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| Where shall we go to next?Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
This post will cover a few basic things like driving, shuttle buses and accommodation to help you get on your feet in the Cairns-Port Douglas region so that you can be off more quickly to explore and experience all that the region has to offer.
Cairns - driving
Cairns is the main airport serving this northern region of Queensland. From Brisbane, Cairns is about 1,700 km by car or 3 hours 20 minutes by air. Port Douglas is another hour and a bit north of Cairns.Cairns is the 16th largest city of Australia with a population of only 140,000 people.
The airport is just 6 km from the city centre.
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| Driving is quite straight forward - remember to drive on the left Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
We hired our car from East Coast Car Rentals and we found them accommodating and easy to deal with in spite of our flight being changed/delayed three times. Our pick up from the airport to the car rental premises was smooth and hassle free and the instructions for pick up clear. The car we got was very clean and well maintained. All the cars in the parking lot I saw were also spick and span.
Driving around Cairns is very simple and straightforward. There are no complicated freeways to navigate at all unlike cities like Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth.
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| Sugarcane plantation on the left Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
If you are travelling from overseas, you might be interested to read my post about driving in Australia.
Cairns to Port Douglas
Port Douglas is a popular destination and is just an hour and a quarter from Cairns without stops. There are some nice views along the way and windy stretches so I would suggest not rushing it. |
| In Port Douglas Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
The stops are all on the beach side. It is possible for you to do a right turn into some of these beach side stops but many of these lookouts are just narrow strips with limited parking so it is best to approach these when you are travelling southward.
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| Just look at that view! Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
We did make quite a few stops on our southward journey and found some really unexpectedly stunning beaches - some with flat stretches of sand backed by beautiful coconut palm trees and others with rainforest and mangrove trees. There were others that were covered with smooth round stones like those you might find in rivers. Then there were those that were made of rougher rocky platforms. We also encountered some with large rocks that looked really smooth and soft to the feel.
While these beaches might be tempting, the threat of estuarine crocodiles near river mouths is quite real. Safe swimming zones are patrolled and netted - to keep out crocodiles and jelly fish.
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| Port Douglas sunset Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
Shuttle bus
If you're not picking up a car in Cairns but still want to get to Port Douglas, there are shuttle buses that operate between the airport and Port Douglas. They start at the AUD$35/person mark up to around AUD$50/person at the time of writing. There are quite a number of operators to choose from. You can book these on-line quite easily. Some advise booking at least 24 hours in advance. Most are able to drop you off at your accommodation as Port Douglas isn't that big. The cheapest shuttle is the backpacker shuttle but they only drop off and pick up at designated hostels on a fixed route. |
| Colourful buildings in Port Douglas Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
Accommodation
There is quite a wide range of accommodation styles in Cairns and Port Douglas. You can choose from resorts style hotels, youth hostels and bed and breakfast type places.Our stay at the Ramada Resort Port Douglas was very comfortable. They had free WiFi in the lobby.
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| Rainforest theme swimming pool area Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
So there you have it, driving in this part of Australia is straight forward and simple. Just remember to keep left when driving.
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| Chauffer driven Photo copyright Maria Ngo |
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