#ShamelessPlug. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in December. Park the car at the Smithfield Skyrail Terminal and take to the air for a ride in a glass-bottomed, cable car gondola on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Both options depart from just outside Cairns, about a 50-minute drive south of Port Douglas. Even if you don’t follow the trend and upload them to Instagram, the photos will make great souvenirs. is the place to make your dream come true. It’s a long way up the one hundred and ninety-six steps to the top of the tower and takes a lot of nerve to step off the edge. Shade yourself under a palm on the terrace and enjoy a spot of calm in busy central Cairns. The Lookout is the tallest viewing platform in Cairns, and from there, you can see right across the rainforest as far as Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a fantastic way to discover Australia’s spectacular underwater world! It’s an amazing experience to be able to see the beautiful insect life so close. You can also take a slow cruise across the lagoon and see the twenty resident crocodiles going about their daily business in their natural habitat. Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure is a wildlife reserve located halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas. Get a new perspective on the world-famous reef on every cruise, with diverse destinations including Green Island, Agincourt Reef, and Low Isles. The gondolas depart from the Smithfield terminal from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon at fifteen-minute intervals but planning ahead is essential as pre-booking is a requirement. Every single km of the great tropical drive is a beautiful experience, especially between Palm Cove and Port Douglas. You’re closer to the Outer Reef here in Port Douglas, than at Cairns, and the crowds are thinner, so it definitely gets my vote! If you have your own car, you can enjoy all the rainforest scenery on the self-drive route. Coffees and snack food can be had at the Chill Cafe and. The quad bike tours head out in the morning and afternoons, so you can choose the time which suits you best, and last for around one and a half hours. Have your photograph taken with a koala or step into the Snake House for a souvenir picture with a python. Port Douglas is a gateway to both rainforest and reef on Queensland’s Far North Coast – making it an irresistible tropical getaway. On your second day in Port Douglas it’s definitely time to explore the nearby reef which you can easily do via a snorkelling, boat or scuba diving trip. Drive Cairns to Port Douglas by car. Join the tour at the headquarters of Pacific Watersports on the Williams Esplanade in Palm Cove. If you do plan on going hiking make sure you’re wearing adequate shoes and take an abundant supply of drinking water. Most people coming to Port Douglas fly into Cairns Airport and then hire a car, jump aboard a coach transfer or choose to do it in style and rent a … At the Kuranda Heritage Market, you’ll find everything from didgeridoos to boomerangs to purses made from crocodile and kangaroo leather. It’s an exciting way to go deeper into the rainforest than you can in a car, but be ready to get just a little wet and dirty. Having a car in Cairns is a must as there isn’t much public transport. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in December. Swap your road vehicle for a floating one and take a couple of hours out of the car to go. The drive between Port Doyuglas and Cairns is stunningly picturesque but of course, Cairns, being a huge tourist hub, has plenty to do. While you’re in the Kuranda Village, take a walk through the tropical wonderland of the. After exploring the beachfront in Palm Cove, drop in at the. Press the release switch when you’re ready, and you’ll hurtle through the air at speeds of up to one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour then swing back and forth until gravity brings you back to earth. It’s an amazing experience to be able to see the beautiful insect life so close. Climbing the Lookout to see the sights is free of charge but comes accompanied by the blood-curdling screams of the bungee jumpers and jungle swing riders. A favourite pastime for visitors to Wangetti Beach is to construct cairns or towers with the stones. The works are colorful, unique representations of Australia’s Indigenous culture. Experienced divers seem to gravitate to Yongala wreck from Townsville but really do need a lot of experience for that dive. Looking for some amazing things to do in Cairns and Port Douglas? It’s all part of the quad biking fun. Things to Do in Port Douglas, Queensland: See Tripadvisor's 153,706 traveller reviews and photos of Port Douglas attractions. 16. Kuranda Koala Gardens is an interactive zoo where you can get close up to some of Australia’s emblematic mammals and reptiles. With the natural surroundings of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas lends itself to the best in outdoor experiences.One of the most popular is a day trip to the protected coral cay of the Low Isles, located 15 kilometres (8 miles) off Port Douglas. Set upon a private headland between Cairns and Port Douglass, Thala Beach Nature Reserve has carefully placed their deluxe eco-accommodation in naturally ideal spots throughout the resort’s 145-acre property. Pacific Watersports transport you and the SUPs to the river, give you a safety and instructional briefing, then it’s time to hit the water. If you do plan on going hiking make sure you’re wearing adequate shoes and take an abundant supply of drinking water. Swap your on-road vehicle for an off-road one and spend the afternoon driving through the rainforest on a quad. There are cafes; a. through the rainforest and a mini golf course there too for diversion when you’re tired of shopping. Palm Cove is a coastal village with a beautiful esplanade lined with palms and a quaint, colorful main street. Getting to Port Douglas. On top of the do list for all adventurists is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Moored at the outer Great Barrier Reef, where the coral and marine life is most prolific, Reef Encounter offers 21 double and twin cabins and packages ranging from one to three nights. The Emu Ridge Gallery is a museum and store on Therwine Street in Kuranda Village. In the Flecker Garden, you’ll see unusual plant life from the world’s tropical rainforests, and in the Fitzalan Gardens, you can relax by the lily ponds. is the tallest viewing platform in Cairns, and from there, you can see right across the rainforest as far as Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef. The beach is half an hour’s drive from Port Douglas and forty minutes from Cairns. There are impressive national parklands with stunning waterfalls and swimming holes to visit, galleries exhibiting aboriginal art, wildlife parks where you can get up close to enormous crocodiles and great opportunities to get active and enjoy some adventure sports. At the reserve, you can stroll the elevated wooden pathways to observe crocodiles lazing in the mud, koalas asleep in the trees and lizards basking on the rocks. In the Gondwana Heritage Garden, you can follow the evolution of Australian plant life or observe the rare examples of the endangered Layered Tassel Fern growing alongside the boardwalks. Be prepared for the cacophony of bird song, it’s incredible. The museum houses a large collection of fossils on its lower floor which includes dinosaur eggs, ammonites, and ornitholestes. The Smithfield terminal is around fifty minutes drive from Port Douglas and just under twenty from Cairns. There are, in fact, so many things to do between Port Douglas and Cairns, if you wanted to fit in doing all of them, you probably wouldn’t get back to your hotel for a week. It’s Australia’s largest butterfly house and home to over two thousand butterflies and moths. Travel inspiration and destination guides, plus tips and hacks, straight to your inbox, Summer at last. Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure is a wildlife reserve located halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas. offer a super Ploughman’s Platter sharing plate which will more than replenish your energy levels ready for moving on. The road from Cairns to Port Douglas is a spectacular coastal drive and the distance from Cairns to Port Douglas is 67km. Climbing the Lookout to see the sights is free of charge but comes accompanied by the blood-curdling screams of the bungee jumpers and jungle swing riders. The seventy-kilometer journey takes around an hour, and along the way, the route passes through some of Queensland’s most awe-inspiring scenery. The wetlands are a rehabilitated sugar cane farm and old sand quarry planted with Alexander Palm, a species of tree carrying a “concerned” classification on the endangered species list. Reservations can be made on the Skyrail website and boarding passes are collected from the terminal. … Take a wander along the boardwalks leading through the Feather Palm Forest by the side of the lakes, and you could spot egrets, ibis, cormorants, and stalks. Hop aboard and explore the tropical far north of QLD and enjoy the sun while checking out the World Heritage destinations Queensland’s is proud of. Have the ultimate adrenaline thrill by bungee jumping off the fifty-meter high tower at AJ Hackett’s. There are bird hides situated throughout the reserve and if you’re carrying provisions with you, several picnic and barbecue areas you can make use of for taking lunch al fresco. The park encompasses twenty-five acres of rainforest, mangrove swamp and lagoon intersected by over two thousand meters of boardwalks. This very great tip comes from the lovely Natalie and Desi at Betty’s Bohemian Beach Cafe. Among the trees of the, s, you could see Orange-footed Scrub Fowl, black and white Torres Strait Pigeons and some very large, smiling, White-lipped Treefrogs. Hop on a short flight south, and you can cruise the beautiful Whitsunday Islands , with some of Australia's best beaches , … Our expert tour guides have been hosting tours to Mossman Gorge and the Daintree Rainforest since 1985. Climb up the stairs of the forty-five-meter high launching platform; then once you’re belted into the safety harness and got your helmet on, you’re in control. The. Paddle out of Palm Cove in a kayak to the reefs around Double Island to see both the Green and Hawksbill turtles which inhabit the area. After exploring the beachfront in Palm Cove, drop in at the Pandanus Aboriginal Art Gallery to see some of the exceptional artworks on exhibit there. park, there’s a cafeteria-restaurant serving meals, drinks, and snacks which has a terrace overlooking the Melaleuca wetlands. If you prefer to go out on the sea rather than the river, you can do that with Pacific Watersports too. *** The #1 Port Douglas Attraction*** Hand-feed Australian Wallabies and Kangaroos, spot the Southern Cassowary or Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo, watch a crocodile feeding presentation, or take a selfie with a Koala at Wildlife Habitat! Take time out from driving to explore the colorful wooden houses of the village, and you’ll discover a lively arts and crafts atmosphere with two daily markets, bird, butterfly and koala sanctuaries, art galleries, stores selling hand-cut opals and much much more. and boarding passes are collected from the terminal. The Best time to visit Port Douglas Since its establishment in the late 1870s, Port Douglas has had many incarnations: gold-rush port, sugar-export hub, quiet fishing village. Is there more to do between Cairns and Port Douglas than take in the views? Join the tour at the. There’s also a chance of spotting rays and shovel-nosed sharks feeding – you can’t see those in a car – and, depending on the tidal conditions, kayaking into a limestone cave full of stalactites. Wangetti Beach is a superb spot to stop off along the Queensland coast for photographs. If you’re wearing red or white, be prepared for them to settle on you. The good news is that the roads are in great condition, quiet and are very easy to drive on. Cairns, located in far North Queensland is home to Australia’s most beautiful and iconic landscapes.From tropical rainforest to the world famous Great Barrier Reef, there is just so much to see and do.. It’s Australia’s largest butterfly house and home to over two thousand butterflies and moths. Also, the drive from Port Douglas to Cape Tribulation is quite remarkable Meet the inhabitants of a tropical rainforest when you enter the aviaries of. The company has a. departing from Palm Cove in the early afternoon. Although it’s not real, the dinosaur skeleton on the staircase is pretty impressive and makes for a fun souvenir photograph of your visit to Kuranda. If you are thinking of coming to Port Douglas for a holiday and you are trying to find out the top 10 best things to see and 10 best things to do whilst here on holidays for yourself and your fellow travelling companions then take a peek at our list below for starters. We have reviews of the best places to see in Port Douglas. There you can enjoy a refreshing drink or some lunch in a beer garden surrounded by the rainforest while listening to the market buskers. The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas and Daintree is around 110km. Although it’s not real, the dinosaur skeleton on the staircase is pretty impressive and makes for a fun souvenir photograph of your visit to Kuranda. Port Douglas. More than just one garden of tropical plants, the Botanic Gardens incorporates five different plant gardens, one freshwater, and one saltwater lake, a conservatory, a rainforest boardwalk, and an arts centre. From Kuranda, the Barron Falls Road is clearly signed, and after a couple of kilometers, you’ll arrive at the car park from where you can walk to the lookout point. Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation, Mossman Gorge in a day. Visitors have been coming to Port Douglas for over 30 years to touch and taste what is one of the worlds unique and … There’s a beautiful tropical island nearby, day tours and sailing, specialised scuba diving trips, snorkelling, adventure, fishing and scenic flights, all ready and keen to show you marine life that will blow your mind. Meet the inhabitants of a tropical rainforest when you enter the aviaries of Birdworld Kuranda. Take time out from driving to explore the colorful wooden houses of the village, and you’ll discover a lively arts and crafts atmosphere with two daily markets, bird, butterfly and koala sanctuaries, art galleries, stores selling hand-cut opals and much much more. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members. Visit top … Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Port Douglas, Australia on Tripadvisor: See 153,706 traveler reviews and photos of Port Douglas tourist attractions. The Cattana Wetlands are one of the best places for bird spotting in Queensland. The list of things to do between Cairns and Port Douglas is almost endless, but here are twelve of the best you definitely won’t want to miss doing during your holiday. at AJ Hackett’s Adventure Park is the only one of its kind in Australia. A day tour with BTS Tours is a must for all visitors to the Port Douglas and Cairns region. From exploring beautiful beaches to getting up close to Australian wildlife, here are the best things to do and see in Port Douglas. The gondolas depart from the Smithfield terminal from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon at fifteen-minute intervals but planning ahead is essential as pre-booking is a requirement. Reservations can be made on the. 10 Top Things. It’s all part of the quad biking fun. If extreme sports are not for you, you can still climb to the top of the bungee tower to see the views. And do as many things as possible on my 16 Really awesome things to do in Cairns blog post. In the Aboriginal Plant Use Garden, you’ll discover fascinating examples of flora used by Australia’s Indigenous population for food and medicinal purposes. Tours of the caterpillar breeding facilities in the sanctuary are given at no extra charge. Once you’ve seen the falls, if you don’t want to get straight back in the car, there are several short hiking trails running through the park which are graded as easy and lead up to the Red Bluff, Glacier Rock, and Toby’s lookout viewpoints. Rome2rio makes travelling from Cairns to Port Douglas easy. You’ll ride along rough and bumpy, rock-strewn stream beds, explore muddy pathways surrounded by forest and stop off for a rest and photos along the way. Cairns has a variety of reef boats that depart daily from the Marlin Marina offering snorkelling, scuba diving, semi-sub tours and glass bottom boat tours. Join the tour at the Cairns Quads company’s base on Mount Haren Road in Kuranda where you’ll have a safety briefing followed by a practice run before hitting the tracks. Coffees and snack food can be had at the Chill Cafe and Jack and Shanan’s offer a super Ploughman’s Platter sharing plate which will more than replenish your energy levels ready for moving on. Back on Reef Encounter, there’s a … We have reviews of the best places to see in Port Douglas. You c… Among the trees of the Cattana Wetlands, you could see Orange-footed Scrub Fowl, black and white Torres Strait Pigeons and some very large, smiling, White-lipped Treefrogs. No other region in the world is bordered by two World Heritage Listed areas as is the Port Douglas region. Cons- Fewer facilities and shopping than Cairns. There are cafes; a botanic garden walk through the rainforest and a mini golf course there too for diversion when you’re tired of shopping. company’s base on Mount Haren Road in Kuranda where you’ll have a safety briefing followed by a practice run before hitting the tracks. It’s a diversion which will pay you with dividends of stunning mountain and forest scenery. You’ll ride along rough and bumpy, rock-strewn stream beds, explore muddy pathways surrounded by forest and stop off for a rest and photos along the way. Whether you’ve done it before or not, they’ve got a unique sixteen jump program to suit all experience levels. The quad bike tours head out in the morning and afternoons, so you can choose the time which suits you best, and last for around one and a half hours. Take a day trip to Cairns. It doesn’t matter which way you’re arriving from as, although there are no facilities on the beach, there is a car park at either end. To get to the falls, you’ll need to leave the Captain Cook Highway and drive along the Kennedy Highway before taking the turn-off for Kuranda. Park up, and take a walk along the four kilometres of sands to admire the surrounding scenery. The museum houses a large collection of fossils on its lower floor which includes dinosaur eggs, ammonites, and ornitholestes. Full Day Tour in the Daintree. Do it blindfolded, in a forward flip, with a swan dive or even while riding a BMX bicycle, guaranteed, it’s something you will never forget. The exhibitions at the Pandanus Aboriginal Art Gallery change frequently throughout the year. The two hundred acre reserve is fifty minutes by car from Port Douglas and twenty from Cairns. We now have a full post on things to do in Cairns . Swap your road vehicle for a floating one and take a couple of hours out of the car to go paddleboarding through the Kuranda rainforest. There are incredible coastal views on one side, rainforest covered mountains on the other and some great spots where you can pull off the road to take photographs. Join the tour at the headquarters of Pacific Watersports on the Williams Esplanade in Palm Cove. One day on the Great Barrier Reef is simply not enough, so bedding down on the reef on a luxury boat allows for an extended visit. While you’re in the Kuranda Village, take a walk through the tropical wonderland of the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary on Rob Veivers Drive. An hour travel from Cairns to Port Douglas transfers you to a unique experience worthy of a holiday vacation. Enter the steamy, tropical atmosphere of the Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory, and you’ll come across the stunning collection of aroids and orchids as well as some weird, but wonderful, carnivorous plants. The gallery, in the Beach Club on Williams Esplanade, displays paintings and sculptures from multiple, award-winning Indigenous artists. Wander through the stalls of the Kuranda Original Market on Therwine Street, and you’ll find artisans at work crafting wood, leather, and jewelry. If you want to eat lunch at. The fossils are displayed alongside an extensive collection of gemstones many of which have been found in Australia. If extreme sports are not for you, you can still climb to the top of the bungee tower to see the views. Explore the landscaped gardens which are home to birds from rainforests not just in Australia, but all over the world. We also operate Port Douglas Bus and provide transfers between Port Douglas and Cairns airport and Cairns city. On longer stays guests can learn to dive, snorkel to their heart’s content or simply view the underwater scenery from a glass-bottom boat. Explore the landscaped gardens which are home to birds from rainforests not just in Australia, but all over the world. I am not sure what trips Townsville has, may have something comparable. As a tourist destination, prices of most things tend to be higher here than in Cairns … © 2020 Port Douglas Deals • 1. #17! Morning Half Day Tour. Activity deals and last minute discounts on reef trips, sailing, snorkeling, fishing, golf, day spas, rainforest tours and more. A return journey on the seven and a half kilometre long Skyrail takes approximately two and a half hours including two stops of twenty minutes at the Barron Falls and Red Peak viewpoints. The closest airport to Port Douglas is Cairns International Airport. For a refreshing chicken and chorizo salad or a steak big enough to sustain you for the rest of the day, stop by the, on the Palm Cove beachfront. Wangetti Beach lines a small, picturesque cove backed by mountains but what draws photographers is a section at the southern end which is covered with boulders and pebbles. There’s also a chance of spotting rays and shovel-nosed sharks feeding – you can’t see those in a car – and, depending on the tidal conditions, kayaking into a limestone cave full of stalactites. At the Kuranda Koala Gardens, you can join in with kangaroo, wallaby and wombat feeding times then observe the crocodile’s dinnertime from a safe distance. Port Douglas; Torres Strait; Atherton Tablelands; Cooktown & Cape York; Gulf Savannah & Outback; Daintree & Cape Tribulation; Cairns & Northern Beaches Tourism Port Douglas Daintree acknowledges the custodianship of the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef by the local Kuku Yalanji and Yirraganydji people whose rich cultures, heritage values, enduring connections and shared efforts protect our natural assets for future generations, and we pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging. Back on Reef Encounter, there’s a dining saloon and bar, sundeck and games area. Sunset at the Esplanade Bonus tip! From Kuranda, the Barron Falls Road is clearly signed, and after a couple of kilometers, you’ll arrive at the car park from where you can walk to the lookout point. Build yours then take a few pictures. Paddle downstream surrounded by the Kuranda rainforest stopping off to dive into swimming holes or take some refreshment on the banks of the river. When you’ve got plenty of pent up energy and want to let off steam, turn of the Captain Cook Highway in the direction of Smithfield between Cairns and Port Douglas and you’ll find the AJ Hackett Adventure Park. Explore a coral cay. Do it blindfolded, in a forward flip, with a swan dive or even while riding a BMX bicycle, guaranteed, it’s something you will never forget. The Kuranda Rainforest Village in the Kuranda National Park is half an hour’s drive from Cairns and one hour from Port Douglas. On longer stays guests can learn to dive, snorkel to their heart’s content or simply view the underwater scenery from a glass-bottom boat. , you can join in with kangaroo, wallaby and wombat feeding times then observe the crocodile’s dinnertime from a safe distance. Experience ultimate star gazing, nature walks, and … through the Kuranda rainforest. At the. Cairns to Port Douglas welcomes you to the tropics and rainforest escapes of the north. Tours depart from Cairns or Port Douglas can be taken over a 7-day period to suit your sightseeing schedule. Stop off on the outskirts of Cairns to explore the extensive acreage of the Cairns Botanic Gardens. Experience the best of Cairns and Port Douglas when you book online and save with Australia's innovative activity and attraction booking engine. It takes around an hour to drive to Port Douglas from Cairns. The road between Cairns and Port Douglas is also extremely scenic and there are plenty of stops you can make along the way. is a museum and store on Therwine Street in Kuranda Village. Paddle downstream surrounded by the Kuranda rainforest stopping off to dive into swimming holes or take some refreshment on the banks of the river. If you love adventure then you won’t be be disappointed when you arrive in Cairns. If you’ve dreamt of flying through the jungle or bungee jumping off a fifty-meter high tower surrounded by rainforest, then AJ Hackett’s is the place to make your dream come true. If you want to eat lunch at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure park, there’s a cafeteria-restaurant serving meals, drinks, and snacks which has a terrace overlooking the Melaleuca wetlands. It’s an exciting way to go deeper into the rainforest than you can in a car, but be ready to get just a little wet and dirty. to see some of the exceptional artworks on exhibit there. cascade over two hundred and fifty meters and are at their most impressive when in full flow during the wet season. Be prepared for the cacophony of bird song, it’s incredible. Car is recommended though for shorter trips a great intinerary can be organised without one.