Miles of beach at your finger tips, a laid-back town life and one of the world’s oldest rainforests only a short drive away, Port Douglas is the epitome of tropical paradise. Located in Far North Queensland, Australia, about an hour north of Cairns, this tiny village may have originally been settled during the gold trade, but its the town’s natural beauty that’s proven to be its most valuable asset over time.

The getaway begins when you turn off Captain Cook Highway onto Port Douglas Road. Palm trees line the straight road, as mountains and farmland disappear behind you. This long road is filled with some of Australia’s most impressive resorts, including the massive but somehow still hidden Sea Temple and Spa Resort, which also has a golf course, and the Sheraton Mirage, which sits on what they claim to be the largest pool/lagoon in the southern hemisphere.

And this is all before even reaching the town center.

The small town center is packed with restaurants that have been dined by the likes of former president Bill Clinton and bars that have been partied at by actor Matthew McConaughey, as well as delicious eateries and everything from high street to import shopping experiences. Not to mention that on both sides of the town center are two very different sea scenes. On one end sits the long and sandy Four Mile Beach, on the other the Sugar Wharf and Meridien Marina.

The resort town stretches out quite a bit and offers an array of natural attractions, activities and more.

Waiting for a free ride on a wednesday at the Port Douglas Yacht Club. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

10. Free sailing at Port Douglas Yacht Club

Every Wednesday, Yacht Club members welcome visitors to go for a sail on their boats, free of charge. Those interested should arrive at about 4 p.m. While this activity is free, preference is given to people who buy a dinner ticket for that night at the club. Show up and sign in, then wait for the call to hop on someone’s boat and sail into the sunset.

9. Cane Toad Racing at Iron Bar 

While these small amphibians usually tend to hide out in sugar cane fields or swamps, they take the stage at Iron Bar at 8 p.m. every few nights a week. This show gets pretty busy some nights, so arrive about an hour ahead to find a good spot to watch and buy a ticket. The show is about an hour, but you can make a whole night out of it. The restaurant serves deliciously greasy foods and it’s a great place to party as they feature live bands, karaoke and drink specials every night.

Map of Port Douglas from www.tourismportdouglas.com.au

8. Shop and cafe-hop around Macrossan Street

The main street in the town center is lined with art galleries, clothing stores and cafes. Find one-of-a-kind, beach pieces at Moonshine Bay or stop in some Aussie favorites like Witchery and Jay Jays. After a long day of shopping, have a coffee at one of the many cafes or restaurants on and around Macrossan Street. Origin Espresso offers a Melbourne-caliber of coffee in a cozy spot just off Macrossan, on the corner of Grant and Warner Streets.

7. Fish in town or out to sea

Judging by the size of the town’s mascot groper George (don’t worry we’ll get to that later), the waterways surrounding Port Douglas must have some good catches. All you need is a rod and some bait to fish off the Sugar Wharf. Those interested in a more adventurous fishing experience can go out to sea with Fishing Port Douglas or rent their own pontoon and fish around the area’s mangroves where an array of wildlife lives, including crocs.

Party at the Sugar Wharf during Port Douglas's annual Carnival celebration. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

6. Have a drink or two

The destination town is packed with great restaurants and bars for every budget. Sip on bubbles at Zinc, try a cocktail at Bistro 3 or just have a good ol’ schooner at the Central Hotel or the Court House Hotel. The town is by no means known for its nightlife, if that’s what your after then head to Cairns, but you can have some amazing nights out or entire days taking a few back in the hot, Australian sun here. The Court House, or the “Courty” is definitely the town’s most iconic spot to dine and an ideal place to soak up the sun, but Iron Bar, which has karaoke, live bands and more, usually stays open and busy much later.

A lot places around town offer happy hour, but only On the Inlet, located near the Marina, offers happy hour with a 250 kg groper. Every night at 5 p.m., a staff member feeds George, the massive groper, as guests watch. It’s quite a sight to see. These days a lot of George’s buddies join in on the fun too. Get their early, as its hard to find a good viewing spot closer to feeding time.

Purchase fresh and locally grown produce at the market. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

5. Browse through local produce and goods at the Port Douglas Sunday Markets

Every Sunday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., farmers, bakers and artists alike set up stalls around Anzac Park. Located right on the sea, you can’t find a better location for a Sunday market. Try produce from all over the area, sip on sugar cane or pineapple juice, maybe even try some of the area’s coconuts.

You can browse through import clothing, admire photography and paintings by local artists, purchase hand-crafted leather and wood goods, even get a massage at the markets. While visiting Anzac Park, make sure to check out St. Mary’s by the Sea, a tiny chapel right on the water.

Taken from Low Island, you can't get much closer to paradise. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

4. Snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef and Low Isles

Everyone knows Cairns as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, but boats operating out of Port Douglas reach the Outer Great Barrier Reef as well. Several Port Douglas boats offer daily trips to the major dive and snorkel destination.

Another great trip to sea offered from Port Douglas is the Low Isles. Spend the day prancing around Low Island, a tiny island with a red-topped lighthouse and snorkeling around the island searching for clown fish, sea turtles, reef sharks and more.

All boats depart from Marina Mirage, which doesn’t get mentioned enough in this post. The Marina is another great section of the town which offers dining, shopping and more. Visitors can book nautical trips from here.

A crocodile sits on the banks of the Daintree River. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

3. Spot a croc

Australian crocodiles are not hard to find in the Port Douglas area. Though you don’t really have to worry about crocs hanging out at Four Mile Beach, I would be careful around mangroves in the area, especially in the Daintree, the tropical rainforest in this area.

There are a number of crocodile-sighting tours operating around the Daintree. Crocodile sightings are quite normal in Cape Tribulation and another good way to see crocs is by renting a pontoon boat, which was mentioned under the fishing section of this post.

Crocodile sightings shouldn’t stop people from visiting the area. If anything, they should make people want to visit it more. Crocodiles are one of the oldest and least changed species still around today. A sighting is pretty special. Areas that are unsafe to swim in are usually marked. Just follow the country’s guidance and be smart about where you swim.

Fan palms shade the Daintree. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

2. Visit Cape Tribulation and Mossman Gorge

The scenery in Port Douglas town is spectacular, but drive only twenty minutes away and it keeps getting better. The 16,965-hectare Cape Tribulation National Park is filled with lush rainforests, unusual plant life, unique animals and long beaches.

To reach Cape Tribulation, visitors must pay $12 ($21 return) for the vehicle ferry crossing the Daintree River to the National Park. From there, just one street goes through the area. Along the way signs mark scenic lookouts, beaches, walks and businesses. Some things to check out include Cape Tribulation beach, Daintree Ice Cream Company and the Blue Hole, if you can find it. (Some things are meant to be kept off the beaten track.)

It’s hard to miss the park’s ferns and fan palms as they shade the whole area, but a more unique find in this area is the endangered cassowary. You’ll see plenty of road signs warning drivers to slow down for these big birds, one of those signs is even quite famous now. While you are more dangerous to this dwindling species of bird than they are to you, they are dangerous when threatened, so don’t come too close if you’re lucky enough to spot one.

A lot of companies offer tours of this area, which include pick-up services from Port Douglas. While one day is a decent amount of time to explore the area, it has a few options for accommodation, so it’s possible to spend a few nights here.

A great day trip or stop along the way is Mossman Gorge. Spend the day hopping from rock to rock and swimming at the gorge. The cool, clear waters are quite a treat in the sweltering hot tropics.

The view of Port Douglas's Four Mile Beach from Flagstaff Hill. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

1. Spend the whole day at Four Mile Beach

Purple mountains ahead, green forests to one side, calm seas to the other and miles of golden sand ahead, this is easily the best attraction in Port Douglas. Visitors will most likely spend most of their time at the beach, doing more than just sunbathing.

Start the day here with some exercise. The sand on the beach is compact enough to run on without strain. Yoga and boot camp classes are also offered here.

Next, spend the bulk of the day tanning and swimming in the beach’s bath-like waters. Maybe climb on the rocks or walk up to the Flagstaff Hill for a better view.

Just because the sun goes down, doesn’t mean Four Mile Beach is closes. When the moon is full, this might be one of the most romantic places on earth. You might even find a bonfire, music and backpackers here some nights. Join in, friendly travelers and locals welcome the company.

These are just a few things to do in Port Douglas, the great thing about this village is how it unfolds. It may look small, but just when you think you’ve seen everything, you’ll find an artist in residence’s home and gallery or a new walk not far away. Come for a week, stay for a life time. That’s usually the way it goes in Port Douglas.

Port Douglas is one of Australia’s many gorgeous destinations. The country has something to offer everyone, from secluded beaches to lively party towns. Taste the wine, sample the surf and soak the sun. Are you ready for your Australian holiday? Check here for great deals on flights to Australia.

The mental image I had of myself walking through the rainforest included these bad boys. So when I finally visited Cape Tribulation I couldn’t get enough of them. Shading life below as they tower high above in the forest, these trees can reach up to 6 meters (30 feet). No trip to Cape Tribulation is complete, or possible for that matter, without checking out these plants.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

With all the tours offered of the Daintree and Cape Tribulation, it’s surprisingly hard to find one that allows people enough time to actually be in the rainforest. A large area to cover, a lot of day trips to the area don’t give people enough personal time to actually get out of the car and walk about the rainforest.

Daintree Discovery Tours full day tour ($165 per adult and $145 per children 10-14) offers patrons plenty of time outdoors while also hitting most of the crucial spots on any Cape Tribulation tour. The creme de la creme of tours, Daintree Discovery offers patrons door-to-door service in a smooth-riding Mercedes bus at from the tour’s start, around 7:45 a.m., to its finish, around 5:30 p.m.

From the last pick up, the tour begins with the usual route through Mossman, on the ferry across the Daintree River and to the famous Alexadra Lookout near the rainforest entrance. Adding a little comfort and privacy to their tour, Daintree Discovery guides take their guests on a private 45-minute tour of the rainforest with an option to swim at Cooper Creek Wilderness.

Rainforest seeds from trees such as the rubber tree and Looking Glass Mangrove.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

After a walk through the rainforest, it’s off to the beach, where patrons will munch on lunch, learn a bit of history about the rainforest and James Cook’s arrival in the area and maybe even spot a crocodile outside of the Daintree River. At the beach patrons have the option to kayak for an additional $30 per person. From there, the tour starts its departure back with stops at the famous Daintree Ice Cream Company and the Daintree River for a cruise with Solar Whisper. During the cruise, patrons are bound to spot at least one crocodile as well as some tree snakes and interesting birds.

The privacy and small size (6 passengers) of the tour made it a lot more comfortable and sociable than other tours. This is a tour for folks who want to see the Daintree in peace, without backpackers or noisy kids (the website advises that the tour is not suitable for children under 10 years old).

The size of the tour makes it easier to have a conversation with one’s guide rather than just listen to him or her, and these are definitely guides that people will want to converse with.

Adrian Hall, Daintree Discovery Tours guide, rubs ochre, which aboriginals use for paint, on a rock. After he painted the arm of one of the tour patrons.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

My guide Adrian Hall was fascinating and fun. A Cape Tribulation resident, Hall is knowledgeable about the area, especially all the plant and wildlife within it. He pointed out things like Idiot Fruit, or Idiospermum australiense, with is one of, if not the oldest flowering plant on earth. The soft-spoken Hall seemed to really care about the area and informing his tour of all its amazing features.

Hall was even diligent at setting up a morning tea and afternoon lunch, both included on the tour. Like most tours in Australia, the meals were freshly prepared, locally produced and delicious. Morning tea consisted of tea and lamingtons. Lunch included roasted chicken, salad and fresh bread rolls. The portions are generous, so be sure to save room for four flavors of fruit ice cream sold at Daintree Ice Cream Company ($5).

I can’t think of one complaint about anything on the tour. However, this tour does not travel as deep into the forest as others do, missing stops like the large Fig Tree and Cape Tribulation Beach. But that’s the cost of not having to spend the day in a van snapping shots through the window.

All of Cape Tribulation is too much to cover in one day. Daintree Discovery Tours offers the most a rainforest day tour should comfortably fit, filled with useful information, great food and relaxing walks through the forest and on the beach. The small size of the tour and smooth ride is an added bonus to an already spectacular tour. All that is included is offered at only a fraction more than the going-rate of most Cape Tribulation tours.

It started at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary near Brisbane about three months ago.

I was just walking around the grounds, checking out the kangaroos with hopes of holding my first koala when I saw this strange bird I thought was a variation of an emu.

My friend and I stared at it for quite a long time in amazement.

It was huge, had fur-like black feathers on its mid section and was colored red and blue on its head. The sign next to its cage said cassowary.

I tried to remember the name, but stumbled over the word and its pronunciation whenever I talked about it to others in the following months. I mentioned it to a few Aussies and they knew right off the bat what it was. So how had I never heard of the world heaviest bird.

All my life I only saw photos of kangaroos and koalas when it came to Australia. But they’re a dime a dozen. This thing is so much better.

My cassowary knowledge only expanded when I arrived in Mission Beach to find funny cassowary crossing signs. The signs were cute, but the facts were not.

A comical cassowary warning sign in Mission Beach, QLD. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

It’s estimated between 1,000-1,500 of the endangered species are left in Australia. To make matters worse, a mass amount of plant life in the Wet Tropics depend on cassowaries for livelihood.

“These huge birds are the only animals capable of distributing the seeds of more than 70 species of trees whose fruit is too large for any other forest dwelling animal to eat and relocate.” -Wetropics. gov.au

“The smell from the dung keeps seed predators, such as the white tailed rat, away from the seeds and the fertiliser helps to keep the seed moist and feed the germinating seedling. The seed remains in the cassowary’s gut for approximately 10 hours, ensuring they are deposited some distance away from the parent tree.”-RainforestRescue.org.au

Since these facts were discovered Australians have gone above and beyond to protect the species. The cassowary’s main threats are dogs and drivers. Drivers who hit cassowaries are heavily fined and even more heavily hated. Even if it’s not their fault, someone who hits a cassowary in Mission Beach might as well just leave town for good.

Hugging a to-size cassowary statue while waiting for the ferry across the Daintree to Cape Tribulation.-Photo by Bobbi-Jo O'Gilvie

Dogs are a threat to cassowaries, but mainly their eggs and mainly when dogs are in packs. A single dog most likely could not take on a cassowary. This is one feisty bird.

Not overtly aggressive, but territorial, especially over their young, the cassowary will stab predators in the stomach with its sharp claw.

Unlike a lot of species, it’s not the ladies protecting their spawn. After mating with a male, the female moves on to other partners. Basically, the female cassowary is pimp!

This bird is feirce.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

So many interesting facts surround this flightless bird and so much is yet to be discovered. In Queensland there is almost a complete culture surrounding these birds.

A towering giant cassowary statue stands tall in Mission Beach and a world famous cassowary road sign makes for an opportune photo op in Cape Tribulation.

The BIG cassowary in Mission Beach.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The latter started as a regular “warning cassowary crossing” sign, but turned into a phenomenon when a local fisherman drew in comical before and after images on the sign. Now it’s hard to get through Cape Tribulation without stopping to take a photo of the sign.

The famous cassowary crossing sign before and after sign in Cape Tribulation.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Cape Tribulation takes its cassowary precautions extremely serious. Drivers can barely go 50 meters without seeing  a sign or hitting a speed bump. And this isn’t just any speed bump. It’s a speed bump with rocks in it.

Calling the World-Heritage listed Wet Tropics their home, it’s possible to see a cassowary almost anywhere around the rainforest in Far North Queensland, but highly unlikely. As mentioned before, not many are left. You’re best chances of spotting a cassowary would be in Mission Beach and Cape Tribulation.

I’ve been lucky enough to see two cassowaries in the wild, one in Mission Beach and another in Cape Tribulation. Just to prove that it is possible.

My first cassowary spotting in Mission Beach, QLD.-Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

So keep you’re eyes open. Not only to catch a peak of the massive bird in the wild, but also to keep the endangered species protected.