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| Sunset at the Tin Shed |
Now that summer has officially ended
in Melbourne (boo), some of you may be starting to think about finding the sun
again.
I have been traveling to Port Douglas for
many years, both when I was younger and more recently (over the past five
years) with my husband.
Port Douglas is a great place to go
for warm weather, access to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree
Rainforest. It is perfect for young
families, couples and groups of friends.
There is absolutely something for everyone!
Where to stay?
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| Four Mile Beach |
There are so many places to stay in
Port Douglas. Houses, resorts,
backpackers’, self-contained apartments…
Have a look on Trip Advisor
to find what suits you and your budget.
Last year, we stayed at Bay
Villas Resort. The reason we stayed
here was because we wanted somewhere with a decent kitchen. We were staying for two weeks and wanted to
have the option of cooking for ourselves if we wanted to. Bay Villas is also family friendly.
We have previously also stayed at Martinique on Macrossan (in the main
street) and this is also a great place.
Martinique is a boutique accommodation with self-catering facilities
(not really suitable for families).
However, the kitchens are kitchenettes rather than kitchens that you can
truly cook in.
Bay Villas Resort is about 10minute
walk out of the main town, but is five minutes from the beach. We were very happy with our apartment. It had everything we needed (except I always
miss a good pasta pot at these types of places, but that might be just me…).
What to do?
Most importantly, relax (however it
is you do this)!
Of course there are many options
available to suit all tastes. You can
hire a car or and drive to Cairns, Palm Cove, Cape Tribulation or the Daintree
Rainforest. You can visit Habitat Wildlife or Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. You can go fishing, hot air ballooning, the
list is endless! I have briefly
described below what we did when we last visited (August 2013)…
Four Mile Beach is a great beach and
if you have perfect weather, you can stay there all day. It is not unusual for the wind to pick up in
the afternoon though, and shade covers most of the sand by about 4pm. You can hire umbrellas, chairs and chair
cushions for $40 per day ($25 from 9am – 1pm).
You can hire buckets and spades ($5 per hour), paddle boards, big rubber
tyres, paddle boards ($25 per hour). The
beach is patrolled so swim between the flags (there are salt water crocodiles
around, so keep an eye out if you swim elsewhere)!
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| Sand Cay and Reef views with Safari |
Visit the Great Barrier Reef! Snorkel, scuba dive or look through a glass
bottom boat! We did two trips to the
Reef – one to a coral cay via helicopter with a company called Sky Safari (very luxurious but I highly recommend it – it was
incredible!) and a trip to the Low Isles on a sailing boat with a company
called Aquarius. Both amazing days with great service provided
by both companies.
You can book these
yourself or through one of the many agencies in town or at your hotel or
resort.
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| Safari Tour |
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| Low Isles with Aquarius |
There is a basic yoga class held every
morning on the beach, just up from the Surf Life Saving Club. Classes are $15 for an hour (8am – 9am). There are also other options available with
other providers around town. We did a
mix of our own practice and joined the beach class a couple of times.
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| Pearls at the Market |
There is a local market every Sunday
(8am – 1pm) where you can pick up great jewelry (particularly pearls), local fruit
and vegetables and some other local fare.
It is worth a look if you feel in the mood.
Where to eat?
Zinc was also very nice. Lovely service and a great Barramundi dish!
We revisited Salsa. Whilst the atmosphere is more casual, the
food was very impressive. Make sure you
book!
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| Nautilus by night |
Other information
Port Douglas Tourist Information and
weather information can be found here. Be mindful of when you go as the summer is
humid and wet (but might be a fascinating time to visit the Daintree!).
