Water Station at The Great Barrier Reef Marathon

The first runners, the Ultras started in Cairns at approx 5 am.  There was a group of  approx 45 runners in this event , the first runner to the finish line arrived at approx 12 noon and the last runner arrived at the finish line at approx 4pm.    The ultra course was diverse and obviously very very challenging,  it covered hills, road, rainforest and beach but according to some of the participants was one of the best organized, well marked and well manned courses they had done. 
The 21Km (half marathon) attracted the most runners.  This was the Steve Moneghetti  inaugural run.  Steve is the ambassador of this event, he ran the event and came in first which was no surprise, Nick Carling a local Port Douglas athlete came in third.     Steve mentioned that although he is now retired he couldn`t miss an opportunity to be a part of something so special in such a beautiful place as Port Douglas.
The 10km run started at 6.45am and attracted a field of approx 100 runners.    Many of these runners were attempting the 10k for the first time.  A group of ladies from Vision Personal Training at Bundall on the Gold Coast entered the event as a team, they hired a house in Port Douglas and made a mini holiday of the event.  Michelle the director of Vision Personal Training ran the Ultra and then attended the after party looking like she had had a day on Four Mile Beach; she even had her high heels on!!!
I participated in the in the Fundy 5000 (5kms), this was for the novice runner or for those of us who aspire to bigger and better things next time!! You could walk, run, push a pram, or even ride a scooter (non motorized).  Like a lot of the 60 or so participants I ran this without training (or very little) with a few walking spells in between and was happy just to finish.   The “Fundy” raised funds for our local charity here in Port Douglas KIND, this charity assists local children who have terminal or debilitating illnesses.  

The Marathon was finished off on Saturday night with a dinner at local restaurant Lure.  It was fantastic to see so many of the participants enjoy the beautiful meal provided by Lure and to enjoy hearing some of the stories about the day.  Steve Moneghetti spoke on the night.  Steve is a very relaxed genuine sort of person who has run in events all over the world.  He was very impressed with the organization of the day, he loves the Port Douglas region and the people here and he was honored to be ambassador to such a great event which will only attract more and more people to this beautiful part of the world. 
Like any inaugural event there will need to be some tweaking here and there but listening to many of the participants it was a very well run (for want of a better word), well attended event in one of the most beautiful places in Australia, Port Douglas and Mick and Sue Managers at Nautilus Holiday Apartments are very happy to have been involved in this wonderful event and who knows, next year it may be the 10k run for me!!!

Marathon Accommodation in Port Douglas

We encourage anyone with an interest in running or just keeping fit to take a look at the web site http://www.greatbarrierreefmarathon.com.au and think about participating in future Port Douglas Marathon Festivals. Nautilus Apartments at Port Douglas offers great accommodation, perfect if you are wanting to compete and treat yourself to a holiday after the event. Enjoy accommodation close to 4 Mile Beach and Port Douglas`s Macrossan St with its boutique shopping, restaurants and cafes.

Ring us today at Nautilus Apartments to book your accommodation for the upcoming Great Barrier Reef Marathon.

It was a beautiful Port Douglas day, sunny, warm and just a slight breeze, perfect weather for a wedding.

80 guests including 55 family and friends from Victoria, NSW, New Zealand and Southern Qld attended the wedding and celebrations leading up to the big day.   53 Family and friends stayed at Nautilus Holiday Apartments with many extending their stay to enjoy the magnificent weather and make a real holiday of the event.

Celebrations started on the evening of Thursday 26^th with “Cocktail`s by the Pool” at Nautilus for the ladies.    The men were bused to Mossman for a game of Bare Foot Bowls and a BBQ, with a few drinks included.

We all relaxed on the Friday and prepared for the big day.  We had an evening meal at Port O Call, just 2 minutes walk from Nautilus Holiday Apartments.  The backpackers has a bar and bistro which offers great value for money meals in a child friendly atmosphere.

Saturday, the big day!  The wedding was at 4pm at St Mary`s by the Sea a beautiful little non denominational church set on Murphy Street Port Douglas, the view of the ocean is spectacular which only added to a lovely day.

The day went off without a hitch, the bride was early, the groom was ready and the guests were all in for a great time.

Port Douglas Wedding Venue and Celebrant

Lesley Stephens (Local Marriage Celebrant) and friend conducted a beautiful ceremony which included readings from family and friends.    We had a throwing of rose petals upon leaving the church and lots of photos were taken with family, friends and guests.   After the ceremony we took all our guests on a surprise Sunset Cruise with Calypso Reef Charters.  It was a fantastic way to while away a  few hours between the ceremony and reception, champagne, beer and cheese platters were enjoyed by everyone and the beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere provided a great memory for all our guests.

Port Douglas Wedding Reception

Lure Restaurant on the Marina at Port Douglas was the venue for our reception.  Wayne Stapleton and his team do a fantastic job, they are no fuss, always prepared to go the extra mile and have a wonderful spot on the marina which can cater for large or small weddings.   We had champagne and Canapés on arrival at Lure on the Wharf, with a two course sit down meal for our 80 guests.

Speeches were made, lots of laughs were had and then the dancing started!

Port Douglas Wedding Services

It was a wonderful day enjoyed by us and all our guests.  We did all the organizing ourselves and now feel very confident that we can refer any guests who are considering a Port Douglas wedding to some very professional, helpful operators.

Flowers were arranged by Floral Edge Port Douglas www.floraledge.com.au

Music by Tropica Entertainment www.tropicaent.com.au contact: Nick Gibson.

Photography by Visibility Photography & Video (Rob Cooke) www.visibilityvideo.com.au

Venue: Lure Restaurant, Meridian Marina Port Douglas www.lurerestaurant.com.au

Cake by Port Douglas Catering & Events www.portdouglascatering.com.au

Calypso Reef Charters – Tropical Journeys   www.tropicaljourneys.com.au

Combine this fabulous Port Douglas wedding location supported by the professional local wedding services and Port Douglas Wedding Accommodation at Nautilus Apartments and you will have a celebration that will long be etched into not only your memory, but the memory of your guests.

Ring us today to discuss your special day…take advantage of our local knowledge and recent wedding experience.

Port Douglas Family Accommodation

Mick and Sue run Nautilus Holiday Apartments in Port Douglas. They offer family friendly, affordable Port Douglas accommodation with an added bonus of being on site managers.  They booked all our Port Douglas tours at no additional cost and were only too happy to offer advice on anything we were interested in doing.  Mick even checked online weather forecasts for us so we could book our snorkelling and fishing trips on the best days.
We took two apartments which were spacious, clean and well equipped for the whole family.  If we needed anything we just had to ask and its position meant it was just a short walk into town and beautiful 4 Mile Beach…..a great location.
The weather in Port Douglas in June was wonderful, lovely sunny days with the evenings getting a little cooler which made for a great night’s sleep after lots of sightseeing.
We covered a great deal of attractions during our stay which included:
• Skyrail  up to Kuranda and spent  3 – 4 hours wandering around the lovely market syle town and then down on the Train with spectacular views.
•  Hartleys Croc Farm, which was great value for money and the presenters were just wonderful.  

Up close with the locals at Hartleys Croc Farm

 
• Poseidon Great Barrier Reef Tour, this was a magic day the snorkeling was just brilliant. 
•  We toured the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation as a self-drive and we also visited Mossman George. 
•  A trip to the Atherton Tablelands was very interesting, again we self drove.  We headed to the information centre at Mareeba and spent a good few hours there.  Crystal Caves, Fig Trees we could have spent more time in the area but ran out of time

Fig Trees up on the Atherton Tablelands

• A highlight of the trip was fishing both the Daintree and the Reef.  We caught Fingermark, Barra, Bream and Grunter in the Estuary with Jamie’s Fishing Tours.

Reef Fishing - Port Douglas

• Fishing the reef with Dragon Lady was also spectacular.  We brought back 17 fish that day which included Coral Trout , Red Emperor , Spangled Emperor just to name a few.  We took our fish to the local fish market in Port Douglas where they fillet, freeze and store the fish for you, then pack it in polystyrene boxes ready to fly home with you as baggage on your flight home. 

Great Fishing at Port Douglas

There is no shortage of eating places in Port Douglas although we chose to eat in on many occasions as Nautilus Holiday Apartments has a full kitchen with oven, cooktop and microwave.  Food prices at the local supermarket are comparable to home and as we had a large number of people in our group we took advantage of the BBQ at Nautilus and enjoyed many nights around the pool /BBQ area. We even shared our freshly caught fish with Mick one evening! (Sue missed out as she was babysitting, a service  she offers to guests.)   

On the occasions we did eat out we found Port Of Call (just 2 minutes walk from Nautilus Holiday Apartments) great value, casual, clean and family friendly.  We celebrated our sons 18th birthday at Hogs Breath Café also just a 2 minute drive or a 15 minute walk.  Ask Mick and Sue about taking advantage of the 20% discount offer.

Port Douglas – Great Family Holiday Destination

We hired bikes from Nautilus Holiday Apartments and explored Port Douglas.  The main street is a 10 minute walk and four mile beach is just a short walk across the road.  We also enjoyed the heated pool at any time of the day.  We have all good intentions of making a trip back to Port Douglas and Nautilus Holiday Apartments and as repeat guest have been offered a discounted rate if we stay again.

All in all we had a wonderful family holiday and not one of us was looking forward to heading home on our last day, although as the person voted to organize everyone I think I should have stayed on for another week ( on my own) just for some ” me time”,  maybe next year  !!!! 
Can`t wait to visit Port Douglas again and Nautilus is our family accommodation of choice.

Ring today and book your own Port Douglas family accommodation at Nautilus apartments.

During April Nautilus Family Holiday Apartments Port Douglas hosted a lovely family group, the Waites from the Uk and the Touts from Sydney.  Both families combined made up 7 guests and were very comfortable in a three bedroom self contained Port Douglas holiday accommodaiton.  Unfortunately due to a shoulder operation one family member missed the holiday but we have heard it said “we will be back” and bringing the missing member on the next trip! 

The four children spent many, many hours enjoying Nautilus Holiday Apartments pool.  It was lovely to hear so much excitement and fun being had.

Things to see and do in Port Douglas.

A trip to the Great Barrier Reef on Quicksilver was one highlight of their 7 day stay.    Another highlight for two of the boys was a wonderful day with Norseman Fishing Tours, they came back with a couple of fantastic fish one of which we cooked up on the BBQ.

During their visit the families enjoyed a trip to the Famous Port Douglas Sunday Markets.  They particularly enjoyed talking to a local Aboriginal artist and purchasing a Boomerang to take back to the UK.

Everyone enjoyed walks and swimming in famous four mile beach.  One of the boys couldn`t resist bringing a few coconuts back to open, this can be quite a job but the Manager at Nautilus is becoming an expert coconut opener.  Everyone enjoyed fresh coconut flesh free from the beach; you can`t get much better than that!

Port Douglas Bike Hire

Push bikes were hired from Nautilus Holiday Apartments and the family rode around Port Douglas which is a great way to see lots of local attractions.    On the last day of their holiday 3 lucky family members took a ride with Grub on one of his personalized Trike Tours.  All three passengers came back with the biggest smiles on their faces the boys said “it was just awesome we kept asking him to go faster and he did”!!  Sam commented “what a great way to get to see parts of Port Douglas and surrounds we would never have seen”.

 Sadly all holidays eventually come to an end but these families certainly made the most of the 7 days in Port Douglas.  Everyone had a wonderful time and all said they would love to come back again for another fantastic Port Douglas family holiday one day. It was a pleasure to have such a lively, happy bunch of people stay with us and for them to enjoy our beautiful Port Douglas Family Accommodation.

Reef fishing in Port Douglas is a must but lets not forget fishing the Port Douglas inlet… During March Nautilus Port Douglas Holiday Apartments had the pleasure of hosting one of Victoria`s most avid fishermen as a guest. Paul drove from Bendigo in Victoria (approx 3,500 km ) with his fishing boat and esky. He stopped along the way at a few good fishing holes before arriving at Nautilus Holiday Apartments in Port Douglas ready for a wonderful fishing and sightseeing adventure. So keen is Paul on his fishing that he headed off on his own to Port Douglas , his partner and a friend travelled in style (by plane) and arrived a day later.

Like any good fisherman on arrival to Port Douglas he had a few good stories to tell, one which involved a croc which was a little too close for comfort, the other about ones that got away!!

Not only does Paul enjoy a day fishing but he is also loves the Port Douglas way of life including trips to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Most mornings Paul loaded up his boat with gear for a morning or a day`s fishing and off he went leaving the girls to sleep or shop or just relax. Paul was good enough to take the complex manager out for a mornings fishing, they said “don`t worry about dinner we have it covered”, no such luck on that day we ate out !! The next day he took the girls out for a trip up the inlet, not too many fish were caught but they had a bit of fun got caught in the rain, not uncommon at this time of year.

Like most fishermen Paul loves a beer and what better way to spend the day with a rod in one hand and a beer in the other. Also a keen amateur photographer during the stay he took some wonderful photos of our beautiful region. As his partner Vicky said “it’s not all just about the fishing you
know” there`s just so much to see and do here.

Port Douglas Reef Charters

Port Douglas fishing is fantastic, there are various options for Port Douglas reef fishing trips you can take, full day or half day with a very experienced guide you will be amazed at the amount of information you can learn. You can go to the reef or up the inlet. Just check out the tides and the weather for the day and off you go!
During his stay with us Paul took some wonderful photos of the local area.

After 6 nights at Nautilus Holiday Apartments the girls were off home on the plane and Paul was heading back via a few tried and tested fishing spots. Everyone had a wonderful holiday and we hope to see them all again soon in Port Douglas, our beautiful part of the world.

Nautilus Port Douglas Resort are happy to help any traveller book any fishing charter to fish Port Douglas Reef or Inlet. ASk about our Great Barrier Reef fishing and accommodation packages or click here and make your own.

History of the Bump Track

The historic bump track was blazed in 1877 by Christie Palmerston. The original track linking Port Douglas with the goldfields was a supply line for early settlers and miners on the Tableland and Hodgkinson Goldfields. It was the first track south of Cooktown wide enough for carts and wagons. The track fell into disuse when the Cairns-Mareeba railway line opened in 1893 and with the creation of the Captain Cook Highway, the use and importance of the Bump Track decreased. It is now a popular trail for walking, mountain biking and horse riding.
The Bump Track is six kilometres long and can be very steep in places. The old road is greatly affected by erosion, but provides the visitor with an opportunity to experience a range of forests, from rainforest to dry eucalypt scrub. There are excellent views across to the sea from the road. You will see Mowbray Falls in the distance as you walk along the track. There is a marked trail to the falls off the bump track 500mtrs on the Black Mountain Road side of Robbins Creek . It will take about an half an hour each way to walk this side route.

The Walk

This walk is not for the faint hearted!! If you enjoy keeping fit and like a challenge give it a try.
Depending on your level of fitness you can walk or run the bump track. Walking up at a fast pace will take between 20 – 30 minutes (approx 1.5km incline) depending on your level of fitness. You can choose to wander and take in the spectacular views and perhaps observe some of the wildlife along the way. Once you hit the landing it’s a nice flat walk in the rainforest for approx 2kms until you get to Robbins creek, as long as the water isn’t too high you can cross the creek and continue on. There are a number of walks you can take from there.

Getting there

From Nautilus Holiday Apartments Port Douglas head South on the Captain Cook Highway for approx 5kms, turn right into Mowbray River Road , Connolly road extends from the junction of Trezise Road and Mowbgray river road to the head of the valley and the start of the Bump Track. Look for the sign just beyond the horse-riding ranch on Connolly Road.

Port Douglas, the perfect holiday destination, Nautilus Apartments, the perfect holiday accommodation.

• It would be a good idea to have breakfast so you have some energy onboard and fluid in your water bottles. Drink bottles will be refilled at all stops, and fruit, muesli type bars and muffins at the Daintree Ferry.
• The first stop will be Mossman where bananas, pineapple, water and muesli bars will be provided.
• Rolls will be on offer along with Powerade at P.K.s at Cape Tribulation.
• Lunch will be waiting for you at Cape Tribulation on completion of the 90 km ride.
• For those of you not up to the ride back to Port Douglas a bus will be provided to transport riders to Port Douglas around noon. Bikes will be bought back by transport to the Port Douglas Surf Club.

• Unless you are very used to riding in a group, single file is most definitely the safest. Please warn the riders behind you if you’re going to stop at any time. Remember it isn’t a race, and enjoy the experience.

• Be aware of the cane train crossings so your tyres don’t get stuck in the tracks. Best to cross them at an angle. If you don’t feel comfortable riding your bikes over the bridges after crossing the Daintree river, just get off and walk them across, lot’s of participants did that last year.
• Some parts of the road are not so wide, and we need to be mindful that vehicles don’t want to get held up behind us. Drivers are mostly very courteous, and there’s not a lot of traffic on the way up.
• Both bike shops in Port Douglas have generously offered to do a free safety check on bikes for participants, but bookings are essential, so the sooner the better.

Once the pre ride briefing was over it was all go!!! We were sorted into 3 groups and set out 10 minutes apart for the ride of our lives. The first section to Mossman was a leisurely 20 k’s which was thoroughly enjoyable. I was in a group of about 40 riders, we all stuck together and got to chat and get to know one another. We had a 10 minute stop at Mossman to fuel up on bananas and pineapple and then set out for the ferry crossing at the Daintree River.
The landscape and nature of the area all added to the overall enjoyment of the day, there really aren’t too many places you can ride where a ferry takes you to the most beautiful part of Australia, Far North Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest.
All the fun stopped here though, from the Daintree it was mostly up hill ! Those who could rode like champions and those like me walked their bikes a good part of the way up to the next stop at beautiful Mount Alexander Lookout. That part of the trip really sorted the men from the boys!
From Mount Alexander Lookout it was a pretty hairy trip down hill for a few miles until things evened out once again and riding became a pleasure. The cool of the rainforest along with the wonderful atmosphere was such a joy it was a shame when it all ended, although I didn’t have to think for one minute about riding back, that just wasn’t an option for me!
My challenge for next year is to be able to ride the hill up to Mount Alexander and then consider riding back to Port Douglas. Watch this space!
If you love riding and enjoy a challenge, join the Port Douglas Jungle ride to Cape Tribulation next year.

Combine this with great Port Douglas accommodation at Nautilus and recoup in style.

Combine this with great Port Douglas holiday apartments at Nautilus apartments and you have all the ingredients fora great North Queensland holiday.