trishfromoz

Hi,
I have some English cousins coming to stay and they have booked six nights in Cairns. There are a husband and wife, and then another husband and wife and 2 kids (I think they are about 12 and 14). After reading through this site it would seem that Port Douglas may suit them better and I have been looking at some hotels but they seem very expensive! (the Boathouse) I guess with their exchange rate it may seem better but can anyone suggest a family hotel, walking distance to the beach, that is good quality? They are arriving in August. Thank you.

mpoll

Yes, I think they would be much better at Port Douglas than Cairns. Much smaller, more attractive. It has its own Marina, a great beach and plenty of shopping/eating options. Make sure they stay somewhere close to the main street (Macrossan Street). There are plenty of places that are a long walk out of town.
We've stayed twice at Hibiscus Gardens and can highly recommend. Nice rooms, reasonable rates, two pools, one block behind the main street, 200m to the beach and about 400m to the marina. www.hibiscusportdouglas.com.au

mjnbrown

There are tons of apartments for rent in Port Douglas - that is the common accommodation versus traditional hotels. The following websites may be helpful in locating a good place: pddt.com.au or great-barrier-reef.com. There is a great variety in price. When I was there in 2001, a friend and I stayed 7 nights in a 2 bedroom apartment one block from the beach and 1 block from Macrossan Street for a little over $300 US.
Martha

trishfromoz

Thanks so much! The Hibiscus looks great. I have emailed those addresses to my cousins. I am sure that they have already researched a great deal but at least I feel like I"m helping. I was thinking that I may join them, is it still really humid in August?

mrsfletcher

It is always a bit more humid up north, but Jul/Aug is the best time of year to go. The weather should be fantastic. Another website to check is www.portdouglasaccom.com.au