Port Douglas
Jan 1st 2004, 1:52 am
#1
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Port Douglas
Holiday was great, the first 2 days were fairly warm (same as here in Brisbane), but after that even the weather was enjoyable. Port Douglas is lovely, despite being 22 hrs from Brisbane by car as dotty keeps pointing out, its actually less than an hour from Cairns & all the amenities of a large city & the surrounding area certainly has spectacular scenery. I've fallen in love with the Daintree rainforest & Cape Tribulation area - limited access & limited people! 
I could quite happily live up there I think, as long as I had a pool! One disadvantage is the stingers for 6 months of the year, the beautiful ocean & beaches that cant really be used seem such a waste.
All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely, hope everyone had a merry xmas & a great New Year
I could quite happily live up there I think, as long as I had a pool! One disadvantage is the stingers for 6 months of the year, the beautiful ocean & beaches that cant really be used seem such a waste.All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely, hope everyone had a merry xmas & a great New Year
Jan 1st 2004, 2:14 am
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Wonderful to hear you had a great time mrs DB. I have now put Port Douglas on the itinery for when my daughter comes to stay. Better look up flight prices and accomodation!!
Jan 1st 2004, 2:18 am
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Podgy, if its of any use, I would consider non stinger season for a visit & can recommend Rydge Reef Resort at Port Douglas. We stayed in one of their villas, it was excellent!
Jan 1st 2004, 2:59 am
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Thanx DB...what time of year is safe for swimming?...she is visiting at hte end of Feb till the end of March.
I shall definitley look at the place you mentioned...is it near the beach?
I shall definitley look at the place you mentioned...is it near the beach?
Jan 1st 2004, 4:07 am
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Meg, only stupid people swim when there are box jellyfish about, vinegar & pantyhose or no vinegar & pantyhose 
.
Lots of the beaches up there have stinger enclosures - netted off parts of the beach - the problem is that it only stops the box jellyfish (or the "boxing jellyfish" as the little Dagboys kept referring to them LOL), the Irukandji are small enough to get through the netting. I think that the stinger season runs to either April or May, but I could be wrong, best to check on that. Even if you do go in stinger season there are heaps & heaps of things to do & see up there, box jellyfish arent present on the Barrier Reef itself, & theres the beautiful rainforests, mountains etc. And of course if its hot you can spend heaps of time at the pool like we did
.
Port Douglas is built at the end of a narrow peninsular, so nowhere is far from the beach. Rydges is about 300m from 4 mile beach, there are some places that are closer. We actually never even walked down to that beach, we had other things to do, although we did visit Cape Tribulation beach - which is extremely isolated & yet still had a large bottle of vinegar carefully stored underneath the stinger warning sign
.
. Lots of the beaches up there have stinger enclosures - netted off parts of the beach - the problem is that it only stops the box jellyfish (or the "boxing jellyfish" as the little Dagboys kept referring to them LOL), the Irukandji are small enough to get through the netting. I think that the stinger season runs to either April or May, but I could be wrong, best to check on that. Even if you do go in stinger season there are heaps & heaps of things to do & see up there, box jellyfish arent present on the Barrier Reef itself, & theres the beautiful rainforests, mountains etc. And of course if its hot you can spend heaps of time at the pool like we did
. Port Douglas is built at the end of a narrow peninsular, so nowhere is far from the beach. Rydges is about 300m from 4 mile beach, there are some places that are closer. We actually never even walked down to that beach, we had other things to do, although we did visit Cape Tribulation beach - which is extremely isolated & yet still had a large bottle of vinegar carefully stored underneath the stinger warning sign
.
Jan 1st 2004, 6:33 am
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Originally posted by Megalania
If the box jellies don't get you, look out for the Cassowaries.
If the box jellies don't get you, look out for the Cassowaries.
Jan 1st 2004, 6:39 am
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Ooooh & 1 other thing to report, for those looking for cheese, the local Coles supermarket in Port Douglas (the only sign of suburbia in an otherwise sleepy backwater ) had a HUGE cheese section in the Deli! I was shocked to see it - there were no less than 4 different types of parmesan alone!!!! Made the supermarkets in Brisbane look positively backwards in comparison LOL.
Bit of a hike for anyone just wanting to buy some cheese though.
) had a HUGE cheese section in the Deli! I was shocked to see it - there were no less than 4 different types of parmesan alone!!!! Made the supermarkets in Brisbane look positively backwards in comparison LOL.Bit of a hike for anyone just wanting to buy some cheese though
.
Jan 1st 2004, 6:46 am
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The Bloke is warming up the car now to drive me up there....!!!!
Apologies to those of you who've seen this story, but the Dagboys will have missed it - Spoke to my sister over Christmas who said she had mentioned to my 8 yr old niece that her new uncle (the Bloke) didn't like strong cheese, but I do, so we now have to buy two types of cheese. 2 days later, she asked in all seriousness, whether we would be getting divorced because we can't agree on which cheese to buy!
Glad you had a good time - we must get together for a gossip soon!!
Apologies to those of you who've seen this story, but the Dagboys will have missed it - Spoke to my sister over Christmas who said she had mentioned to my 8 yr old niece that her new uncle (the Bloke) didn't like strong cheese, but I do, so we now have to buy two types of cheese. 2 days later, she asked in all seriousness, whether we would be getting divorced because we can't agree on which cheese to buy!
Glad you had a good time - we must get together for a gossip soon!!
Jan 1st 2004, 7:54 am
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And if the Cassowaries don't get you, you'll be in for a BIG SURPRISE
Hasslebarry and the Cassowary by 'Pommie' Laurence Horner
Hasslebarry and the Cassowary by 'Pommie' Laurence Horner
Jan 1st 2004, 8:16 am
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That irritating warbler Nathalie Imbruglia just got married there. The pictures were on the News.
Jan 1st 2004, 8:39 am
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OOh Mrs D, you didn't tell us THAT was why you went up there! Mingling with the stars eh!!
Jan 1st 2004, 8:44 am
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LOL, actually that was the lead news item for the last 2 days we were there, pics of a car supposedly ferrying them away to a destination to be married, I thought it was supposed to be one of the islands?
Obviously not much happens of any importance in Port Douglas for that to be the lead news item
Obviously not much happens of any importance in Port Douglas for that to be the lead news item
Jan 1st 2004, 3:16 pm
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Re: Port Douglas
Originally posted by MrsDagboy
Holiday was great, the first 2 days were fairly warm (same as here in Brisbane), but after that even the weather was enjoyable. Port Douglas is lovely, despite being 22 hrs from Brisbane by car as dotty keeps pointing out, its actually less than an hour from Cairns & all the amenities of a large city & the surrounding area certainly has spectacular scenery. I've fallen in love with the Daintree rainforest & Cape Tribulation area - limited access & limited people! I could quite happily live up there I think, as long as I had a pool! One disadvantage is the stingers for 6 months of the year, the beautiful ocean & beaches that cant really be used seem such a waste.
All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely, hope everyone had a merry xmas & a great New Year
Holiday was great, the first 2 days were fairly warm (same as here in Brisbane), but after that even the weather was enjoyable. Port Douglas is lovely, despite being 22 hrs from Brisbane by car as dotty keeps pointing out, its actually less than an hour from Cairns & all the amenities of a large city & the surrounding area certainly has spectacular scenery. I've fallen in love with the Daintree rainforest & Cape Tribulation area - limited access & limited people!
I could quite happily live up there I think, as long as I had a pool! One disadvantage is the stingers for 6 months of the year, the beautiful ocean & beaches that cant really be used seem such a waste.All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely, hope everyone had a merry xmas & a great New Year
We fly into Cairns on the 3rd April. Looking at staying North of Cairns for a week or so to a climatise.
Did you visit any of the beach resorts between Cairns and Port Douglas?
If so, can you recommend any?
Like the look of Palm Cove!!
Cheers
Lee
