Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

286
CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Cairns, through rainforest and along the sea, Port Douglas may be a one-horse
town, but its main street is lined with stylish shops and trendy restaurants, and
its beautiful Four Mile Beach is not to be missed. This is a favorite spot with
celebrities big and small—you may find yourself dining at a table next to anyone
from Bill Clinton to Kylie Minogue, Sean Penn to Australian rock band
Midnight Oil, or minor soap stars.
People often base themselves in “Port,” as the locals call it, because they like
the peaceful rural surroundings, the uncrowded beach, and the charmed absence
of tacky development (so far, anyway). Don’t think you will be isolated if you
stay here—many reef and rainforest tours originate in Port Douglas and many
of the tours discussed in the Cairns section earlier in this chapter pick up from
Port Douglas.
Daintree National Park lies just north of Port Douglas; just north of that is
Cape Tribulation National Park, another wild rainforest with hilly headlands
down to the sea. Exploring these national parks is easy on a 4WD day-safari
from Port Douglas.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Port Douglas is a scenic 65-minute drive from Cairns, in
part along a narrow winding road that skirts the coast. Take Sheridan Street
north out of the city as it becomes the Captain Cook Highway; stay on the highway
and follow the signs to Mossman and Mareeba until you reach the Port
Douglas turnoff on your right.
One of the most pleasant ways to get to Port Douglas is to take one of the
giant Quicksilver Wavepiercer (& 07/4087 2100) catamarans along the
coast. They depart Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns at 8am, Palm Cove jetty at
8:35am, and arrive in Port Douglas at 9:30am. You can also stay onboard and go
straight to the Great Barrier Reef for the day for an extra charge (see “Discovering
the Great Barrier Reef” below). The cost of the trip from Cairns is A$24
(US$16) one-way, A$36 (US$23) round-trip, half price for kids ages 4 to 14.
A one-way ticket aboard Sun Palm Express Coaches (& 07/4031 7577) to
Port Douglas hotels is A$28 (US$18) from the Cairns airport. Fares for children
are half price.
VISITOR INFORMATION Write for information to the Port Douglas
Daintree Tourism Association, P.O. Box 511, Port Douglas, QLD 4871 (& 07/
4099 4588; www.pddt.com.au). The association has no visitor information
office in Port Douglas. Instead, visitors should visit one of several private tour
information and booking centers in town. One of the biggest and most centrally
located is the Port Douglas Tourist Information Centre, 23 Macrossan St.
(& 07/4099 5599), open from 7:30am to 6pm daily.
GETTING AROUND Of the major rental companies, only Avis (& 07/
4099 4331) has an office in Port Douglas. Check out the local companies,
including Port Douglas Car Rental (& 07/4099 4988) and Crocodile Car
Rentals (& 07/4099 5555). All rent four-wheel-drives as well as regular vehicles,
and these are needed if you plan to drive to Cape Tribulation. If you need
a taxi, call Port Douglas Taxis (& 07/4099 5345).
A good way to get around the town’s flat streets is by bike. Port Douglas Bike
Hire (& 07/4099 5799) at 40–42 Macrossan Street (opposite Westpac Bank)
rents bikes for A$14 (US$9.10) for 24 hours. The shop is open 9am to 5pm.