Port Douglas: Beating the heat and discovering the hidden secrets of Australia’s tropical rainforests
A traditional smoke ceremony kicks off the Dreamtime guided tour at Mossman Gorge. Photo / Vaimoana Mase
From eating hot pho to holding snakes, Port Douglas delivers the unexpected at every turn, writes Vaimoana Mase.
As sheets of heavy rain pummel the streets around me, I take another sip of the piping hot broth in my hands and wait for the science to kick in.
It’s about 29C on a sticky and humid day in tropical north Queensland, Australia, and the choice of lunch - a spicy bowl of pho - is based on something my dad used to say: that drinking a hot cup of tea on a hot day always helps to cool the body down. I’m not convinced the Dad science is right, as it still feels pretty hot. But that’s probably more to do with the humidity, which is so high that every time I step out of an air-conditioned car or building, my glasses fog up.
Rain ... stop ... rain ... stop. This is how the weather has been since I arrived in the luxury seaside town of Port Douglas - just over an hour’s drive from Cairns - where I’m enjoying my lunch.
The week I arrive, a tropical cyclone has just passed through the region. However, the remnants of that weather system persist, and as a result, sudden bursts of heavy, intense rain come and go. Locals tell me this is the norm living in a tropical climate, of course, and tourists seem unfazed. After all, we are in Port Douglas, which boasts a reputation for relaxation and carefree vibes - no matter what the sky looks like.
Heavy rain means popular tours in the nearby Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge, including the one I’m signed up to, are postponed. No matter, as the quaint shops, eateries and eccentric boutiques offering the likes of (raised sustainably) crocodile leather handbags keep me intrigued.
By late afternoon, I’ve checked into the Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa. With palm trees lining the entrance and dotted all around the resort, the place oozes island holiday luxury.
The large pool is visible just beyond the huge foyer entrance and makes for a grand welcome for guests. My room is towards the back of the resort, but there are several easy-to-get-to walkways and over-pool bridges for easy access to the pool and pool bar.
The next day, a small group of us head out early in the morning for a tour with Walkabout Cultural Adventures, which offers personalised Aboriginal cultural tours of the tropical rainforests. Our guide and driver for the day, Aaron, welcomes us to the land of the Kuku Yalanji - the name given to the Aboriginal Australian people who hail from the rainforests of Far North Queensland. We are picked up in a van and travel for about an hour to the Daintree River, where a cable ferry will take us to the northern Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation.
Aaron reveals that several famous people have been on a tour with them over the years, including “the guy from Once Were Warriors” - Temuera Morrison. He can’t remember the other guy’s name, but “he’s the one with the fringe on High School Musical" - cue the collective jawdrop over American actor Zac Efron and a sudden pang of jealousy at being on the right tour on the wrong day.
As we wait for the ferry, we are told to expect our phones to lose reception soon and are encouraged to use the public toilets nearby - but to look out for crocodiles, he says seriously. We soon discover the river we are about to cross is home to saltwater crocs, and I only then understand what the “for your safety, remain in your vehicle” signs are for.
Aaron is animated, knowledgeable and proud of his culture, telling us about the origins and customs of his people and excitedly stopping the van every so often to show us a plant or fruit tree and its healing properties. There is something for everything, he says. Someone in the van has a complaint about gout. Aaron pipes up: “Don’t worry, bro, I’ve got something for that”.
At one stop, he runs out to a large nest of what he says are green ants, which form the area’s unique green ant gin. We also find ourselves in fits of laughter as he weaves in funny stories, local legends and scenarios - such as what you should do if you find yourself in front of an angry cassowary (a large flightless bird we thankfully did not encounter in the wild).
We stop at Noah Creek, an idyllic eco-hut retreat and sanctuary, where we tuck into some lunch prepared for us - a sandwich wrap, a selection of tropical fruits including mango, papaya, watermelon and dragonfruit and my favourite, the freshly made damper bread, which is eaten with either butter or maple syrup - or both …The Brits on the tour say it’s like a scone, while the Kiwis say it has the same texture as Māori bread.
Noah Creek owner, Andy, challenges us all to get up close and personal with a few reptiles on site. His Aussie wit and friendly jabs about Kiwis result in me, someone who jumps at the sight of a grasshopper, holding a snake, in a bid to defend our mana.
The next day involves another cultural tour, the Ngadiku (Nar-di-gul) Dreamtime Walk, run by the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. This year marks the 40th birthday of this dreamtime walk created by centre founder and Kuku Yalanji elder Roy Gibson to share the stories, traditions and rainforest knowledge of his people.
This tour is more hands-on and has participants hike through the lush Daintree National Park and navigate the pristine and breathtakingly beautiful waters of the Mossman River. This is a side of Australia I’ve never seen before.
It is a truly wonderful and humbling cultural experience that starts with a traditional smoking ceremony carried out to cleanse visitors and ward off bad spirits. Our Kuku Yalanji guide, Angela, explains that she is speaking to her ancestors - letting them know that we are her guests and are welcome in this place now, as family. Angela shares stories about her people, handed down from generation to generation.
It is fascinating to learn about their ancient customs, in particular, the old practice of burying their dead in hollowed-out tree trunks. That is another reason they feel a deep connection to this place, she says. These are their roots.
At the end of the tour, many of us almost sprint to the Mossman River to cool off on yet another hot and humid day in tropical north Queensland. It is a place filled with history, culture, adventure and wonder that shows off a side of Australia truly worth visiting.
Checklist
Tropical north Queensland, Australia.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Cairns, via Brisbane, with Air New Zealand.
DETAILS
Walkabout Cultural Adventures | walkaboutadventures.com.au
Dreamtime Walk: Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre | mossmangorge.com.au
Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa | pullmanportdouglas.com.au
Tourism Tropical North Queensland | tourism.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au
New Zealand Herald travelled courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Air New Zealand.