Day 369 | Dougies, Port Douglas: jungle in the town
rest day
The road turns quite spectacular just north of Cairns.
One lookout gives a vista from the hills over the other side of Cairns harbour 180ยบ around to Cape Tribulation. There’s plenty of advertising for the region as the “rainforest meets the sea”, the hills right up against the beach making for a few memorable panoramas.
The road, well it’s OK for the most part, a reasonable shoulder to start through the suburbs and northern beaches, a few climbs where the road narrowed but with two batches of roadworks the cars were held up, coming past in a convoy, bumper to bumper, then the road was clear, not so bad. Not so many places to stop and camp here, the jungle the archetypal lost-in-the-Amazon style of adventure movies, tall trees, plentiful undergrowth, vines, creepers and, no doubt, creepy crawlies.
Port Douglas has changed somewhat since I was here last, almost two thirds of a lifetime ago: Macrossan Street is fully built out with shops, eateries, clothes, souvenirs, travel outlets specialising in tours to the reef, four star accommodation with or without a self contained kitchen, ice creams parlours, etc, but the vegetation is thick and the shopping tightly confined. It’s well done, ain’t so sleepy anymore but somehow it’s retained the ambience of times past, sort of. Flagstaff Hill, 4 Mile Beach, the jetty area with views up to Cape Tribulation are still dominant, the greenery well established, mature.
Some things never change: I tried a Mocka’s pie for old times sake.
Verdict: still the finest in Australia.