Enjoy a romantic interlude at Port Douglass >>
Port Douglas is one of the “must see” holiday destinations in North Queensland. It is about 75 km north of Cairns and is the closest mainland resort to the Barrier Reef, which makes it the main departure point for some Reef tour operators.
It has one of North Queensland’s most famous beaches, Four Mile Beach, with golden sands and palm-fringed shores lapped by the warm waters of the Coral Sea. As you stroll along the beach you see the nearby mountain ranges as a backdrop beyond the shore, because Port Douglas allows no buildings above coconut-palm height to intrude. Out to sea you can see the famous lighthouse on the coral cay of the Low Isles.
Port Douglas was established in 1877 after the discovery of gold nearby. It grew quickly, and at its peak had a population of 12,000 and 27 hotels. After Cairns became the main port for the area the township gradually declined in size. In 1911 a destructive cyclone forced people elsewhere and the population fell to under 500 and it became a sleepy fishing village that only had a population of 100 by 1960. During the 1980’s the town was reinvigorated when Christopher Skase built the Sheraton Mirage and Marina Mirage.
Although the permanent population is around 1000, people from the southern areas of Australia flock there during the winter to escape the cold. There are a wide range of activities including cruises, day tours, snorkelling, scuba diving, golf, kite surfing, scenic flights and gamefishing, as well as just relaxing on the beach. There are a range of shops, resorts and restaurants, and local markets on a Sunday.
The town has associations with some famous names, but not all with happy circumstances – on September 11, 2001 ex-president of the United States Bill Clinton was dining in a Port Douglas restaurant when he learned of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre, and in September 2006 Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef off Port Douglas after being pierced in the heart by a stingray barb.
In addition to being a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas is also an excellent base to visit the Daintree Rainforest from. It has something for everyone and a wide range of accommodation types. The atmosphere is laid back yet vibrant, with its mix of old and new, and you see working fishing boats and prawn trawlers alongside luxury yachts and high-speed game-fishing boats.
With its beautiful climate all year long Port Douglas is a tropical paradise.