North Queensland

November 20, 2004 11:22 PM

AussieHolidayFilter: My wife and I used to visit Port Douglas in Far North Queensland back in the early 1990s, when it had 4 great restaurants, 3 great hotels, and 2 great pubs. [M.I.]

"Port" has grown tremendously in the last 10 years and is no longer the peaceful, charming and refined spot it once was. Can anyone suggest a replacement? We're not at all into the Surfers/Noosa/Central Coast thing. Think dignified peace and quiet, good food, and warm nights.

posted by TiredStarling to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

Maybe go West : Broome or El Questro
Or North West : Seven Spirit Bay
posted by johnny7 at 12:46 AM on November 21, 2004

Cape Tribulation!
Quite a few nice restaurants there and some nice places to stay. How long are you staying TiredStarling?

I was in Broome last June. I don't get the Broome hype. Dusty little place.
I'm more a Darwin fan, myself.
The Cobourg Peninsula (Seven Spirit Bay) is in my top 3 of must visit places. God, it must be beautiful there.

It is a wet bit there now of course. In the north. And bloody humid.
posted by ginz at 12:19 PM on November 21, 2004

Eh.... bit wet. Not wet bit. Lets make that wet wet wet.
posted by ginz at 12:22 PM on November 21, 2004

Fraser Island is the most beautiful place I've ever been. I've heard good things about Lord Howe Island.
posted by arha at 3:17 PM on November 21, 2004

ginz - Nothing planned yet. We live in New Zealand, so we usually go for about a week, ten days. And we'll wait for the dry season no doubt. Port Douglas was a wonderful secret treasure till all the Sydney hoi-polloi moved in!

arha - Fraser Island looks gorgeous.
posted by TiredStarling at 8:08 PM on November 21, 2004

Fraser Island is beautiful but not exactly a secret. Watch out for the cute hordes of backpackers.
posted by ginz at 11:46 AM on November 22, 2004

The Torres Strait Islands are pretty amazing- they're remote enough to be fairly tourist free. They're amazingly laid-back, and eating is good, especially if you're into fresh seafood.

Thursday Island is the place to start up there, and Poruma Island
has an excellent resort. Probably not cheap, though.

Cape Levecque, 300 odd kilometres north of Broome, is also pretty awesome- really ancient, primal landscape and scenery. Not many restaurants there, though.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 12:22 AM on November 23, 2004