‘It has an ancient, Jurassic Park feel’: a local’s guide to Port Douglas

The rainforest is lush in the wet season, says Kuku Yalanji man and local tour guide Juan Walker, and year-round you can find long stretches of deserted beaches

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I was born and raised in Mossman, 20 minutes from Port Douglas, and have worked in tourism on Kuku Yalanji country since 1999.

When I was young, Port Douglas was a bunch of local fishers, a handful of shops and the pubs. When the Sheraton resort opened in 1987, development really kicked off. Now it’s one of those scenic resort towns you find all over the world.