Rainforestation Nature Experience (R1B)
Army Truck Driver Celebrates 30 Years of Service
Posted: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2009
Rainforestation Army Duck Driver Murray Freeman has celebrated reaching his 30th year of employment at the award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park in Kuranda. Murray started workin...

Rainforestation Nature Experience (R1B)
Koalas Exchanged for Future Breeding
Posted: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2009
The award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park in Kuranda has just completed a successful exchange of koalas with Alma Park Zoo in Southern Queensland for breeding purposes.The aim is to introduce new ...

Double Island Sea Kayak Tour
morning tour to double island
Posted: Tuesday, 23 Jun 2009
we have been seeing a lot of eagle rays jumping from the water latleyalso the osprey eagles are hunting the fish on top of the water right in front of the kayaks and there have been many blue spot lag...

Ballooning & Champagne Breakfast Morning Tour
Kuranda and Atherton Tablelands Weather Update from HOT AIR Port Douglas
Posted: Monday, 4 May 2009
Sunrise at 6.31am & first light at 6.09am, seen every day from a hot air balloon here in the tropics in May, is displaying some amazing colours. Taking off on the Atherton Tablelands, west of...

Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Group
GBR Helicopter Group flies the Flag for Australia!
Posted: Friday, 6 Feb 2009
On 26th January - at approximately 4.15 pm in the afternoon, GBR Helicopter Group flew over the water out from Cairns Esplanade displaying our national symbol in the form of Cairns’ largest Aust...

From glamorous Four Mile Beach to the wilderness of Dickson Inlet, picturesque Port Douglas has become an international holiday mecca with five star to budget accommodation, shops, galleries, and enticing restaurants.

Holiday activities and sightseeing options include a golf course and an old steam train which provides a fun alternative to walking between the marina and nearby holiday accommodation.

There's a unique rainforest habitat where you can experience life in a tropical forest at birdseye level, observing native wildlife from treetop walkways. As well, there are cruise, dive and fishing boats departing daily for reefs, islands and cays, while day tours and safaris cover the coastal and inland regions.

From the village of Port, as it is known by the locals, the Great Barrier Reef is just 13 kilometres (8 miles) off-shore, affording excellent access. The north's first Outer Barrier Reef cruises from Port Douglas in the early 1980's hastened the rebirth of the sleepy village of Port Douglas, which last century rivalled Cairns as the area's main centre. Sharing the same tropical latitude as Tahiti, Port Douglas attracts visitors for its old fashioned charm, wide tree-shaded streets, and superb holiday attractions.

Some of the most enticing resorts in the world are to be found around the seaside village and its lush coastal hinterland. At nearby Mossman Gorge you'll discover rainforest walking tracks and refreshing swimming holes and Mossman, a thriving old sugar town, has a variety of holiday accommodation. North, between the long sandy beaches and mist-capped mountains, are more well-concealed resorts, lodges and hostels, also sugar, fruit, tea and coffee plantations, a rainforest theatre, walking tracks and mangrove boardwalks.

Once a sleepy fishing town in Far North Queensland, Port Douglas Australia is now a premiere tourist destination and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef & Daintree Rainforest.

In this laid back yet sophisticated tropical paradise you can play golf, shop in world class specialty shops and dine in exquisite tropical ambience. Or, simply relax on beautiful Four Mile Beach.

Holiday accommodation in Port Douglas is available to meet all expectations and budgets: Including luxury resorts, rainforest retreats, self-contained family apartments, campgrounds, backpacker hostels and budget accommodation.

Offering the ultimate selection of Tropical North Queensland day trips, Port Douglas is an ideal base for Scuba diving, snorkelling or fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the Daintree Rainforest and River, or sailing away over the Coral Sea.

Useful Info and Contact Details for Port Douglas:

Local Time
Port Douglas time is G.M.T + 10 hrs. (There is no daylight savings in Queensland).

Port Douglas Postal Codes
Postal Code 4877 (Previously 4871)

Port Douglas Telephone Code
From outside Queensland (07) xxxx xxxx or (04) xxxx xxxx - mobile
From outside Australia +61(7) xxxx xxxx or +61(4) xxxx xxxx - mobile

Emergency Services 
( Fire / Ambulance / Police ) 000
(If involving life threatening matters or reporting a crime in progress)

Port Douglas Police
ph: (07) 4099 5220
31 Wharf Street Port Douglas Queensland 4877

Ambulance
In A Non-Emergency - ph: 13 12 33

Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS)
5 Davidson St, Port Douglas 4871
Douglas Shire Council
Office hours 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

Driving
Like England & New Zealand, drive on the left side of the road; however there are some differences. Drivers from New Zealand (in particular) should be aware of differences with the 'Give Way' rules. The Queensland Transport web site provides information on driving in Queensland, foreign license holders, road safety, and general driving advice.

Electricity
Australia uses 240v, 50hz AC electricity with a 3 prong connector . Adaptors are available at a number of shops in town.

Drugs & Alcohol
Minimum drinking age - 18

Legal blood alcohol limit for driving - 0.05ml b.a.c. roughly 2 standard drinks. Random Breath Tests (RBT's) are carried out regularly by local police. There are strict laws on the use and possesion of illegal drugs in Queensland(which includes cannabis).

Disability Services
Disability Services Queensland offers a free, statewide disability information and resource service.

Tipping
Whilst not customary, always appreciated. If you feel that you have received good service and would like to leave a tip - please do.

Originally established in 1877 as a link to the Hodgkinson gold fields, the port ( named "Island Point" and then "Port Owen" ) quickly grew to accommodate the increasing trade brought by the gold rush. The dray teams and stage coaches that serviced the goldfields made their way from the Port, down the beach ( now Four Mile Beach ) to the "Four Mile" mark which is now called Craiglee. From there they continued over "The Bump" and then onto the goldfields.

By 1882 the port had been renamed "Port Douglas" and declared a Port of Entry for Dutiable Goods.A courthouse, police barracks ( for 30 troopers ), warehouses and hotels were built and the population rose to over 8000. However the decision to build a railway -providing all weather access- from the goldfields to Cairns saw the trade ( and fortunes ) go south.

The sugar industry had become firmly established by 1897 and the opening of the Mossman mill now saw the focus of any development move from Port Douglas to the town of Mossman.

On August 1st, 1900 the tramline from south Mossman to Port Douglas was opened. The 2ft, narrow gauge tramway was to transport passengers, goods & bagged sugar between Mossman and the wharf at Port Douglas. The original loco -"Faugh a Ballagh" meaning "Clear the Way" in Gaelic carried more than 23,000 passengers over 5,800 miles in it's first year.

The "Faugh a Ballagh" continued to serve the Port until April 1958 when the Mossman mill received permission to transport sugar by road. After the last bag of sugar was unloaded at the wharf that day, the "Faugh a Ballagh" was returned to the Mossman depot and retired.

Today the restored Locomotive is on display by the Marina Mirage.

Port Douglas Location
Port Douglas Location · Latitude 16'29' S - Longitude 145'47' E
The laid-back, seaside town of Port Douglas is situated approximately 1 hour drive north of the Cairns International Airport in Tropical North Queensland. Nestled between lush, tropical rainforest and the beautiful Coral Sea, Port Douglas offers easy access to two Australian treasures; the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest & the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.

With a permanent population of about 3500, the laid-back town comes to life in the winter months as visitors from around Australia and the world come to enjoy the mild winter weather & all to Port Douglas has to offer.

Australian wildlife is as diverse as the landscape and Tropical North Queensland is home to many of Australia's unique species. Nature lovers are spoilt for choice in the Wet Tropics, with rainforest walking tracks,...... and Mossman Gorge

As well as the Great Barrier Reef & Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas is ideally located for day trips to Cape Tribulation, Mareeba and the Atherton Tablelands