Goin’ Cruising #7
Day Five – Port Douglas
Port Douglas is the gateway to the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest and, even on a sunny morning, the distant mountains are dark with a dense covering of forest. We’ve been to the rainforest before so this time we stayed in town.
Our walk began from the Reef Marina, where small boats were moored alongside luxury yachts and fishing trawlers.
It was a short walk around the waterfront to Market Park and the Church of St Mary’s by the Sea. Inside the church, the window behind the altar created a real life artwork.
Leafy Macrossan Street begins at the end of the park. This bustling street is lined with souvenir shops, cafés and pubs and we wandered along, stopping on the way to admire local arts and crafts.
Macrossan Street leads to the Esplanade and the northern end of Four Mile Beach. Our goal was Flagstaff Hill, where an easy walking track leads up and over the summit to Trinity Bay Lookout.
From here, the view was breathtaking: Four Mile Beach curving away to the distant mountain range, Pacific Dawn resting at anchor in the Coral Sea and beyond her, the fringes of the Great Barrier Reef showing dark blue on the horizon.
We continued walking down the other side of Flagstaff Hill, past luxury homes hidden behind tropical gardens. We envied their million dollar views and debated which home we would buy should we ever win the lottery.
At the bottom of the hill we left our daydreams behind and joined the tourist crowd on Macrossan Street. We retraced our steps back to the marina, where a little orange tender was waiting to carry us back to the ship in time for a well-earned lunch.
Join Jo for more Monday Walks
It does look so lovely ET – and with your own million dollar cruise liner waiting for you beyond the breakwater – who needs a posh house? This is such a great way to see the coastal areas of your huge country.
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It’s a very relaxing alternative to driving hundreds of kilometres, that’s for sure CC. Some of those megabucks homes were so beautiful – we could just see ourselves living there!
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Beautiful! Such a beautiful setting. If you do win lottery and move to a mansion, you must still blog for us. Your posts are very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing
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Ha! I could change the title to “Lifestyle of a Lottery Winner”. I’m glad you’re enjoying the posts.
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I wish you’d stop taking me to such horrible places, Carol! 🙂 I tell you what- you carry on. I’ll stay in this one 🙂 Some of the best photos I’ve ever seen on your site are right there.
Thanks for the link, hon.
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Thank you Jo. I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos of this cruise. This part of Queensland is so beautiful. You would love it.
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I’m glad you liked that little touch of paradise. The tropics … nice place to visit says this old sweaty person.
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Especially when it’s winter at home and everyone is texting and posting on Facebook about how cold it is! We kept sending them beach and sunshine photos. 🙂
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Wicked!
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Tee hee!
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You walked up that hill? Wow! I’m impressed, I’ve only ever driven up there 😀
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I’m not that crazy, Dianne! Last year we drove up too. This time we went from the beach side and it’s not nearly as steep. We walked down the steep side which is much easier.
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What a wonderful adventure, and the window in the Church is the absolute best. 🙂
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It is beautiful to see that wonderful scene behind the altar.
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Sigh. We had a holiday in Port Douglas once when the eldest two boys were very little. Still remember walking to a local bakery every morning for rolls for breakfast on our little balcony. Sigh.
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Maybe it’s time for a return visit Mosy. Especially at this time of year when it is so warm there.
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We stayed in Port Douglas in 2003 – a sort of pre-honeymoon. We stayed in the YH and it was fab. Walked along that beach, walked up that hill. Saw those views. Watched the huge fruit bats coming in to roost in the evening, ate huge steaks and drank bright green health juice! Ah, the memories! If I could live in any place in the world I think I would choose Port Douglas. With the millions of course 🙂
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It is a beautiful place and I could easily live there through the winter. Summer, with its high humidity, would not be quite so pleasant. But if I won a million dollars I could have the best of both worlds.
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I guess that is the case, we were there in winter too and it was lovely! Can’t say I like humidity much.
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I’m loving these posts of yours of Far North Queensland, one of my favorite parts of Australia. Gorgeous photos.
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I broke two metatarsals in Port Douglas so I missed most of this 😦 I recognise Macrossan Street which us where the doctor’s surgery was. I keep promising myself to go back to Queensland. Someday.
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I simply can’t like this Anabel. That sounds so awful. How disappointing for you. I hope you do get to go back and enjoy Port Douglas properly.
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Thanks, I really hope to! Fortunately, we had been out to the reef that day so I didn’t miss that. Then in the evening I tripped and fell. Still completed our holiday and had a great time, but it was rather different from what we planned……
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At least you didn’t have to pack up and go home.
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My husband was wonderful ❤ and took care of everything so we didn't have to. A story for my big some day!
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What a beautiful coastline, marina and beach, Carol. the little church is very lovely.
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Isn’t it pretty. Imagine how beautiful a wedding would be in this setting.
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This looks like a lovely place – I can see why you might want to have your million dollar mansion just there! When you do win the lottery and build your home, I think you will have to have a great many guest rooms judging by the comments here. 🙂
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I suppose these beautiful homes would have plenty of room for everyone! You would all be welcome.
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Thank you – it will be quite a house party!
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Great photos! I’m glad I came across your blog!
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Thank you and welcome. Port Douglas is a beautiful place.
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I’ve never been to a church by the sea before, what an amazing view from inside. I so wanted to visit Port Douglas when I was in Oz, but we didn’t have the time to. It’s stunning
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So you have a great reason to come back and visit us one day!
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Lovely place. Beautiful pictures! Sorry to be asking, In which country is th is located?
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Thank you. Port Douglas is in far north Queensland, Australia.
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Okay. great!
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