Page 154 - WDT Magazine Egypt

Port Douglas

Reefs and Rainforest

ropical Northern Queensland sounded especially
Tenticing as I pored over my Lonely Planet months
before my journey. I realized Brisbane was so close to the
Great Barrier Reef I’d be a fool to not check out at least one
portion of the planet’s largest living organism. Queenslanders
pointed me toward Port Douglas, where I could snorkel at the
reef in and hike through the world’s oldest rainforest.
I slotted three Port Douglas nights into the middle of my
Brisbane stay and flew to Cairns—the most popular jumping-
off point for the reef. The hour’s drive north echoed parts of
California’s Highway 101, with rock-strewn beaches beside the
choppy blue-gray sea on one side and an ever-greener tangle
of trees on the other. The swimming pool at my hotel looked
like a tropical lagoon, and my room had a washer and dryer. I
envied the families staying a week or more at Peppers Beach
Club, and wished I had allotted more time for Port Douglas, a
pretty seaside town with a bustling marina, excellent casual
bars and cafes, a serene four-mile beach and endless options
for adventure.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIBETH MELLIN

154 WDT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018