Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the major wonders of the world.  

When I stayed in Port Douglas it was only a day trip on a catamaran to go out to the reef and visit a pontoon which enabled you to snorkel and go down in a glass submarine – a bit freaky.  And do remember to make sure you get back on board at the end of the day – you might remember that someone was left behind by accident some years ago and was never found.

The easiest way to get to Port Douglas is to fly to Cairns and then transfer by road – it is only an hour or so's drive north of there.  You are in a semi-tropical zone so you need to check carefully what the best time of year is to visit – it would be too hot in mid-summer and there is also a box stinger season – they are deadly jellyfish so you want to avoid that at all costs.  They do have stinger and shark nets on some beaches but to be honest I didn't feel comfortable relying on them.

Australia is a fantastic place to visit but it does have some natural hazards – like stingers, sharks, venomous snakes and spiders – not to mention crocodiles.  Of course if you stick to the cities you are most unlikely to encounter any of those – but then you are missing out on the elemental Australia.