Port Douglas Qld July 28th 2023

Turned out rather a nice day, no rain and lots of sunshine between cloudy bits. We went on the now rather lame Lady Douglas cruise up the Dickson Inlet. We’ve done this maybe four times before and I guess we’re just a bit over it.  They managed to find two small crocodiles, so they got a tick-in-the-box, but we probably won't bother again. Apart from anything else, the skipper kept banging on about how crocodiles only eat once or twice a year, which I'm sure is just plain wrong. Research shows that a crocodile can last for up to three years without a feed, they normally feed on ‘snacks’ every few days.

Baby saltwater crocodile, maybe 60cm long. Dickson Inlet Port Douglas Qld

The marina is looking tired an unloved. Today we hear that it was bought a few years back by some billionaire who wanted to pull it down and build two, yes two, huge hotels on the site. So, all the tenants closed their businesses and left and the builders started pulling things apart, like the slipways and the jetties. But then, for no apparent reason, the plans were shelved and its been left in limbo ever since.

Of interest is the new junk in town. Ostensibly commissioned by the CIA and used for surveillance of the coast of China. It's now owned by one of the tour companies and we saw it making its way up the Inlet, looking for crocs no doubt.

Chinese Junk. Dickson Inlet Port Douglas Qld

And the little trains that used to run up and down the old cane track, but it was pulled up and the trains are now permanently parked and the carriages used as seating area for a cafe. 

We took ourselves off to the Court House Hotel for our usual bucket of prawns for lunch, but they were very few in number, expensive and lacking in flavour. 

Prawn quality control Officer. Court House Hotel Port Douglas Qld

Undaunted we decided that the best thing to do was go back to Mossman and get another vanilla slice.

Disaster! They had run out. I've never understood why these bakeries do that: only bake a few of everything, including the things they invariably sell out off.

Anyhow we found another cafe and had scones instead.