Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Secret of the Seasons
High season in Port Douglas is from roughly June 1 through October 31.
Tips
The best outdoor activity in Port Douglas, however, is to do absolutely noth-
ing on spectacular
Four Mile Beach
. May through September the water is
stinger-free. October through April, swim in the stinger safety net.
Get High
Parafly
(
&
07/4099 6366,
or call the boat at 0407/996 366) offers parasailing,
jet-skiing, tube rides, water-skiing, and other watersports on the beach. Expect
to pay from A$35 to A$70 (US$23-US$46) for each activity. A boat runs every
hour on the hour between 9am and 5pm from the booking office at Berth C4
at Marina Mirage to the company's beach location at Four Mile Beach.
Visitor greens fees at the championship
Sheraton Mirage
golf course on Port
Douglas Road are A$145 (US$94) for 18 holes or A$85 (US$5.25) for 9 holes,
including a cart. Club rental ranges from A$38 to A$60 (US$25-US$40).
Whacking a ball on the hotel's aquatic driving range costs A$6.50 (US$4.20) for
a bucket of 25 balls, A$13 (US$8.45) for 50 balls, plus A$2.15 (US$1.40) for
club rental. Contact the
Pro Shop
(
&
07/4099 5537
).
Mowbray Valley Trail Rides
(
&
07/4099 3268
), located 13km (8 miles)
inland from Port Douglas, offers 2-hour horseback rides for A$66 (US$43) or
half-day rides through rainforest and sugar cane fields to Collards Falls, or to a
swimming hole in the Hidden Valley, for A$88 (US$57), including morning or
afternoon tea and lunch. It also runs full-day trips along the mountainous Bump
Track, followed by a dip in a rainforest pool and barbecue lunch at Mowbray
Falls for A$125 (US$81). Transfers from your Port Douglas accommodations
are included. Transfers from Cairns are A$20 (US$13) per person.
Wonga
Beach Trail Rides
(
&
07/4098 7583
) does 3-hour rides through the rainforest
and along Wonga Beach, 35 minutes north of Port Douglas, for A$81 (US$53),
including transfers from Port Douglas and insurance.
Bike 'n' Hike
(
&
07/4099 4000;
www.bikenhike.com.au) takes small
groups biking, hiking, and swimming in natural lagoons in the Mowbray Valley
in the rainforest near Port Douglas. You don't need to be a strong cyclist to take
part. Half-day tours cost A$84 (US$55). Full-day tours cost A$128 (US$83).
Pickups from your Port Douglas hotel, a 27-speed mountain bike, a snack, and
drinks (and lunch on the full-day trip) are included. Transfers from Cairns and
Palm Cove are extra. Experienced mountain bikers can descend the steep 14km
(8
1
⁄
2
-mile) Bump Track through dense rainforest from the top of the Great
Dividing Range on a half-day trip designed for a maximum of eight riders.
Every Sunday, a colorful handicrafts and fresh food market sets up on the
lawns under the mango trees beside Dickson Inlet at the end of Macrossan
Street. Stalls sell everything from foot massages to fresh coconut milk. It runs
from 7:30am to 1pm. While you're here, take a peek, or attend a nondenomi-
national service, inside the pretty timber St. Mary's by the Sea church.
WHERE TO STAY
Port Douglas Accommodation Holiday Rentals
(
&
1800/645 566
in Aus-
tralia, or 07/4099 4488; www.portdouglasaccom.com.au) has a wide range of
apartments and homes for rent.
