Port Douglas is not the first place your average traveler thinks about when they decide to go to Australia. I would never have come up with it on my own had I not expressed my desire to check out the Great Barrier Reef with my travel agent. Rather than accepting my initial inquisition for Cairns, she suggested something a little more off-the-beaten-path. She was right! I was totally blown away by the destination and my decision to stay in Port Douglas.
The first part of my trip was in Sydney so I satisfied my craving for the hustle and bustle part of the vacation there. I was then off to Cairns, where I would catch a bus to Port Douglas for the remainder of my trip. Port Douglas is about an hour north of Cairns and to get there you take a scenic drive along a coastal highway with spectacular views. That is where the adventure begins.
There are all sorts of things to do while in Port Douglas but one of the most obvious attractions is its proximity to and numerous offerings of snorkling and diving trips to the Great Barrier Reef. Since I'm not certified to dive, I chose to book a snorkling trip for an afternoon. From the resort I stayed in, a bus took us to the port where the boat was docked. Once we boarded, the trip out to the reef was about an hour. Even just the boat ride out to the reef was lovely! On the way out we saw mantarays and large sea turtles. When we reached our destination and anchored, we got a quick overview of the reef and what to expect. Once under the water I was amazed at the beauty. Now, since I live in Florida I've been snorkling on reefs before but nothing like this! I saw huge, royal blue colored starfish that were just gorgeous. I saw several large sea cucumbers, giant clams, and brightly colored fish. The walls of the reef were vibrant with life like I've never seen.
While I always get excited to talk about snorkling on reefs, there is even more to see in Port Douglas. The Daintree Rainforest is just as beautiful. I took a tour guided by an Aboriginine through the rainforest and experienced the walk through his eyes. The tour guide even offered us a little snack... he tried to get us all to try eating green ants that were running plentiful down the surrounding trees. According to him, this is a normal practice for them. I refused.... perhaps that makes me a chicken but something about picking a live ant from a tree and eating it just does not sound appealing. Those of who did try them simply said that they tasted like lime. Just the same, I'll stick with the fruit.
Per a recommendation from the resort concierge, I took a trip down the Daintree River to round out the nature-infused portion of my adventure. Salties, bats, and lots of birds were on the menu for the day. Unfortunately I did not get to see a large number of full size salties.... only juveniles. Of course, where there are juveniles there are likely adults but the water was not particularly clear so it is possible that they were underwater and we just didn't get a glimpse. The bats were huge! The were just fruit bats so we weren't concerned but I had no idea that they were so large. And they were all over the place in the daylight hanging from the trees along the river. The other wildlife was abundant as well. Beautiful birds were everywhere. It is really interesting because the types of birds people in The States pay a lot of money for are flying around Australia free... similarly to jays or such in Florida.
What is a trip to a new place without a venture to their downtown area? Of course I asked myself this question and deccided to answer it as well. I forgot to mention that I traveled to Port Douglas alone, which is why I stayed at a very well-known resort and used their concierge to book my outings. The resort has regularly scheduled bus rides to downtown Port Douglas, which made it very easy for me to get there and back. While I might not jump on a bus in my hometown area, I had no problem taking a ride into town for a little window shopping and good food. The downtown area is just cute as can be! No building in the area is higher than a palm tree, so I was told, and so I witnessed. This made for a relaxing and quaint jaunt around town. It was nice to visit a town that was not overrun by huge buildings that block the scenery. And as with everywhere I ate in Australia, the food I had at the Star of Siam was delicious. Port Douglas actually has some very highly rated restaurants so don't forget to check some of them out when you get there.
In general, there are lots of beautiful places to visit in Australia but just remember that some of the best times are had at less touristy or lesser known areas.
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