Destination Information
Cairns/Port Douglas

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Dazzling blue skies, long white beaches and warm perfumed air… Far North Queensland is a jewel beside the sea. In spite of its popularity and sophistication, both Cairns and Port Douglas retail their close-knit community character, and this area continues to be a popular getaway destination.

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

Far North Queensland features unique rainforest habitats 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 mainland, the Great Barrier Reef is just 8 miles off shore, affording excellent and 'must-do' access.

At nearby Mossman Gorge you'll discover rainforest walking tracks and refreshing swimming holes. Mossman, a thriving old sugar towns, 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.

Location

Cairns and Port Douglas are located in the Far North Queensland region of Australia. Tropical North Queensland is where the rainforest meets the reef!

Cairns is the gateway to this vibrant region. Just 70 kilometres (44 miles) north of Cairns lies Port Douglas, one of Queensland's most sophisticated, stylish seaside villages.

How to get there

Cairns International Airport services the whole of the Far North Queensland region. Qantas, Virgin Blue and Australian Airlines fly to Cairns daily from all major domestic cities and also direct from Asia. The flight to Cairns from Sydney is approximately 3 hours.

Port Douglas is an hour coach drive north of Cairns Airport. The road from Cairns to Port Douglas boasts spectacular scenery of the coastline and rainforests.

Airport from the city

Cairns Airport is roughly 15-minutes drive from the city. Port Douglas is a scenic one hour drive north of Cairns.

Climate

The North Queensland climate is typically tropical with distinct wet and dry seasons. The ideal time to visit the region is during the dry seasons, which runs from May to October. The dry season along with the low humidity and cool breeze makes it pleasurable for activities.

Monthly Average Maximum Temperature

Month	Max Temp (C)	Max Temp (F)
January	28	82
February	27	81
March	26	79
April	25	77
May	23	74
June	21	71
July	20	69
August	21	70
September	22	73
October	24	76
November	26	79
December	27	82

Map

Click here for a Map of Cairns & Port Douglas

Hotels

Sheraton Mirage Resort (Port Douglas)
Thala Beach Lodge (Port Douglas)
Silky Oaks Lodge (Port Douglas
Radisson Treetops Resort (Port Douglas)
Rydges Reef Resort (Port Douglas)
Shangri-la Cairns The Marina (Cairns)
Cairns International (Cairns)

With over 30 years experience in Venue management ID have established excellent negotiation and operational relationships with all the Hotel chains and individual properties. Our experience and leverage with our preferred venues ensures the best possible value for your next event.

Highlights

The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is a living phenomenon. The reef’s coloured branches sit upon banks of limestone polyps, which have been built up slowly over thousands of years from the seabed. Brightly coloured tropical fish glide and dart through the coral gardens and channels of water separate the banks of the coral. A visit to this part of Australia absolutely must include a trip to the Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

A number of operators service the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas. Choose your Reef adventure, cruise, snorkel, dive, fly or submarine!

The Daintree Rainforest
The World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest is a must do whilst in Far North Queensland. It is one of the most diverse and beautiful examples of Mother Nature in the world and home to the largest range of plants and animals on earth, all found within the largest chunk of rainforest in Australia, an area spanning approximately 1200 square kilometres. Numerous companies operate day trips and extended trips to the rainforests north of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Shopping
The Pier Marketplace in Cairns and the Marina Mirage in Port Douglas are excellent places to shop for clothes, souvenirs and gifts. Resort shopping aside, the region is also full of art and craft galleries (particularly on the Atherton Tableland), boutiques, and specialty stores carrying a wide variety of goods, some unique and some utilitarian.

In the park opposite the Courthouse Hotel in Port Douglas, the seaside Sunday markets brings together a wide selection of local Arts and Crafts as well as fresh tropical fruit and vegetables. Normal hours of opening for retail outlets are 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and 9am-12pm Saturday.

Indigenous Culture
This region is very important to the local Aboriginal people. Indigenous Australians have lived in Far North Queensland for thousands and thousands of years. Visitors can learn about the local Aboriginal culture through guided walks and half-day trips with an indigenous guide or at Tjapukai Cultural Centre. Tjapukai, located 10 minutes from the Cairns city centre, is a stunning theatrical interpretation of Aboriginal culture from the beginning of time into the future. Seven separate arenas allow visitors to experience every facet of the rainforest people’s culture.

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Destination Information Cairns/Port Douglas