Pulling Up Stumps: Port Douglas

When we first started planning our trip, we decided on one thing before we left - we needed a full week in Port Douglas, to properly unpack and unwind... from our...er... holiday...!! Sounds crazy now I type it, but unpacking and packing to move on to the next place each day or two can get a little tiresome. We knew the further we got up the coast, the busier it would get so we called ahead and booked our week at Tropical Breeze Caravan Park, the only park right in town and we managed to nab the last site, squeezed in amongst the annual grey nomads who migrate north for the winter... I bet they wish they'd been warned we were on our way!!

Port Douglas is a great base if you want to explore the Great Barrier and also, for us as we wouldn't be heading back out to the reef this time, to take day trips to the Daintree, Cape Tribulation and Mossmon Gorge and to simply enjoy the laid back vibe that the community has to offer. The major draw card for most to this tropical rainforest holiday spot is the balmy climate - warm days and just as warm nights, with a host of amazing eateries and cafes to tempt you and amazing coastline to enjoy. It's easy to see why Port Douglas is spotted with resorts and backpacker hostels and it's population is very transient because of this.

The kids enjoyed slowing down and not having to pack up each day whist we were here.  One of our favourite daily activities was jumping on own bikes and hitting the beach, riding on the flat, hard sand under the coconut trees. The kids also loved playing in the sand and collecting the coconuts....

A must-do whilst visiting Port Douglas is dropping by the famous waterfront markets that are held every Sunday morning. There's an amazing array of homemade crafts and art, skin creams, lotions and potions, children's clothes and jewellery but most importantly delicious local produce and treats to eat! We were in heaven with a cup of locally grown coffee and the kids were too eating their frozen Port Douglas bananas dipped in melted cacao! It's easy to spend a full morning here sampling the food and listening to the locals perform - like the captivating boy who played the wooden whistle with a lizard on his head! 

A stand-out stall at the markets has to be the coconut heads for sale made by the terrific coconut head carver who has been selling his amazing little creations here for 15years! Luke kicked himself that he didn't buy one of these beauties on our last visit but I'm happy to report, we will be taking home his twin this time around...

We took a trip up to the Daintree on the one day it sprinkled with rain. There was a bit of an eerie feeling about the place when we visited as a woman was unfortunately taken by a crocodile off the beach, just up from the ferry at the Daintree River crossing. The SES workers and police were still there investigating as we drove past Thornton Beach and it made me wonder whether people get a little complacent living with these creatures so close by?

We did a little rainforest walk which crossed over into the mangroves (all on pretty high boardwalks thank goodness!!) and I admit I screamed when Luke brushed my leg with the umbrella from behind... A little jumpy? Yep! And then Sage accidentally dropped said Bunnings umbrella off the boardwalk into the murky brown water below and despite hating the fact that we had technically littered in one of the prettiest places around, there was no way we were jumping in after it! Hope you're dry Mr Crocodile!  

  

We also visited the beautiful Daintree Ice Cream Co, which was a highlight for the kids, and us too! Walking through the lush tropical fruit farms and marvelling at the weird and wonderful fruits that these guys turn into little sample pots of ice-cream was amazing. The ice-cream (wattleseed, pineapple, raspberry and jackfruit) was pretty amazing too!

Cane toad races was the next must-do on Arley's list so we made our way to the Iron Bar for dinner one night and payed our $5 to watch a Steve Irwin wannabe with a very dirty sense of humour (which was thankfully above the kid's comprehension) get his seven cane toads out for a few races. Some of the contenders in the race to get to the side of the table (aided by a screeching party blower) were "Jerry Springer," "Aussie, Aussie Aussie," and "Camel Toad." Luke even got to hold one of these ugly creatures! Lucky him....

 

Mossman Gorge was next during our week of touring the sites in and around Port Douglas. The way the gorge is accessed has changed since we last visited and now, instead of hoards of tourists overwhelming the little car park at the National Park and following each other up and down on the windy, small road, there is a terrific tourist centre at the base of the Gorge with a lovely Aboriginal Art gallery and shop and a great cafe. For a reasonable price, a shuttle bus now takes tourists up to the gorge. The kids loved the bus as much as the bush walking and boy did we end up doing some bush walking - almost 6km in total, past beautiful flowing rivers and streams, wild pig tracks, amazing rainforest and another snake which made Sage scream so loud we thought a Cassowary had attacked her! The final walk ends at the beautiful riverbed of the Mossman River, where the kids couldn't help having a paddle. 

 

To end our week in paradise, we visited Wildlife Habitat and had Breakfast with the Birds. What a way to finish our terrific week in Port Douglas, surrounded by some amazing birds and eating a beautiful buffet breakfast that had the kids in disbelief that you could have eggs AND bacon AND cereal AND waffles AND fruit AND croissants AND an endless flow of juice.... they were on cloud nine. Luke and I thought that the Wildlife Habitat park was in need of a bit of TLC but the kids didn't seem to notice the peeling paint and creaky boardwalks. They loved feeding the wallabies and seeing a real-life 4.5metre croc up close and also touching a bunch of reptiles too. Port Douglas we will definitely be back (and next time maybe stay in one of your fancy-pants resorts instead!).

 

Trains, Gondalas, Bikes and Buggies: Helloooooo Cairns!

On our way to Cairns, we made an unscheduled stop at the Babinda Boulders and what a magical place it was that we stumbled upon! It's still so sticky and hot up this way and the cool, fresh waters of Babinda Creek were so inviting as we followed the other caravaners from the carpark to the river's edge. The rocky outcrops that poke their stoney heads out through the clear, pale green water are beautiful and diving into the water brings instant refreshment and a feeling of invigoration. Arley and Sage grabbed their body boards and they were set. The best bit was that unlike lots of river swimming holes, this one was so clear, the water a bit like glass, you could see to the bottom which was covered in soft river sand and not mud! A salad sambo at the pretty picnic area and we were set to jump back in the car for the final stretch of the day's drive.

Our time at the Big 4 at Airlie Beach a few weeks back convinced our children that life living in a caravan couldn't get much better - in short, they never wanted to leave. Well, a few nights at The Cairns Coconut Resort Caravan Park cemented the fact that van park permies really do have it made... The kids were in heaven and it all started with the personal tour of the caravan park on board the Nemo golf cart...

And then went from good to "unbelievably amazing" for the kids when they saw all the swimming pools and waterslides and mini-golf and indoor playground. And then there was the outdoor playground and bike track and outdoor movie screen and spas and blah blah, fun and more fun blah! The look on Arley's face as the office lady explained that tomorrow morning was free pancake brekkie morning and that Friday they had free snorkelling lessons in the pool was priceless. It was like he'd woken up on Christmas morning and Santa had bought him a personally wrapped fun factory! 

But kids are funny and despite all of the amazing activities and facilities that this Big 4 beauty had on offer, the thing they loved the most? A family bathroom where they could have a bath!! After weeks and weeks of showing in thongs and mostly quickly, one after the other or altogether, the simple luxury of being able to sit and relax and play in the bath was what they had missed from home most. So complete with bubbles, these three soaked in tub and were happy as soapy peas in a pod.

Exploring Cairns and we found ourselves cooling off with the crowds of mostly backpackers at the Lagoon on the foreshore -  it's the city's apology to its residents and visitors for them not being able to swim in the ocean on which the town is built. But with crocodiles and stingers hanging out in the natural beach bathing option, and it looking more like a big muddy bank than an inviting ocean, this pool was just fine and the kids loved that it even had real sand to play in on the sides.

 

And our other Cairns highlight was of course, the Kuranda Skyrail and Scenic Railway. Luke and I have done this day out before and we did toy with the idea of skipping it on this trip, but despite it being a bit on the pricey side, the kids have raved about it since... and we're so glad we did it. All three of the kids were a bit nervy about jumping aboard the Skyrail but once flying up in the sky, looking back over Cairns and below to the thick rainforest, they forgot about the few bumps and dips and really enjoyed the ride. 

The Skyrail trip is broken up with two stops along the way where at each you can get out and take a short bush walk and enjoy wandering through the rainforest that you've been floating over. There are also lookout spots where you can appreciate Barron Gorge and the Falls.

 

The final destination for the Skyrail is Kuranda, which is described as 'The Village in the Rainforest.' It's a funny little place, very touristy with a mix of food places and gift and souvenir shops - some interesting and intriguing, others are on the grotty side and look like they are in need of a serious revamp! But we had lunch in the park where there's a little playground for the kids to play and the kids loved watching some of the buskers at work and sampling the ice cream! Some of the Aboriginal artwork was outstanding also and well worth checking out in one of the many galleries. 

    

But the standout for us all was the incredible train ride back down the mountain side on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Jumping on board this historic train, is like taking a step back in time. Everything from the beautifully restored carriages to the commentary gives passengers a peek into what train travel was like back in 1891 when the train first took people up and down the 37km of track which incorporates 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges. 

The kids loved counting the tunnels and looking out the windows at the beautiful waterfalls and the sweeping green stretches of rainforest below. 

 

  Bastian even fell asleep thanks to the gentle rumble of the train on the tracks. A terrific day out for us all!