Port Douglas And The Daintree Rainforest

The one hour transfer from Cairns to Port Douglas followed the beautiful coastline. We were greeted at the Peninsula Boutique Hotel in great fashion. An ice cold glass of water was followed by an equally cold flannel which was welcome on a fairly hot day. The welcome was the warmest we have ever received and we were shown to a beautiful suite with its own patio leading onto a shared jacuzzi and then down to the swimming pool. January is usually the beginning of the wet season but whilst they had recently had some showers at night, there was no rain during our stay and it was not too humid.

We wanted to visit this area to go and see the rainforest. We were really lucky as we were the only ones on our trip. We had a boat ride along the Daintree River to spot the local wildlife but a high tide meant no crocodiles or snakes were seen. The Daintree Rainforest was fascinating to visit because of the abundance of different trees, shrubs and wildlife. Rob fed by hand some kangaroos and wallabies that had been rescued after road accidents (I wasn't brave enough) and we sampled some home made ice cream from locally grown tropical fruit.

A stroll along four mile beach as the sun was setting seemed such a good idea until we realised that we had a four mile walk back in the dark. Thankfully we were told where the local bus stopped and had a taste of Queensland friendliness. How often has a bus driver asked you whether you liked conundrums? The 10 minute journey was spent with him telling us puzzles and us answering them.

Port Douglas has a great Sunday market. It is a combination of locally produced and locally grown products. We shared a coconut which was first gouged so we could drink the milk before being split and the flesh shredded so we could eat it out of the shell.

Our second bus ride was as eventful as the first. This journey was to the local wildlife habitat and part of the journey was spent with James. James is a local character. In his 80’s (we guess) he told us how he has taken over the landscaping of a patch of land down the middle of the road where he lives. He told us how he had planted colourful flowers and really improved the appearance of the previously drab central reservation. He was awarded citizen of the year and a plaque was erected. We were a little sceptical about this story until we passed the spot and saw the plaque with our own eyes.

Having been disappointed the day before we were delighted that a second river trip produced an abundance of crocodiles (in fact 5 which is a lot for the wet season). Included was the dominant male which is 4 meters long - we had to stay well clear of the side of the boat when he swam close. We also saw a sea eagle and other birds.

We were really sad to leave Port Douglas as it was the last part of our Australian holiday.