Over the last couple of days, I’ve been getting up to all sorts of different things! 😁 Those of you who’ve read my previous post will know that I picked up a car in Cairns, and Port Douglas was the first place I took my trusty steed to visit! 😎
If you too are driving, then I’d recommend the car park situated off Wharf Street where it meets Ashford Avenue. It’s close to everything, free all day, and as long as you don’t park in one of the trailer bays there’s pretty much no danger of getting towed away 😉
Port Douglas is a quaint, colonial-style town that has a pleasant and welcoming feel to it. It sits on the waterfront, and its numerous streets are lined with various shops, eateries and cute little precincts. It had just gone 7:30 am when I arrived, so my first stop was breakfast, and after a spot of Googling and a little wandering around, I found The Little Red Kitchen.
Not much to look at from the outside and nothing to write home about on the inside, either, this place makes the most amazing sourdough toast with a choice of eggs – I had scrambled – and with bacon as an option! I also opted to wash everything down with not one, but two flat whites and also an Orange & Pineapple fruit juice! 😋
A few days later, before heading around the Thala Beach Nature Reserve, I came back to Port Douglas for breakfast at Cafe Fresq – located diagonally opposite The Little Red Kitchen on the corner of Grant (Street) and Macrossan. It was nice, but in my opinion, not quite as good.
With a full tum, I then headed out to explore more of this picturesque settlement. I soon found myself in Rex Smeal Park, situated by the water and overlooking both the Daintree Rain Forest (across the bay) and also the site of what used to be the old lighthouse.
Court House Museum
A short walk from here will find you outside the Court House Museum, where inside, you will find the congenial and convivial resident history buff, Bruce! That is his name, I kid you not! Bruce will tell you, amongst other things, and in no particular order:
- all about the historic Court House building,
- also about the only woman to have been hanged in Port Douglas – one Ellen Thomson, who had her husband killed by her deserter boyfriend,
- why Churchill wasn’t best pleased with the Australian government during WWII: basically for wanting to defend their territories from Japanese invasion and not heeding the recall of troops back to blighty,
- his thoughts on Britain, or as he puts it, “The Mother Land”
- and also his thoughts on the British Royal Family…specifically Prince Charles!
After spending a good while in the company of this absolute legend – and another thoroughly nice Aussie, too (I’ve met a lot of those so far on this trip! 😎) – I headed back out into the sun and set off for Flagstaff Hill and Lookout. A top tip recommendation from none other than the man himself 😁
Flagstaff Hill Walking Trail
So here’s a top tip from me: if you’re going to go walk the Flagstaff trail, then don’t forget to bring a water bottle – especially in almost 30-degree heat! I survived, naturally, otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this, but that was more with the aid of Wicked Ice Creams than anything else (more on them later) 😳 Actually, they do have water fountains along the way, so I can’t be the only daft Pom who’s forgotten to bring water along before! 🤦🏻♂️
Above are a couple of screenshots I took of my route, and below is a selection of the photos I took along the way. Surprisingly, It takes around an hour to do the walk – especially when you’re stopping along the way to admire the views and also darting off on the little side paths that take you to the numerous observation points
Eventually, the trail brings you out overlooking Four Mile Beach, which, again, sadly, at this time of year, you can’t swim in due to all the jellyfish (well, except for in the netted-off area that is, but then it looks like you in nursery class 😂).
Wicked Ice Creams
When you’re navigating via Apple Maps (other mapping services are available 😉) and you notice an establishment with “Ice Cream” in the title, naturally, the thought “Ooo….Ice Cream” is one that springs to mind! Especially when you’re flagging (no pun intended) in the baking hot weather, and especially if you’re me! 😉 So, obviously, finding said establishment became my new priority!
From where I found myself, it was a little walk up Macrosson Street, and there – lo and behold – you really can’t fail to miss a shop with 43 different flavoured ice creams on display! Yes, that’s right, I did say 43! 🤩 A three-scoop Raspberry, Mango and Chocolate Sorbet – yes, I did also say Chocolate Sorbet – washed down with some ice-cold Berry Storm, and this intrepid adventurer was back and raring to go!
Whilst Ice Cream might be a universal cure-all for many things, my sniffle that was taking an increasing hold was sadly not one of them 🤧
As well as the delicious provisions, the lovely lady behind the counter at Wicked also gave me yet another top tip for the day: visit Mossman Gorge – particularly for the reviving and cooling lagoon encounter 😎 With this firmly at the front of my mind, my objective for the afternoon was set, and I’ll be sharing more about that adventure in my next post. Before leaving Port Douglas, however, there are two additional things I want to share – both discovered on my way back to the car.
The Book Lounge
For a little while, I used to help out in the Chard Book Shop. This was a time that held a particular fondness for me, particularly as I’d always wanted to work in a bookshop; it was a dream come true. Stumbling upon The Book Lounge brought back happy memories of that time; nestled on the corner of Grant (Street) and Warner, and with the obligatory Christmas regalia, this establishment is quite the find! 😎
In all honesty, I could have happily stayed in there for the rest of the day – it has a comforting aura about it that draws you in and makes you feel right at home 🤗 However, Mossman was calling, so having filled myself with “bookish joy” and a sense of nostalgia, too, I headed on my way.
St Mary’s by the Sea
I’d almost made it to the car when this little nugget caught my eye. Now, I’m not a religious person per se, but I do appreciate religious architecture (of all shapes and sizes).
It had been cleaned, ready for a wedding, so there was no chance of popping in to have a look around sadly. But what one could see from the door looked beautiful: sympathetically reinforced roofing to weather the tropical storms and gorgeously colourful stained glass, it was something else to make me smile 😀
With a fond farewell, I saddled up my white stallion, and it was time to head to Mossman!
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