Love Port Douglas lots of shops, restaurants and bars, a four mile beach and some beautiful walks up to the lookout. We went on the Lady Douglas, a lovely old fashioned boat up the Dickson Inlet for a sunset tour. Not sure why they call it the sunset tour as it goes from 4.30-6pm and the sun does not set until 6.30pm here. It was a lovely boat trip we spotted three crocodiles but as soon as we got close they would go under the water. The boat trip included nibbles and a complimentary drink and the captain was very knowledgeable of the whole area. A very relaxing trip.
We decided to do the reef cruise from Port Douglas rather than Cairns as they go to the Agincourt Reef which is meant to be one of the better ones. The reef is 72 kilometres out to the very edge of Australia’s Continental Shelf. The Agincourt ribbon reefs are a small group of reefs running parallel to the Continental Shelf. We booked on the Quicksilver Cruise it is a massive boat and one of the fastest in the marina. It takes nearly 1.5 hours to get out to the reef. Once out there there is a pontoon where you can do all your activities from. We got into our stinger suits very flattering. The guy handing them out gave me an XXL which I though was a bit of a cheek there were lots of people bigger than me there and he gave Simon the same size. Well needless to say I had lots of extra material, took me a while to find my feet and hands.
They had a snorkelling area which was roped off into sections with big buoys further out as rest areas. So armed with our flippers, snorkel and masks off we went. Loads of fish cannot remember the names of them all but we saw Seargeant Majors, Parrot fish, Clown Anenomefish (Nemo), Red Bass, Giant Trevally, Yellow Tailed Barracuda. They also do a feeding session off the pontoon at 1pm and the fish knew so they started coming in about 10 mins before hand. The red bass changed colour when feeding they flushed a deep red.
The coral was not as multicoloured as some that I have seen but looked healthy. They had a semi submersible you could go in off into some deeper areas and you got a much better view of the coral, there were massive staghorn corals and brain corals mostly yellows, and blues and big gigantic clams.
You could also dive if you wanted but none of us dive and if you couldn’t swim you could put on a helmet which had oxygen pumped into it and walk on the sea floor. Didn’t see anyone do that though I think it was in a different area. Helicopter trip over the reef was another option.
It was a great day out with a lovely lunch provided before the boat trip back. Luckily for us it was flat as a pancake because the next day it was blowing a gale and I would have been sick as a dog. Great day out thoroughly recommend.