Friday was our last full day in Port Douglas.  We all agreed we could have happily spent 2 weeks here as there is so much to see and do in the area.  Plus Port Douglas itself is gorgeous.

So how did we spend our last day together?

We spent the morning in Wildlife Habitat which was about a 5 minute drive from our holiday villa.  It was fantastic.  You walk through 3 different environments and can get very close to some of the animals.  It is one of the best and most interesting wildlife places I have been to as it gives you a real sense of the animal/bird and their environment.

A Cassowary. A Black Headed Stork. I will spare you most of the many photos I took of the birds and animals there but this one is very charming.  Many of the birds and animals are comfortable enough around people to let you get really close which is fantastic.  Don’t get too close though as Harvey discovered.  My animal and bird loving son was pecked by this Curlew when he tried to touch it. Kookaburra! We had several beside our villa who laughed merrily for us. In my time I have seen hundreds of kangaroos but never a Joey before.  Here’s one! No dear, you can’t come out, you are practically still a foetus! The Emu was not in the mood for playing. There were plenty of kangaroos who were very happy to be fed and touched. I can never resist a picture of a Pelican. Another Joey, or bits of it at least.

To all you Mothers out there, if you think child-rearing can be hard, spare a thought for a kangaroo.  It is not uncommon for them to have a young kangaroo (less than a year old) by their side, one in the pouch and an embryo in the uterus!  I think this Mother is thinking it is time to turf the Joey out as he is rather large. Lara found this Praying Mantis.  She is superb at spotting insects, animals and birds.  Often reluctant or nervous about getting too close but quite happy to hold this one.   Harvey wanted a turn and it ran up his arm and in to his hair which he was not very keen on but he did manage to stay still so it was unharmed. We spent the afternoon in town and at the pool.  This pool was shared with 8 other villas, half of which were unoccupied so it was never too busy but was quite sociable.  The children loved it. Late afternoon Lara and I set off to walk to the other end of 4 mile beach.  Our villa is about 3 miles from Port Douglas and we have walked from town to “home” several times but never to the end.  So we set off in the late afternoon sun. The water was 23 ° so it was incredibly pleasant to walk along it, on the soft sand. There is the view round the corner – a bit more sand and bush and a restaurant at the end.  All very lovely. Back at the ranch everyone showered, the girlies dressed up for our final supper and BJ cooked us all a fabulous dinner.  Chicken kebabs and fillet steak cooked on the BBQ and served with mushrooms, onions and red peppers in a cream sauce.  It was a fabulous end to a truly wonderful holiday.I really didn’t want this holiday to ever end.  The company has obviously been wonderful and as well as visiting some extraordinary places we have really enjoyed being in the villa together, by the pool and on the beach.  Card and dice games have amused us in the evenings as have the Bundaberg rum, gin, wine and beer consumption.  I have drunk and eaten to excess as my currently expanding girth can prove so I have a rather larger task ahead of me when I get home than before I left.

Port Douglas is a superb place to go and if you are ever tempted by Australia, if you like beaches and snorkelling – get over there!