As the wise sage says, your tribe attracts your vibe.
Port Douglas is a beachside and rainforest playground that is as popular for the kids as anyone else. No need to only play Marco Polo by the pool – Port Douglas is simply brimming with fun activities all the kids (and kid-ults) in the family will enjoy.
So, pack the sunscreen and a sense of adventure, and rack up those gold stars for epic Show’n’Tell bragging rights as the Best Holiday Ever.
FEED A CROC AND PAT A ‘ROO
Fancy getting up close and snappy with a crocodile or down and cuddly with a koala?
How about breakfast with the birds?
Both the Wildlife Habitat and Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures are famed for their animal interactive encounters, with so many wonderful tropical species to meet.
At the Wildlife Habitat, you will discover unlimited adventure in the Woodland, Wetland, Rainforest, and Savannah habitats, spotting some wildlife so rare they’re not found anywhere else on the planet! And at Hartley’s, kids can get brave with the Freshie Feed or super brave with the Big Croc Feed!
At the moment, both these venues have temporarily closed gates under COVID-19 restrictions, however, if you still want to get your furry friend fix (and the not-so-furry ones…), check out the Wildlife Habitat’s weekly Ask The Keeper Facebook Live feed and Hartley’s Behind The Scenes blog posts!
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
Reckon you’ve got a little Masterchef on your hands? Port Douglas and Daintree is quite literally ripe with beautiful food and exquisite tropical produce for you to sample!
From roadside stalls, the Instagrammable Scommazon’s Farmers Markets and of course the Mossman Market on a Saturday and the Port Douglas Markets on a Sunday, this is the time and place to sample snacks you’re likely to not have seen anywhere else before (durians and mangosteens, anyone?).
Grab a basket and get creative in the kitchen where everyone wins with tasty treats!
Beach Harvest Coconuts, the award winning and locally made coconut chip company, is also running their online cooking classes for kids each week. Learn about easy to make favourite snacks from coconuts and local fruits from the kids of Beach Harvest Coconuts! Log onto their Facebook page for more information.
GET WET AT BIG 4 GLENGARRY HOLIDAY PARK
Glengarry Holiday Park is an RV park and camping ground located just on the outskirts of Port Douglas. Like many Big 4s, there’s a water park attached that’s open to the public. So, when the days are warm and everyone needs a good cooling off, Glengarry is the place to be! Several water slides, tipping buckets and a jumping cushion will have everyone entertained for hours.
Big 4 Holiday Park and the waterpark is currently closed, however, we will update as soon as it reopens!
ONLINE ART CLASSES
Stephanie Elizabeth is an exhibited artist known for her vibrant watercolour animals splashed and dripping in personality. Inspired by time living on the Great Barrier Reef, Stephanie reflects an animal’s environment through the colour palette she uses and no creature is safe from being multicoloured. And the best thing?
Stephanie offers free online art classes aimed at kids through her Facebook page! Learn to draw swimming turtles, blooming hibiscus and colourful coral.
FB: Stephanie Elizabeth Artwork
Grab some watercolours and you’ll never believe it’s home art!
ALL ABOARD THE BALLY HOOLEY STEAM TRAIN
This grand old train provides a two-hour return ride from the Port Douglas Marina to St Crispin’s Station. Kids will be thrilled by the open windows that frame a magical rainforest, and grown-ups marvel at tropical mangroves and the Daintree Mountains on the horizon. Arriving at St Crispin’s Station, the family can grab a delicious lunch or ice cream at St Crispin’s café on the lake. Keep an eye out for Crispy and Chip – the two baby salties that live in the lagoon.
At the moment, the Bally Hooley is not running, however, people can still walk/bike ride from the Port Douglas Marina to St Crispin’s Station.
DISCOVER DINOSAURS
Want to know what life was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? The Daintree Discovery Centre is an amazing place to start your Daintree adventure with excitement and interest for families of all ages and mobility. There are interactive displays, a most excellent kids tour and even some mighty ‘Jurassic’ creatures lurking about waiting for a perfect photo opp. Like to get down and dirty with your creatures? There’s plenty of handling opportunities also, for those brave enough to touch.
One of the best attractions though is the 23-metre high canopy tower that enables a fearless journey from the forest floor to the tops of the rainforest giants.
GET BENDY WITH BUSY BEE YOGA FOR KIDS
There’s a good reason there are popular yoga positions called ‘Happy Baby’ and ‘Child’s Pose’ – kids love yoga. Busy Bee Yoga for Kids has a strong focus on mindfulness, kindness and curiosity whilst incorporating movement and exercise, fun and original music and all the benefits of traditional Yoga – meditation, breathing techniques, peace and deep relaxation.
FB: Busy Bee Yoga Kids
Based just outside of Mossman, Bianca Baldiserra is a trained KAY teacher (Kidding Around Yoga), and has classes in various places in Port Douglas Daintree. During this time of social distancing, all classes are held via Zoom – head to her Facebook page for all the details.
ON YOUR BIKE WITH PORT DOUGLAS BIKE HIRE
The pristine coastline and (mostly) flat roads of Port Douglas are made for adventure on wheels. Port Douglas Bike Hire has a huge selection of bikes for everyone from the adrenaline speed racers through to the mountain bikers and beach cruisers, so helmet up and get on your bike for some two-wheeled adventure. Want to feel the breeze without the effort? They also have electric bikes and 50cc scooters to play with.
SUP’ING AND TURTLE SPOTTING
Fancy chasing the sunrise from the beach or navigating the rainforest from the river? Stand-up paddle-boarding, or SUP, is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, with holidays dedicated to the activity. The folk from Windswell have a number of options available for SUP lovers, from sunrise paddling through to island hopping and turtle tours through to paddling down ancient rainforest riverbeds. This is the perfect way to keep cool in the tropical heat while exploring the world below. And for the SUP-er adventurous (see what we did there?), Windswell also has the most epic Kite Surfing lessons.
So get planning now, and make North Queensland your destination.
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