavelength Reef Cruises is an efficient small snorkelling boat and Calypso Reef Cruises and ABC Snorkel Charters do scuba diving too.4 Mile seaside has a delegated swimming space year-round, with lifeguards on croc watch. {Photograph}: Reuben Nutt/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandFour Mile seaside in Port Douglas is fairly touristy. It’s the one seaside with a delegated swimming space year-round with a field jellyfish enclosure and lifeguards awaiting saltwater crocodiles. The crocs transfer across the coast all yr right here; not solely through the moist season.At different seashores, you may not see one other individual all day. Wonga seaside is a 30-minute drive north. It’s a protracted stretch of white sand fringed with rainforest timber, coconut palms and seaside lettuce. It’s enjoyable to go beachcombing with youngsters to see completely different shells and driftwood. We suggest taking a photograph and leaving issues in place.Cape Kimberley seaside is throughout the Mossman River and is much like Wonga. Additional north in Cape Tribulation is Coconut seaside, the place the rainforest and the reef meet. At low tide, you’ll be able to see the reef’s northern fringe.I stay at Cooya seaside, 5 minutes from Mossman. The water recedes greater than a kilometre at low tide and you’ll stroll to some smaller sections of the fringing reef.Nightlife‘A simple cease on the marina’: Hemingway’s Brewery, Port Douglas. {Photograph}: Krista Eppelstun/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandIf you’ve been out on a ship all day, Hemingway’s Brewery is a straightforward cease on the marina. It brews ales, lagers, pilsners and hefeweizen (wheat beer) and serves them on an enormous open deck overlooking the yachts.skip previous publication promotionSign as much as Saved for LaterCatch up on the enjoyable stuff with Guardian Australia’s tradition and way of life rundown of popular culture, developments and tipsPrivacy Discover: Newsletters might comprise information about charities, on-line adverts, and content material funded by exterior events. For extra data see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to guard our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Service apply.after publication promotionChillys Pizza has open-air eating and a pleasant little bar. You’ll be able to have a punt on the cane toads too. You decide a toad they usually race from the centre of a circle. If yours is the primary toad to leap out, you win. It will get fairly rowdy.Jimmy Rum’s is a cocktail bar that does fancy drinks. It’s a city-style small bar that does cocktails with smoke and flames and the lot.Rattle n Hum is nice for youthful people. Its youngsters’ meals are all $12, together with pizza made in its massive stone oven. Paddy’s Irish pub could be very common. It has stay music on weekends, an open mic on Wednesday evening and a Sunday roast lunch.InspirationA Walkabout cultural tour on Cooya seaside. {Photograph}: PixelFrame/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandMy firm, Walkabout Cultural Adventures, does spearing and mud-crabbing walks on Cooya seaside. You’ll be able to see a good looking place anytime, however individuals on our excursions come to know how otherwise Kuku Yalanji and Aboriginal individuals see issues. We discover the whole lot – the adjustments, the animals and the ecosystems. Nature remains to be so necessary for human survival.Janbal Gallery is an Aboriginal artwork gallery in Mossman run by Brian “Binna” Swindley. He does modern dot artwork with designs of fruits, medicines, seeds and wildlife from cassowaries to sea turtles, crocodiles and goannas. Binna’s depictions are all about how we discover them. He runs artwork courses too.Brian ‘Binna’ Swindley, proprietor of Janbal Gallery, Mossman. {Photograph}: Phil Warring/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandMossman markets are on Saturdays until it’s bucketing down with rain. There’s tropical fruits and native chocolate tastings. The distributors are culturally various and everybody’s eager for a yarn. Port Douglas market on a Sunday is larger and has the whole lot from recent sugarcane juice to coconuts, chocolate-coated bananas, tandoori, therapeutic massage and native buskers.Style Port Douglas (6-9 August 2026) is a tropical food and drinks pageant primarily based at Sheraton resort. They get Australian and international cooks as much as do courses on their signature dishes, like laksa or prawn shell bisque.AccommodationSheraton Grand Mirage, Port Douglas has lagoon-style swimming pools proper close to 4 Mile seaside. {Photograph}: Katie Purling/Tourism and Occasions QueenslandSheraton Grand Mirage (from $395 for an entry-level room) is the one resort proper on 4 Mile seaside. It has palm timber and lagoon-style swimming pools and is excessive finish. Silky Oaks Lodge (from $1,200 an evening together with meals, wine, minibar and yoga) is on the Mossman River. It’s very flash treehouse-style lodging and the restaurant makes use of a lot of native substances.Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa (from $295 for a studio room) is away from the crowds. You’ll be able to stroll out of your room proper right into a central pool. My youngsters love waking up and having a swim or a Jacuzzi. Mandalay (from $425 an evening for a two-bedroom customary house) is nice for households too and proper reverse 4 Mile seaside.Tropic Breeze Caravan Park (from $38 an evening for a campsite) is quieter than the opposite caravan parks. If you need party-style tenting, Dougies Backpackers Resort (from $38 an evening for a equipped tent and linen) is the one.