Port Douglas Warnings and Dangers

Thanks Laurie,we have plenty of crocodiles in and around Cairns and a few years ago a teenage girl was dragged in at Chinaman's Creek in Portsmith,her friends heard her screaming and went to help her,she was hanging onto a mangrove root for all her life.
We get a few 'crocs' coming into the salt lake Centennial Lake at Edge Hill near the Botanical Gardens and as I said our beaches were closed only a couple of weeks ago due to crocodile sighting.

After that 'croc' took the dog a 'croc' hunt was on,those fishermen should have known better and there was an out rage regarding the slaughter of a crocodile in that area (after examining that 'croc' it was not the one that took the dog)so this then determined more than one 'croc' in the area.

Any tour operator who does not give a warning to locals or visitors alike regarding 'crocs' is negligent and the pure horror of this guide saying that "only an old fishman and a child" were taken begs to be reported to the authorities.How dare they disregard human lives like that.I reckon it's all about the tourist $$$$ rather than safety.
Then of course this terrible advice is then spread around the world and visitors then believe it is safe....Omg,the next attack will be the poor 'crocs' fault not the human being who ignored the signs or believed that tour guide.

I hope who ever reads this will adhere to the warnings.

Dorrise

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Snorkeling in the winter is cold, and there is some current. The excursion company had lines with floats on them for us to hold onto. I would swim out a little way and I would be swept back to the lines. They had divers in case we missed the line. They also gave us Lycra suits to protect against jellyfish.

definitely shop around
we had some excellent seafood but found some of the restaurants with views were charging big prices yet the restaurant around the corner was half the price and twice the amount, dont get fooled with buckets of prawns
the barramundi fish was great - and the types of prawns to eat vary in size a lot - see if you can look before buying

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Although the first photo of the sign was taken in Palm Cove on a brief stop there, the second photo was taken at the Port Douglas beach. the warnings are just as relevant to nearly all other areas in northern Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Third photo, well all I can say is PLEASE don't get too close.

Don't swim in open waters during the months November - April as there are marine stingers and they create a very nasty sting. I believe people have died from stingers.

Likewise crocodiles are an ever-present year round danger and they could be lurking almost anywhere. Nature has evolved the crocodile into a very efficient killing machine that can be in excess of 6 metres in length - don't mess with crocs unless you want to be part of the food chain.

Be careful when swimming in the ocean! We were told that there weren't any jellyfish around during late October and unfortunately my husband was stung during our Barrier Reef trip.
After this we saw a heap of jellyfish each time we were snorkelling. Easy enough to stay away from though - just swim in teh other direction to them!

His stings were treated quickly by the Calypso staff (good old vinegar!) and he was right to go again after about 30 minutes.

In Far North Queensland, from around November to May, there are dangerous Marine Stingers in the water. These creatures can cause a lot of pain (and can sometimes be fatal….), so at this time of year you should only swim within the special enclosures at the beach.

There is one beach at Port Douglas - Four Mile Beach, and during stinger season it does have a safety net. Please ensure you swim in the marked area only, or use the pool at your hotel.

More information can be found via the weblink below.

Although Port Douglas is a must for any traveller,it is very expensive....Save your extra dollars and do everything on offer,as it is all so amazing....if you dont do it, you will live to regret it...

please be aware that huge crocodiles do live in these areas. The signs everywhere are there for this reason. Be aware of the danger.
Jellyfish in FNQ can kill. The safest place to swim in my opinion is the resort pool. You will notice bottles of vinegar all along the beaches in case you are stung!!!