drivetime
I land in Cairns late at night and head
north to Port Douglas along the spectacular winding
road that tightly hugs the pristine coastline. As
I travel further into the dense tropical paradise the
moon is shining brightly, creating silver slithers that
snake across the Coral Sea to my right, and casting
highlights on the rainforest that is thrumming with
a cacophony of sounds by birds, frogs and crickets
to my left. It's the only place in the world where two
World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the
Daintree Rainforest – magically merge together. It's
as if the pages of a fairytale are opening before me.
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Entering the lobby of QT Port Douglas, I'm already
aware that some kind of spell is softly snaking its way
around me. I've heard many people praise the beauty of
this area, and it's no surprise that Australian Traveller
magazine deemed Port Douglas to be number three
on its list of '100 best towns in Australia'. The sense of
peace, coupled with the heat, is like a calming balm.
After a smooth check-in I walk across the cool
white tiles, past a waterfall, which has a funky
black-and-white striped pelmet and is tumbling into
a pond brimming with hot-pink lilies, and over a small
suspension bridge to the hotel's restaurant, aptly
