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We loved our stay at Port Douglas – it has everything for a fabulous family holiday in Tropical North Queensland…the Daintree Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, spectacular sunsets, an abundance of tours to get the whole family out and about – and it’s just a short hop from everything this part of Queensland has to offer.
In Port Douglas and across Australia, Westpac customers can access exclusive deals on a range of Accor hotels, with benefits like late checkout, free cancellation and date change flexibility when booking with your Westpac Mastercard (conditions apply).
After such an amazing trip, we feel there’s no reason to pine for overseas travel when you can travel within your home state – Australia really has it all!
WHERE TO STAY IN PORT DOUGLAS
We stayed at the amazing Pullman Sea Temple Resort & Spa – its self-contained apartments are within a five-star luxury resort and are perfect for families.
The apartments are huge and come with everything you need: king-sized bed, spacious bathrooms, a well-appointed kitchen with a fridge, cooking and serving areas and a washing machine and dryer for your laundry needs.
There is also a lounge room, dining area, and large balcony and our apartment had a massive rooftop entertaining area with spa (other rooms opened straight onto the pool).
Everything here is supersized – the swimming pool was massive and wound around like a lazy river past pool-front apartments and under little bridges. The pool bar offers cocktails and drinks and has a large assortment of floaties for kids, and there’s even a kids’ pool to keep little ones happy.
Aluco Restaurant & Bar serves incredible breakfasts (my favourite is the zucchini frittata and Emmie loved the banana bread) and makes delicious dinners too (salmon salad and burgers for us!).
If you can tear yourself away from the relaxing lagoon pool, the Pullman has its own private beach entrance just a few minutes’ walk away. It takes you down to the southern end of Four Mile Beach – it’s a lovely walk into town or just a mosey along, you may even see kite surfers heading out on the ocean like we did.
OUR FIVE FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IN & AROUND PORT DOUGLAS:
There is so much to do in and around Port Douglas that you’ll need to schedule rest-time. Here are five of our favourites:
Four Mile Beach
A gorgeous stretch of beach that runs from the Pullman Sea Temple Resort & Spa all the way into town. Take a morning walk, build sandcastles, wander into Port Douglas for a coffee and a meal. It’s a gorgeous spot to soak up the sun under the palm trees – but please don’t go into the ocean. Swimming in Port Douglas is strictly pool only unless you’re at a patrolled beach (there’s one a little closer to town).
Rex Smeal Park
Lined with palm trees and overlooking the ocean and the rainforest, Rex Smeal Park is a popular spot for both locals and tourists to watch the sunset. Take a picnic and a blanket and sit under the palms and watch the stunning colours appear as the sun sets behind the mountains and reflects into the ocean. It’s such a nice place to be as people sing, play music, practice dancing and slackline. There is a playground for kids and public toilets, and its right near the restaurant strip on Macrossan Street.
Shaolin cruise
Sailing aboard this ancient Chinese junk is such a unique way to see the sunset over the ocean and Port Douglas. The trip includes a welcome drink (bubbles, yes please!) and canapés as you relax whilst cruising – the bright red sails go up as you head out to sea. The crew is lovely, the music is fun and its a really great experience that you won’t forget. You can also get out on the water on yachts and other cruises too – Port Douglas has it all covered.
Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
There’s no better place to get out on the reef than from Port Douglas and up into Cape Tribulation. The water is so clear it’s hard to believe, and on our trip we saw the most incredible, healthy clam colony, thriving schools of parrotfish, colourful corals and we even climbed onto a tiny sandy cay in the middle of the reef. A trip to the Great Barrier Reef here is a must!
Visit Cape Tribulation
There is so much to do in Cape Tribulation, and you can experience it right from Port Douglas. Walk the rainforest boardwalks, jump into fresh waterholes, spot crocodiles on the riverbanks and take a horseride on the beach. You can also snorkel out at the pristine Mackay and Undine Reef right from Cape Trib.
There’s no need to head overseas when we have so much to explore in our backyard.
Find out how to access exclusive hotel deals on a range of Accor hotels, including the Pullman Sea Temple Resort & Spa with your Westpac Mastercard here.