Port Douglas

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Peg and Dave went out for an early morning walk. Majella and I relaxed and waited until they returned before eating breakfast.

We had thought of driving to the Atherton Tableland today but after some discussion last night we had decided instead to go to Port Douglas. That was a much shorter drive both ways and we had no need to rush our departure.

Around 9 am we set off and made good time despite a couple of short delays around roadwork. We enjoyed the drive through the forest along the coast and paused for a while to take in the view at Rex Lookout. It was breezy this morning and there were none of the hangliders we saw on our visit in 2020.

At Port Douglas we found a park in the main street. So that Peg and Dave could wander the shops in peace, Majella suggested we separate and return in 90 minutes or so. We set off separately.

Majella and I had not gone far when she spotted a store offering pedicures and hot stone massages. They had a slot available in 15 minutes so we wandered a little and then came back for Majella to enjoy her treat.

I set off alone, looking for a cheap, possibly expendable, shirt that I could wear for snorkelling at Green Island tomorrow. I found an opportunity shop at the far end of town but it had nothing suitable. Neither was there anything along the Main Street. It was almost time to meet Majella and when I returned to that area I spotted KHub, a mini-KMart. There I acquired a long sleeved white shirt for $15 – ideal for my purposes I hoped.

Majella exited from her pedicure a little after 10:30 and we found our way to a nearby coffee shop where we drank coffees and shared a muffin. We finished there with plenty of time to walk to the end of the shops on the main street and back to meet Peg and Dave near the parked car. There were some interesting shops but nothing we needed to buy.

We found Peg and Dave waiting near the car. By then it was approaching lunchtime so Majella drove us to the end of Four-Mile Beach, just out of the central town area. There was limited parking near the beach and no vacant tables where we could eat the picnic lunch we had brought.

Majella found a parking space near a park a hundred metres or so from the beach. We walked back toward the beach hoping one of the picnic tables might have been vacated. They hadn’t so we returned and used one in the shade of some trees near where we had parked.

After lunch we strolled back to and along the beach. It was long but we did not walk to the end to confirm that it deserved its name, Four-Mile Beach. The sun was warm and the clouds building in the distance offered no protection on the beach. I stayed as much as I could in the shade of the fringing coconut palms. From there we drove through some of the suburban streets of Port Douglas, back to the highway, and on to Clifton Beach.

After a short time resting Dave mentioned that he would like to buy a T-shirt with First Nations artwork. We drove to the shopping centre at Smithfield and walked the length of the mall, checking every store that might sell clothing. None had what Dave wanted. Some googling found a souvenir shop on the Cairns Esplanade that might have something and we resolved to visit that in the morning.

Back at the apartment we finished the day with snacks and drinks, a swim in the pool for all except Peg, ham and salad for dinner, and time for relaxation before an early night. We needed to be rested for our excursion to Green Island.

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