Croc of gold surprise

BY JULIE DANN

A flashy playground for the rich, Port Douglas has a surprisingly happy family holiday vibe.

Built on tourism, it is compact and the streets are lined with trees and shops that make you think of the south of France.

There's plenty of money sloshing about here but families co-exist happily with the well-heeled.

From humble beginnings as a port town for nearby goldfields, Port Douglas is now one of those places you go to when the stingers are away and the searing sun is bearable.

Built on a spit of land jutting out into the Coral Sea, it was largely destroyed by a cyclone in 1911 and then along came Christopher Skase.

A bold 1980s developer, he backed the first resort, the Mirage, and kicked off a second gold rush to the area as others jostled to get on the gravy train. Skase's company filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and he fled to Spain owing a reputed $172 million in debts. He never returned and died in 2001, but his legacy lives on and Port Douglas is flourishing. They even named a bar after him in the marina.

Nestled in the heart of tropical Queensland and minutes from Four Mile Beach, Rydges Sabaya Resort is the latest hotel to invest millions in Port Douglas – $2m to be precise.

That's how much Rydges have spent on upgrading this resort – and it shows.

First impressions take your breath away. It's hard to find fault with a place that has a stunning waterfall in reception, carp nudging water lillies out of the way as they feed just off the breakfast deck, beautiful tropical gardens and a lagoon-style swimming pool. Add a kids club and day spa and you have all the bases covered.

They have one and two-bedroom apartments and resort rooms. Our apartment had a comfy lounge with large TV, handy for the league, a kitchenette with every utensil you can think of, another TV in the bedroom, maybe that's overkill, and a sumptuous bathroom with huge shower.

Within the resort, there is the Sakinah House restaurant which serves Aussie fusion food with a tropical twist and there's also the swim-up Biru bar where you can doggy paddle up to a stool and suck on your favourite cocktail.

The emphasis is on clean, stylish and relaxed family accommodation.

But it's hard to forget that just outside there are fences along the back to stop the crocs from getting in.

And it's hardly the resort's fault that a scary-looking dung beetle with a very noisy alarm call decided to make a beeline for our door.

The wildlife is big and the mozzies are hungry so slap on that repellant and go out and have fun.

First stop for those needing to get in tune with the local flora and fauna is The Rainforest Habitat just down the road.

Here you can have lunch with the lorikeets, get up close and personal with the koalas and feed the friendly roos.

Home of the only captive breeding pair of black-necked storks, you can also see the weirdly wonderful tawny frogmouth and more kookaburras than you can shake a stick at. Admission is $30 for adults and $15 for children.

The crocs were next, so we ventured up to Daintree and tried out the Daintree River Electric Boat Cruises, with Scott Smith expertly guiding us for an hour with just a maximum of 12 people and costing just $20.

As we crept up on a crocodile happily sleeping by the river I asked if the nearby cattle, grazing contentedly, were in danger.

Pragmatic Scott said: "We see about three carcasses a year floating in the river, croc don't eat a lot." Very comforting.

We meandered along quietly and gazed at some of the oldest rainforest in the world as kingfishers darted through the trees and pythons slithered through overhanging branches.

Here, they don't throw chunks of meat at the crocs to give the visitors a show, as this artificially inflates the population and leads to in fighting and attacks on boats, we are told. You just mosey on by and marvel at their massive jaws, imagination does the rest.

Another group in harmony with their environment are, of course, the indigenous people or Kuku Yalanji. In Mossman, you can go on a guided rainforest walk along the gorge. Guides tell you about bushtucker sources, share dreamtime stories and explain the rock art, before serving tea and damper.

The rainforest is also the setting for Flames of the Forest where a torch-lit trail guides you through the bush to a beautifully lit tent and six-course banquet.

This cultural performance includes Aboriginal stories, didgeridoo and song. It's not cheap, at $199 per adult and $130 per child, so save it for a special night.

Port Douglas is also an ideal place to explore the Great Barrier Reef, but be warned it's not all plain sailing. On the trip out there at least 80 % of the passengers were making full use of the handy sick bags the crew distributed.

Thankfully, as a hardy sailor, I managed to avoid it but, just to be safe, I kept my eyes on the horizon and stayed up wind of other hapless souls.

The trip will always be worth it even if the journey can be an ordeal. The underweater landscape is stunning, from coral resembling bright blue trees and fluorescent lunar landscapes to graceful rays, friendly turtles and 5ft barracuda looming in deeper water, there's something to astonish and amaze everyone. It's unmissable natural theatre and worth every second.

Julie Dann was hosted by Rydges Sabaya Resort.

AT A GLANCE

Rydges Sabaya Resort rates change on a daily basis. For best available prices, readers should go to www.rydges.com/portdouglas or reservations-port douglas@rydges.com.

Rydges Sabaya Resort: +61 7 4099 8900

Daintree River Electric Boat Cruises. Phone: 1800 686 103 or www.electricboatcruises.com F

lames of the Forest +61 740 4098 2607 email: tours@yalanji.com.au

The Rainforest Habitat +61 7 4099 3235. or www.rainforesthabitat.com.au

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