Private jet charter and flights to Port Douglas
There’s only one place in the world where two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet: in Tropical North Queensland. And the nearest settlement is sleepy Port Douglas, a spot with a small-town vibe, known as Port to the locals. This piece of reef-meets-rainforest paradise is just an hour’s drive away from the busier, more bustling city of Cairns but a world away in style and atmosphere. Experience it all, charter a private jet today.
Most people use Port Douglas as a base for exploring the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, but after all your adventures, it’s good to have somewhere calm and relaxing to return to. The town is only small, with the feel of a tropical village. There are plenty of cool cafés and high-end restaurants, all with loads of al fresco dining space, as well as boutiques and bars. New eateries have opened up in the multi-million dollar Crystal Brook Superyacht Marina, so as soon as you step off the boat after a day of snorkelling, diving or deep-sea fishing you can be settling down to some world-class dishes.
Aside from its stunning setting between the rainforest and the reef, Port Douglas boasts another natural beauty – the sweeping Four Mile Beach. Before you get your toes in the sand, head up to the elevated Trinity Bay Lookout for some picture-postcard views of the coastline. Once you’re back down at sea level, you can wander across the rock-hop on the headland at the northern end of the beach, relax on the fine white sands or walk its entire length and marvel at the lack of development and beauty of the emerald-clad mountain backdrop.
Dipping your toes in the water lapping Four Mile Beach is just the start of your aquatic adventures in Port Douglas. With the Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest living organism – right on the doorstep, there’ll be plenty of chances to swim, snorkel or dive in the perpetually warm waters of the Coral Sea. From the town, the most popular destination for reef day trips are the Low Isles. These two small islands are located around nine miles off the coast and are surrounded by a large coral cay, and beyond that acre-upon-acre of reef. From either of the two islands, you can swim and snorkel straight from the sand. Other trips can take you to a variety of different reef systems in one day, and there are also a handful of live-aboard dive boats.
The Daintree Rainforest is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stretches along approximately 280 miles along Austalia’s north-east coast. It’s an area with rich biodiversity as well as significant cultural importance for the indigenous Yalanji people. Mother Nature did some of her finest work around 135 million years ago to create what is now the oldest living rainforest on Earth – the landscape has hardly changed here since dinosaurs wandered the planet. From Port Douglas, you can head north into dense jungle crisscrossed by snaking boardwalks and walk in the shadow of giant ferns and the trees soaring skywards to reach the light.
While you can spend days exploring the Daintree rainforest, there are a few unmissable places and experiences. The breathtaking Mossman Gorge is a real beauty spot and its only located 20 minutes from town. In this tree-shaded corner of the Daintree National Park, water cascades down a riverbed scattered with huge granite rocks into clear-as-glass pools. You can just follow the elevated boardwalk to a viewpoint or go a little further into the rainforest on the one-and-a-half-mile circular track.
Travel an hour north from Port Douglas, and you’ll reach the village of Daintree, the stepping off point for crocodile-spotting cruises along the Daintree River. It’s believed that around 70 adult saltwater crocs live in the river, as well as many babies which you might see lazing on the mangrove branches at the edge of the river. An organised tour is the safest way to see these incredible creatures – for both you and the crocodiles.
Another hour or so north is Cape Tribulation, the destination that’s probably at the top of most people’s Tropical North Queensland must-sees. The cape sits at the end of the paved road going north – go any further and you are getting into really wild territory where only 4x4s can roam. The cape itself is another of the region’s jaw-dropping spectacles. The rainforest-cloaked hills spill down to untouched beaches of white sand dotted with driftwood and sheltered (but unsafe to swim in) waters. Cape Trib, as it’s usually known, is a bit of an adventurer’s paradise as you can bike and hike rainforest trails, feel the thrill on a flying fox, kayak along the shore and reach the Great Barrier Reef in no time at all.
The nearest airfield to Port Douglas where large jets can operate is Cairns International Airport. Simply contact contact one of our team and we will arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Port Douglas.
