TRAVELLER
OUR REGION
A trip into Mossman Gorge in the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is a journey into lush rainforest with crystal-clear rivers and streams.
12 PORT DOUGLAS
ESSENTIALS
Robert Upe munches on mud crab, snorkels over the Great Barrier Reef and takes part in an indigenous smoking ceremony during a long-weekend break in Queensland’s Port Douglas.
Rainforest reflections … Mossman Gorge, near Port Douglas (above); snorkelling at the Lowe Isles (opposite page, left); snack time at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures (opposite page, right); a furry friend at Hartley’s (opposite page, bottom)
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ort Douglas is a Far North Queensland town that is small enough to provide a restful tropical break, but large enough to have good food, indulgent yacht trips to the Great Barrier Reef, interesting markets, worldclass golf and a lively Carnivale if you visit during May. After you arrive on your Air Niugini flight into Cairns, it is a 70-kilometre drive north along an easy-to-navigate highway that hugs the pretty coastline for some of the journey, with palm trees bending over the sand and turquoise water glimmering in the sun.
50 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine
Along the way, call into chic Palm Cove for lunch. This small hamlet is blessed with many good restaurants, including the beachfront Nu Nu, with a repertoire including wok-fried mud crab and red curry of locally caught reef fish. Major car rental firms are based at Cairns Airport, ensuring a good and affordable choice of vehicles. Alternatively, there are coach services from the airport to Port Douglas. Here are 12 must-do activities.