Port Douglas

Port Douglas; view from near the market
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Spent five days in the Port Douglas area, which were among my best days in Oz. The town itself a great holiday spot -- nice scenery, great beach, good restaurants and bars, and the base for many tours and activities. Best of all, it is one of those places that has taken pains to avoid becoming overly commercial and touristy.

We stayed at the Queenslander, a good choice if you're going to spend multiple days in a row in "Port." Washer, dryer, pool, resident cat, and friendly staff that were very helpful in recommending and arranging activities.

Where the reef meets the rainforest

Another view near the market
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Highlights:

Wandering through the market (which I believe takes place every Sunday), admiring the beach, picturesque church, and varied goods on sale. I especially enjoyed the "human" heads crafted from coconuts.

Snorkeling (a first for me) in the Great Barrier Reef. We took the Poseidon boat, which stopped at three different reef sites. The first reef site was a disaster for me, and probably also for my girlfriend and the unfortunate woman who wanted a "buddy" while her husband dived. The waves were rougher than I expected, my mask was too tight, my mustache allowed too much water into my eye mask, I failed to keep the mouth piece in my mouth, and I forgot how to breathe naturally. In short, the excursion was fast becoming my worst water-related nightmare. Worse than my birthday party where I was the only person who failed to pass the deep water swimming test. With some help from my girlfriend, I figured out that snorkeling is not meant to be hard, and I thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling sites #2 and #3. It's hard to describe the colorful splendor of the coral and sea creatures beneath you. Amazing.

Four-mile beach
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Touring the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation. We walked through a beautiful gorge and a 110 million year old rainforest, and saw many fascinating plants (e.g., cycads, king ferns) and creatures (e.g., crocodiles, golden orb spiders). I also sampled "bush tucker" (a green ant's bum) and swam in a stunning waterfall.

Taking a hot-air balloon ride (another first). Interestingly, the crew could not predict our exact launch site (or later, our landing site). The answers were blowing in the wind. Once our group of 18 was safely inside the basket, the ascent to 3,000 feet was surprisingly smooth and silent (except for the periodic bursts of hot air that the pilot never seemed to warn us about). The flight lasted 30 minutes and provided outstanding views and a great experience.

Mossman Gorge
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Enjoying a special birthday meal at Nautilus. Apparently Bill Clinton dined here several years ago, and enjoyed it. We did too. The outdoor setting, under a canopy of trees, was memorable, and the food and wine were excellent.