Port Douglas, Tropical Queensland"A better gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" Port Douglas is 70km north of Cairns and is a great alternative to Cairns in terms of somewhere to stay for exploring the Great Barrier Reef It's a fairly well to do seaside town with 5 star resorts and fancy restaurants. Probably not the place to stay if you are on a budget but definitely a great place if you fancy combining a relaxing seaside break with some diving or snorkeling. 
When to comeGiven Port Douglas is in the tropical north of Queensland, the best time to come is during the dry season - May to October. Most people want to visit the great Barrier Reef as part of their holiday to Australia, so don't be too put off. You can come outside of these times but expect there to be rain and for it to be pretty hot and humid. Most rain fall January to March so if possible, avoid these months. If you intend to come out of season during the wet season, I'd probably only spend a few days here. If however you are planning to be here in the dry season, you can easily spend a relaxing week around Port Douglas.
Getting hereTo get here you need to fly from Cairns, in the great barrier reef australia which is easy from most Australian cities. It's probably about an hours drive from Cairns airport. There are plenty of buses that will take you to Port Douglas but if you intend on exploring the area, then you should hire a car. Click here for more information on
flight routes and travel distances
What to see and doPart of the charm of port douglas is to be lazy and enjoy being pampered in one of the many resorts or just enjoy lying in the sun on 4 mile beach.There is a good golf course here too (Sheraton Golf Course) if that is of interest to you! Of course, it's also about experiencing the Great Barrier ReefYou can do day trips from Port Douglas but there may be less choice than in Cairns. Given it's only an hour to Cairns, you may choose to go from there. Kite surfing is very popular at the north end of the 4 mile beach in Port Douglas and you can get lessons whilst you are here. There is a nice market every Sunday morning at the Anzac Park, end of Macrossan St. It's full of local produce and much more. Davvyd Brown (local exotic artist) offers art lessons in peaceful surroundings. A great way to spend half a day (lunch is included) It's also a good base from which to explore Tropical North Queensland including Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation or south of Cairns, Mission Beach. The page on the Great Barrier Reef. gives full details of the surrounding area.
Where to stayThis is a classic Australian holiday destination so prices are steep. It's a good idea to shop around and leave it as late as possible to try and grab a bargain. Where to eatTake me back to the Great Barrier Reef australia and Tropical Queensland Show me more holiday destinations for travel in australia Take me back to the real australia travel home page |
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