Port Douglas

Port Douglas was once a drop off point for English immigrants heading to the Goldfields of Cape York, and later serviced the sugar plantations around the coastline and is now a vibrant tourist destination.

With a very relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals, it has become the tropical home for the travelling rich and famous. This is where Presidents choose to take their vacations.

Being the closest port to the Outer Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas provides immediate and convenient access to the reefs and fishing grounds that make this area so popular and desirable amongst visitors.

Cruise along a river estuary or transfer to the beach on a remote island, other locations easily accessible from Port Douglas include the following:

* Wreck Bay: Located 2nm north of Cape Kimberley (1 hour north of Port Douglas), Wreck Bay is only accessible by water. Here the rainforest meets the Reef. Witness amazing bird and animal life, snorkel off the beach, surrounded by an abundance of juvenile fish and crustations. Watch Siberian Sandpipers that migrate half way around the world for 6 months of the year.

* Snapper Island: 12nm north of Port Douglas (30mins cruise time), Snapper Island is a marine park so unfortunately no shell collecting. The Island has plenty of beaches offering protection from the prevailing winds. Being a continental island, it has its own unique wildlife and flora - including orchids only found in the far north of Australia.

* Cape Tribulation: An ideal sheltered anchorage allowing access to restaurants and resorts nestled in the rainforest, beyond this word famous tropical beach.
* Mackay Cay and Undine Cay: Both can be reached within one hour from Port Douglas and offer plenty of seabirds, turtles, Coral Gardens and excellent snorkelling off the beach - a fantastic environment for kids.