Port Douglas

Port Douglas is a small town in Tropical North Queensland, Australia. Port Douglas is approximately 70 km north of Cairns city.

Port Douglas is conveniently situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas: the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

Port Douglas History:
Port Douglas was established in 1877 after the discovery of gold. Port Douglas grew quickly, and at its peak had a population of 12,000. The Kuranda Railway from Cairns to Kuranda was completed in 1891 and with it, the importance of Port Douglas township began to dwindle.

By 1960 Port Douglas had a population of only 100. With the tourism boom of the 1980s - the late Christopher Skase, an investor who financed the construction of the Sheraton Mirage resort, established Port Douglas as a leading tourism destination.

Port Douglas being so near to the Great Barrier Reef, numerous companies run daily trips from the Port Douglas marina to the reef for scuba diving, fishing and snorkelling. Port Douglas is also well known for its many restaurants, golf courses, and five star resorts

In November 1996 United States President Bill Clinton and the First Lady chose Port Douglas as their only vacation stop on their visit to Australia.

Port Douglas experiences hot and humid summers, and pleasantly cool winters.

Port Douglas Mean maximum temperature (°C): 27.9
Port Douglas Mean minimum temperature (°C): 20.6

Tropical North Queensland (or Far North Queensland) is the northernmost part of Queensland. The Tropical North Queensland area stretches from south of the city of Cairns north through Port Douglas to the Torres Strait.

The main administative centre and population of Tropical North Queensland is located in Cairns. Significant commercial industries include tourism, cattle, agriculture (sugar cane, tropical fruits) and mining (sand, bauxite).

Cairns lies about 1,701 km from Brisbane and about 2,420 km from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many Tropical North Queensland attractions. Cairns International Airport is operated by the Cairns Port Authority and is located 7 km north of Cairns City.