The wet season is the best time to see waterfalls near Port Douglas. After heavy rains, the falls can be dramatic. But you can see waterfalls at any time of year. This post tells you about the best, most beautiful waterfalls to see, waterfall tours to book, plus a rundown on waterfalls for swimming near …
Where to eat in Port Douglas as we enter 2026? There are new restaurants and some have closed. The best restaurant for you in Port Douglas depends on the time of day, your budget, and what type of food you’d like to eat. Port Douglas has pub food, relaxed dining and quite a few top-end …
Cooktown is north of Port Douglas and Cairns on the northeast coast of Queensland Australia. Cooktown is very much worth visiting as a place of historical interest and as an interesting Far North Queensland Town. In this post, we’ll share photos of Cooktown and share our insights, so that you can decide if Cooktown is …
We last visited the Sheraton Mirage for breakfast in 2024. Non-residents can buy the breakfast buffet at this hotel. At peak times it may be wise to book by phone, but you can also turn up on the day. It’s a good buffet breakfast, fairly expensive, but there is a discount for locals, with proof …
Cairns has numerous great attractions within easy reach of the city and CBD but there are also loads of things to do in the surrounding area. In this post, we’ll cover things to do in Cairns first, then add nearby day trips from Cairns. All these “things to do” are available to you if you …
The best time to visit Cairns is broadly considered to be Australia’s cooler months, avoiding the wet season, tropical cyclones, and stinger season. If you’d prefer to avoid these natural phenomena, you should visit between May and October, these are the months many people consider “ideal” for visiting Cairns. However, you can visit Cairns and …
The Atherton Tablelands, known locally as “The Tablelands” covers a huge area in Far North Queensland, close to top holiday hotspots, Cairns and Port Douglas. There is a vast amount to see and do on the Tablelands and your average visitor probably won’t be able to do it all. So once you’ve been to the …
Feeding George the groper used to be a daily event in Port Douglas, but sadly, it doesn’t happen today. I originally wrote this post several years ago, we were regulars at the groper feeding and we have photos. This post is republished on our new site, portdouglasaustralia.com.au, with a few current updates, like, what happened …
If you walk the Flagstaff Hill walking trail and look out to sea, you will see low-lying islands to the northeast of Port Douglas. These are the Low Isles and they are a popular half or full-day trip from our town. In this post, we cover your options for visiting The Low Isles to help …
Stinger season in Port Douglas, Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef area and the whole of Far North Queensland is something you need to be aware of if you plan to visit our part of the world. Some insider knowledge on how to be safe, for you and your kids, is essential. We live up here, …
The Great Barrier Reef is about an hour and a half by boat from Port Douglas. Our town is one of the very best places to see the reef and the team here at portdouglasaustralia.com.au spend a lot of time out there. We know the reef well. If you need any help in choosing or …
The only way to get from Cairns to Port Douglas is normally by road and The Great Barrier Reef Drive is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas hugs the coast offering stunning views of the Coral Sea and various beaches along the way. …
The best time to visit Port Douglas is of course when you can visit. Never let the weather put you off too much, but should you choose summer or winter, wet season or dry and should you factor in stinger season? A lot depends on which of the things to do in Port Douglas appeal …
Where are the best places to see crocodiles in Port Douglas? There are wild crocodiles in Port Douglas, plus some in captivity. There are several ways to see them on your Port Douglas holiday or vacation. We give you the best way to see (or swim with) crocodiles from Port Douglas. Saltwater crocodiles and freshwater …
Where To Start Planning Your Port Douglas Trip? Port Douglas is a stunning destination in Far North Queensland, Australia. It’s one of Australia’s very best vacation spots, with great hotels, abundant restaurants and access to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Visitors to Port Douglas come here to enjoy a tropical climate, the beach, …
Kuranda Day Trip From Port Douglas 2026 UPDATE From July 2026 the Cairns Skyrail Cableway is undergoing improvements. It will be closed on certain days. Because of this, you can book the Scenic Railway, with a hotel pick up and return drop off from a Cairns Hotel, not Port Douglas.You can book that here. If …
The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a famous historic rail line connecting Cairns, on the coast, with Kuranda Village, high on the Tablelands in the Mareeba Shire. It offers spectacular views or Barron River Falls along the way. In this blog post we share photos from the Kuranda Scenic Railway and our thought on the experience. …
Irvinebank Queensland is a small historic settlement, not far from Herberton on the Tablelands of Far North Queensland. It’s extremely well hidden, with a scenic dirt road connection. If you plan to visit Herberton, and you should, consider adding a drive out to Irvinebank, for yet another slice of history and quirkyness in the Mareeba …
Julatten isn’t a town, it’s an area or local on The Tablelands in Mareeba Shire, about a 40 minute drive from Port Douglas Queensland. There isn’t much in Julatten, but what’s there is nice. I’ve lived in Julatten for 4 years now, so you found a great website to tell you all about it! Some …
Port Douglas can be a fantastic place to visit at Easter. This year, 2026, Good Friday falls on April 3rd , Easter Sunday on April 5th and Anzac Day (a public holiday in Australia) is on Saturday April 25th. All of those holidays mean you won’t have to book so many days of leave! This …
Daintree Ecolodge, on the south side of the Daintree River, near Daintree Village, is a destination resort hotel deep in the jungle. It gets incredibly good reviews, and we can vouch for their excellent customer service and good food. It’s a pretty spot, complete with its own waterfall hike to a sacred Aboriginal sight. We …
There are a few Uber drivers in Port Douglas and Cairns, and in 2026 we even have a few restaurants on Uber Eats. We’ll tell you about those below, but Uber is not huge in Port Douglas, as it is in other countries or in bigger cities in Australia. As Uber drivers come and go, …
There are plenty of places to eat pizza in Port Douglas in 2026, but where can you find the best pizza in town? As a Port Douglas local, pizza-lover, and former head chef, I make it my business to try every pizza I can. Here are my findings on the best pizzas in Douglas Shire, …
Port Douglas has almost none of the big takeaway fast food chains except Domino’s Pizza, which was at the Port Village Shopping Centre until recently. But there are plenty of other places to buy takeaway food, and this post will give you all of the best fast food and take-out food options. A lot of …
The Shannonvale Swimming Hole is north of Port Douglas in Shannonvale. To get there, take Port Douglas Mossman Road (Captain Cook Highway, Route 44) north for about 20 minutes, take the left just before you enter Mossman. This road bends around to the left through countryside and cane fields, it will take you straight to …
In Port Douglas the sun rises over the Coral Sea and sets behind the mountains to the west of Port Douglas. The best place to see sunrise in Port Douglas is Fourmile Beach, the best place to see sunsets is Rex Smeal Park or anywhere along Dickson’s Inlet. We give you times and activities on …
