Port Douglas Activities

While Port Douglas doesn’t have many all-out facilities that cater for children, the region is home to a rich variety of wildlife that thrills younger visitors. Kids are presented with opportunities to touch koalas and see crocodiles tucking into their lunch. For more mainstream entertainment, consider visiting Cairns, where the infrastructure is more thorough.

Cairns Tropical Zoo
More often than not, children come to Australia anxious to interact with the local wildlife. Cairns tropical zoo can be reached from Port Douglas in about an hour, and visitors here have the chance to pet koalas and watch saltwater crocodiles getting fed. What’s more, children are also permitted to hand-feed some of the facility’s kangaroos—a definite memory-maker for children. Night-time safaris begin at 19:00 and offer the chance to view the zoo’s nocturnal species. Live music is also featured at this time, and refreshments are served. Phone: +61 7 4055 3669; website: www.cairnstropicalzoo.com.

Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
The longest-running crocodile show in Australia is located halfway between Port Douglas and Cairns. Daily crocodile feedings are held every morning, and this is a great way for children to get a safe, up-close look at these monstrous animals. A 45-minute programme called the Crocodile Attack Show is held every afternoon at 15:00, and guests pour in to watch the crocodiles perform their signature ‘death roll’ manoeuvre. Hartley’s is set apart from other crocodile farms in part because of its rainforest atmosphere that includes a five-acre lagoon and a number of indigenous plant species. Sideshows featuring koalas and snakes are also held here on a daily basis. Phone: +61 7 4055 3576; website: www.crocodileadventures.com.

Waterfalls Tour
There are three waterfalls situated close to Port Douglas: Ellinjaa, Zillie and Millaa Millaa falls. Remarkably, these three cascades can be viewed in a one-hour circuit. Zillie and Ellinjaa falls are both home to families of fruit bats, and visitors often catch sight of one or two sleeping in the trees surrounding the falls. Millaa Millaa is the most picturesque of these three falls, and you’ll undoubtedly find its picture on postcards throughout the Wet Tropics region. Barbecues are available onsite, and swimmers are invited to dive in and cool off. Children will be especially impressed by the curious platypus that typically visit Millaa Millaa in the afternoon.

Port Douglas is home to a number of quaint heritage sites that date back to the mid-19th century and there are some specialty museums that operate in town. The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal tribe has the oldest claim to history in and around Port Douglas, and tourists are invited to participate in Dreamtime walks that highlight the fascinating history and culture of these people. There are also several small art galleries situated near the city centre.

Bally Hooley
This old steam engine once carted loads of sugar from Mossman to the harbour at Port Douglas where it was exported. The train opened in 1900 and ran continuously for 57 years. The old heritage trains have been restored and now shuttle patrons from St Crispins Station to Marina Mirage. Visitors get a glimpse of old-world Port Douglas aboard this charming locomotive. When the engine reaches St Crispins, it enters an authentic turntable that is manually revolved to send the train back to Marina Mirage.

Candlenut Gallery
This Port Douglas art gallery deals primarily in paintings, but also features handicrafts, sculptures and jewellery. A variety of local artists are featured here, with some of the more prominent work created by Holly Saunders, a wildlife and landscape artist who often features frogs in her work. Paintings by Tania Heben are also popular with visitors. Candlenut Gallery is located on Macrossan street. Phone: +61 7 4099 4204; website: www.candlenutgallery.com.

Dreamtime Walks
The Kuku Yalanji Aborigines inhabit parts of the countryside surrounding Port Douglas. This ethnic group has lived in the context of the Wet Tropics rainforest for centuries, and its members have a profound understanding of the plants, animals and landscapes associated with Port Douglas. Knowledgeable Aboriginal guides lead groups of tourists through tracts of rainforest on well-maintained trails that skirt cultural and religious sites important to the Kuku Yalanji. Along the way, visitors hear Dreamtime stories; learn about food sources and medicinal plant uses; and receive a tutorial in ancient Aboriginal cave paintings. This 90-minute walk is followed by tea, damper and a didgeridoo performance.

Kuranda Scenic Rail
Australians have been riding this rail for a century now, and the Kuranda Scenic Train provides tourists with an unparalleled window into the lush, surrounding rainforest. The train passes through 15 tunnels and crosses an enormous bridge spanning Stony Creek as it carries passengers from Cairns to Kuranda rainforest. Of course, the historical aspects of this railroad are dwarfed by the tract of rainforest through which it passes. This is one of the most ancient forests in the world, and much of it remains as it has for millennia. Commentary and memorabilia are included with the ride. Phone: +61 7 4036 9249.

Old Courthouse
The oldest building in Port Douglas, the Old Courthouse was one of the only structures to survive a violent cyclone that tore through the town in 1911. The building was constructed from timber in 1879 and later restored in 1997 when it was converted into a museum. Today, the old courthouse has a number of exhibits that chronicle the history and cultural diversity of Port Douglas. A few of the most popular exhibits cover the old sugar trade, the Coral Sea Battle and the importance that Chinese immigrants played in Port Douglas’ early history. Website: www.douglas-shire-historical-society.org.

Shipwreck Museum
Opened in 1980, the shipwreck museum sits across from Warner street on Dickson’s Inlet. The exhibits inside, including numerous artefacts that have been salvaged from ships wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef through the centuries, were collected by Ben Cropps. The collection includes antique wares and a bronze cannon that was taken from an old maritime vessel. Visitors are also shown a video that chronicles the 20 years that Cropps has been in the business of salvaging ships. Phone: +61 7 4099 5858.

Sunday Market
A market is held in Anzac Park every Sunday morning from 08:00 to 12:00. The myriad of local products includes jewellery, clothing, glassware, handicrafts and fresh produce. The marketplace, which enjoys views of the Coral Sea, couldn’t boast a better location. This is also a nice place to pick up a few gifts and souvenirs. While the Sunday Market is extremely popular with visitors, you’ll also find plenty of locals perusing the goods as well, making this a great place to meet and mix with residents.

Shoppers are well catered for in Port Douglas, and the easy going atmosphere in town is well-suited for a leisurely afternoon stroll. In fact, even if you aren’t planning to buy anything, window shopping is a nice way to begin a walking tour of the city centre.

The commercial district on Macrossan street is fronted by a number of boutiques and specialty shops. Patrons here can purchase a variety of goods in this part of town including souvenirs, designer clothes and indigenous handicrafts. Portico at the corner of Davidson and Macrossan streets and the Marina Mirage complex are both excellent shopping centres.

Port Douglas is also a great place to peruse artwork by some of Queensland’s best artists. There are several art galleries on or near Macrossan street where visitors are encouraged to ask questions and take their time absorbing the details of each piece. Of course, virtually everything on display is also on sale, and a landscape or sculpture piece inspired by Australia’s Wet Tropics makes a fantastic souvenir.

A local market convenes every Sunday morning, when tourists and locals converge on Anzac Park to trade handicrafts, jewellery, clothing and fresh fruits and vegetables. The coastal scenery alone is reason enough to visit the Sunday Market.

There are also a number of relaxed eateries along Macrossan street. Several cafés are ideally located for a break from shopping or sightseeing, and there’s really no better way to soak up Port Douglas’ atmosphere than from a street-side table with an espresso in hand.

Most visitors are surprised at the sheer number of restaurants in Port Douglas, especially considering the town’s relatively small size. Local menus feature international cuisines like Italian, Mexican, Japanese and Chinese, and the freshest-possible seafood is a recurring theme no matter where you dine.

The outdoor barbecue is a great Australian pastime, and Port Douglas is no exception. Most parks and green spaces are equipped with public barbecues where groups of locals frequent at weekends and on holidays. A nice place to take advantage of these facilities is at Millaa Millaa Falls.

Australia’s thriving Italian community has had a profound effect on the culinary scene, so much so in fact that garlic was an unknown spice before Italian immigrants introduced it. Pizzerias have also become wildly popular throughout the country, and there are several such establishments in Port Douglas.

Port Douglas’ pristine surroundings are perfect for outdoor activities, and with so much to do it’s hard to justify spending time inside. The two UNESCO World Heritage sites dominate the outdoor scene, and travel agents offer an exhaustive list of activities that lead tourists into reef and rainforest alike. Hot-air balloons loft over the rainforest; teams of scuba divers plumb the depths of the reefs; and resilient bushwalkers comb the overland trails.

Bushwalking
Bushwalking through Port Douglas’ surrounding countryside is a great way to explore all that the Wet Tropics have to offer. Many travel agents lead hikes into Daintree National Park where visitors are likely to spot a variety of wildlife including platypus and the notorious crocodiles. Travel agencies also offer four-wheel drive charter packages that include a knowledgeable guide and a self-tailored itinerary. In this case, rounds of bushwalking are strung together through four-wheeling jaunts from one rainforest site to the next. Tourists with plenty of time may wish to visit remote lava tubes and cave paintings.

Ballooning
Rising over Port Douglas in a hot-air balloon gives visitors an unparalleled perspective on life in this small resort village. Across Australia, hot-air balloon rides have become popular, but there’s no other place in the country where you can loft over the Great Barrier Reef and one of the world’s oldest forests all in one ride. Travel agents in town place tourists in contact with local ballooners. Many visitors choose to pair balloon rides with rides on the Kurunda Skyrail for a mixed return ticket to the Kuranda Rainforest Village.

Diving
It goes without saying that trips to the Great Barrier Reef are extremely popular with visitors. Snorkelling and scuba diving reveal the myriad of marine life and coral structures that guard Australia’s eastern coastline. There are several dive shops in Port Douglas and even more in Cairns that can get visitors PADI certified in as little as two days. Most of these instructors also lead expeditions to the Low Isles and other diving hotspots. Diving packages cater for the complete range of skill sets. Even if you’ve never gone diving before, this is one of the best places in the world to begin.