PORT DOUGLAS Port Douglas is a very nice holiday destination. After our visit now highly recommended and on our next circuit we will be staying a week or so. Port Douglas as a small town has been in existence for a very long time. It is only been in ‘recent’ time that Port Douglas has attained both national and international notice as a holiday destination. Being north of Cairns ensures an all year round tourist destination. The settled weather being the winter months, the ‘port’ can produce good weather even in the ‘wet’ season. The town is named in honour of former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880. Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. In 1960 the town, was little more than a fishing village and had a population of 100, then in the mid-1980s, tourism boomed in the region after investor Christopher Skase financed the construction of the world-class Sheraton Mirage. The ‘port’ has not looked back since. The White Haven Hotel is the traditional pub that has seen many a boom and bust over the past century. The Museum is located near the waterfront and gives a good picture of the booms and busts. The historic church is also a survivor. The other churches are new and most likely products of late developments. The Port Douglas War Memorial is also located at the water front. The Four Mile Beach is the draw card and the driver of the growth. This is a really nice beach. Enjoy, and stay as long as time allows.