Recent Tourism Australia campaigns say: “Holiday Here This Year!” and“There’s Nothing Like Australia.” It’s so true that domestic travel is still an excellent option for Australians who can’t travel overseas due to the pandemic crisis. Here’s why Port Douglas and the Tropical Far North Queensland should be on top of your next holiday trip bucket list.
Pictures found currently around the web show top world tourist destinations with a surreal appearance amid the lockdown because of the Covid19 virus.
Also, here in Port Douglas, the renowned beach town in the far north of Queensland, Australia, the tourists left, and residents are self-isolating at home.
Now, in a tourist season with no tourists, flocks of lorikeets gather in the trees above deserted streets. The numerous tour operators’ boats, that used to visit the nearby Great Barrier Reef daily, are sitting quietly in port with no passengers.
In rural and less populated areas like up here in Far North Queensland, the lockdown has been perhaps a gentler experience than in the cities. For weeks, the only freedom most city dwellers had was just to go for a walk around their neighborhood. Beaches and playgrounds have been closed, parks closed to the public, and “non-essential” businesses like restaurants and pubs shut down.
Countless weeks into lockdown have surely grown a great desire not only for a cold draught beer to enjoy at the local pub but also for outdoor escapes. Many of those stuck at home or in stressful jobs are now extremely keen to feed their travel cravings. Some of them are dreaming of wild places and being able to reconnect again with the natural world.
Here in the verdant Douglas Shire, people had to stick to lockdown restrictions as well. However, the proximity to nature in everyone’s backyard made the isolation less challenging and frustrating (except for the pub closures!).
All Australians are currently advised against non-essential travel as states and territories have closed their borders. Nevertheless, the recent ease of some of the strictest lockdown restrictions encourages everyone to start dreaming of and maybe planning for a domestic holiday trip soon.
Time to Slow Travel
With no alternatives but to travel around their own country, Aussies can choose to spend their time and money exploring their exceptional backyard and perhaps appreciate an enforced slow
Slow travel is not about a particular mode of transportation; it is more a mindset. For example, renting a place for a week and exploring the immediate surroundings on foot, by bike or by car, allows slow travelers to form a stronger connection to a place
Slow travel is a similar concept to the Italian slow
In the same way that slow food means to preserve and appreciate regional and traditional cuisine as well as local farming and culture, slow traveling emphasizes the connection to the local environment and culture.
Those who are going to slow travel to Port Douglas this year, will not only stay long enough to familiarize themselves with their neighbors, shop in the local markets and pick their favorite morning coffee place but they will also be able to sail to the Great Barrier Reef, spend the day swimming in the ocean among coral gardens and tropical fish, and still be home in time for dinner. Some days they can decide to take their time adventuring along back roads instead of taking the main highway. If lucky, they will discover one of the many freshwater swimming holes scattered in the tropical rainforest where locals usually go to cool off during the long afternoons of the hot season.
Being in Nature Makes us Happy
Nature here reigns supreme. Away from the crowds, visitors can enjoy this spectacular part of the world, getting the feeling of having the place just to themselves. Some visitors like this feeling so much than they decide to stay for good, and they are now permanent residents (see the author of this post).
Science has proven that nature does good things to humans and their brains, which some of us instinctively already knew and appreciated. Scientific research studies like that of David Strayer from Utah University demonstrate how being close to the wild makes people healthier, happier, and smarter.
“When we slow down, stop the busywork, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel restored, but our mental performance improves too.”
David Strayer
Strayer’s cognitive psychological research highlights the soothing effects of being immersed in nature. His and other scientific neuroscience and epidemiology studies highlight the higher incidence of mass public health issues such as obesity, depression, anxiety, etc., associated with time spent indoors.
Recent images that have gone viral show clear skies over deserted cities usually polluted and chaotic, wild animals roaming freely in deserted human-inhabited areas and the clean waterways of Venice. These images highlight the impact of humans on nature. They show its resilience,
Nature’s resilience gives hope to people that depend on it entirely as it provides everything, including clean air and water!
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the relationship between human health and the natural world, making more people aware of its critical status. For
According to the renowned ecologist Lee Hannah “Ecosystems in nature function similarly to the human body: when they are robust and healthy – which means they have diverse species and space for healthy animal populations – they are more resistant to disease. We must take care of nature to take care of ourselves”.
Taking Care of Nature and Unique Ecosystems: the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is an environmental treasure and one of Earth’s most diverse marine ecosystems that is sadly under threat. Protecting the Reef from negative human impact like water pollution and overfishing is vital.
Despite the dangers that the Reef faces, people need to visit it and enjoy the wonders that it provides. Tourism helps spread the word of how important it is to protect its magnificence and contribute financially to its conservation. Revenue derived from park-entrance fees and similar sources supports the protection and management of environmentally sensitive areas.
Only a small part of the Great Barrier Reef is open for tourism and many of the tour operators that take visitors out make a direct contribution to
The Great Barrier Reef’s appeal to domestic tourists has been facing the challenging onset of coral bleaching events in 2017. The misconception had grown among divers that the reef was hardly worth visiting. However, busy past holiday seasons and happy
Australians currently contemplating a trip around their exceptional country should make sure that the Great Barrier Reef features on their itinerary. The numerous options to explore and experience this unique natural wonder include scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, island hopping, and scenic flights.
Port Douglas A Gateway to Exceptional Landscapes for all Tastes.
Port Douglas offers the best gateway to the Outer Reef, which
This area also has an important cultural significance. The Kuku Yalanji native people and original owners of this land can tell many interesting stories about the creation of the reef and the rainforest passed down through generations.
Some Australians may find the thought of domestic travel doesn’t provide the same thrill they can get from an overseas holiday. Experiencing Port Douglas and the natural beauty of tropical Far North Queensland can undoubtedly make them change their mind. The adventurous as much as the leisurely may indulge in
The life of a local can be pretty busy around here!
The outstanding and exceptional nature found in this part of the world has restorative powers. The happiness effect is guaranteed. This is why it should be at the top of the list of anyone that hasn’t been yet.
“There is still Nothing Like Australia” – and “our natural wonders” – should be added to those tourism ads.
The ambition to see the global picture often begins in our own backyard.