Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Port Douglas (Australia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Port Douglas Court House Museum, St Mary's by the Sea, and Port Douglas Wharf. Also, be sure to include The Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Port Douglas (Queensland).
Table of Contents
Port Douglas Court House Museum
Courthouse. Port Douglas Court House Museum is a heritage-listed former courthouse and now museum at 25 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by the Queensland Colonial Architect's Office and built from 1879 by Thomas Watson. It was formerly known as Port Douglas Court House. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The museum is operated by the Port Douglas Historical Society.[1]
St Mary's by the Sea
St Mary's by the Sea is a heritage-listed non-denominational church at Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1913 to 1914. It is also known as the former St Mary's Roman Catholic Church. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[2]
Port Douglas Wharf
Port Douglas Wharf is a heritage-listed wharf at 6 Dixie Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1904. It was also known as Shipwreck Museum. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.[3]
The Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature and wildlife, Zoo, Park, Outdoor activities
Address: Port Douglas Rd., 4877 Port Douglas
Low Isles Light
Lighthouse in Low Isles, Australia. Low Isles Light, also known as Low Islets Light or Low Island Light, is an active lighthouse located on Low Island, a coral cay which together with Woody Island forms the Low Isles group, about 13 kilometres northeast of Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia. The island is situated on the western edge of the main shipping channel into the harbour of Port Douglas, and it marks the entrance to the channel. Built in 1878, it was the first lighthouse in Far North Queensland and more specifically the first to light the Inner Passage of the Great Barrier Reef. Its construction is typical to Queensland lighthouses of the time, timber frame clad with galvanized iron, and it is the fourth lighthouse of this type constructed in Queensland, though it is the first of them to use portholes.
The lighthouse was recommended in February 1876 but construction of the lighthouse and cottages, by W. P. Clark, started more than a year later. The structures were ready and the light was lit in late 1878. The original oil wick light was upgraded to kerosene in 1923, to electricity in 1963 and finally converted to solar power in 1993, when the station was demanned.
The size of the island mandated a rather compact circular pattern of structures. Other than the lighthouse, none of the original structures survived, the keeper residences being rebuilt in the 1960s. One of the residences now serves as a research station. The station is owned and managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. The site can be visited but the tower is closed.[4]
FDA Carstens Memorial
Monument in Port Douglas, Australia. FDA Carstens Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1907 to 1908 by Melrose & Fenwick. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 September 2003.[5]
Ngarru Gallery
Art gallery, Shopping, Museum
Address: 31 Macrossan St, 4877 Port Douglas
Captain Cook Highway
Highway in Australia. The Captain Cook Highway is a short, regional highway in Queensland which originates in Cairns and terminates in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, continuing to Daintree.
The Captain Cook Highway is used to connect the CBD of Cairns to the Northern Beaches; a collection of suburbs which comprise the northern section of Cairns. It is also used by many tourists travelling to the town of Port Douglas, north of Cairns. Apart from being a vital link between two tourist locations, the Captain Cook Highway is a scenic highway that winds alongside the coast of the tropical seaside rainforest heading towards Port Douglas and Daintree National Park.[6]
Low Island
Island in Low Isles, Australia. Low Island is an island lying about 25 km north-east of Port Douglas in Trinity Bay, North Queensland. It is around 2 hectares or 0.02 square km in size. It is part of the Low Isles, along with Woody Island, an uninhabited coral and mangrove island. The isles are surrounded by 55 acres of reef. The Low Islets are a Marine National Park Zone. Day visitors come to the island on a daily basis via a number of commercial operators. There is a lagoon where private vessel can moor or anchor outside the reef protection markers overnight, but there is no overnight accommodation on the island. There is a weather station and an active lighthouse. No fishing is allowed in the lagoon or within a buffer zone around the islands. Motorised water sports are not permitted in the locality. There is a 6 knot limit. No open fires of any sort or dogs permitted on either island. No island access between sunset and sunrise.[7]