Absolute Newell Beach
Port Douglas, Australia
Best picnic spot
The well-signposted Mossman Gorge is five minutes away by car and is the prime spot for a romantic picnic and afternoon swim. The ancient rainforest borders a pristine river, which weaves its way through giant boulders big enough to accommodate your picnic blanket.
Best beaches
The one on your doostep. Swim (when stingers aren’t in season) or go horse riding along the beach (+61 (0) 7 4098 7583; www.,ridethebeach.com.au.
Best walks
The Mossman Gorge. While you are there, make for Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime, at the entrance of the gorge, where the indigenous inhabitants of the local rainforest offer guided rainforest walks with demonstrations of traditional plant use and identification of bush tucker.
Shopping
A general store is five minutes’ walk away and sells basic provisions such as bread and milk, basic grocery items, newspapers and fishing bait. The nearest supermarket is a five-minute drive away in Mossman (IGA, 12 Front Street, Mossman 4873 +61 (0) 7 4098 1168). Head for The Golden Cane Bakery (37 Front Street, Mossman 4873, +61 (0) 7 4098 1907) for breakfast goodies. Visit Mossman market on Saturdays or the weekly market in Port Douglas on Sundays. They both sell locally grown fruit and vegetables direct from the farmers. Blood Orange, at 9 Warner Street, +61 (0)7 4099 4979, turns out homemade sauces, including luscious passionfruit or mango butter, as well as dips, gourmet meals, and fresh fruit and veg. Seafood House, 11 Warner Street, Port Douglas, +61 (0)7 4099 5368, sells seafood fresh from the trawler, as well as tasty smoked salmon, mackerel and, for the adventurous, crocodile. Open seven days a week.
Activities
The vibrant resort town of Port Douglas is a 15-minute drive away and offers a multitude of activities, including international standard golfing, day trips to the Great Barrier Reef, shopping, fabulous art galleries and world-class dining.
Your hosts can organise day trips and a hire car.
Take a scenic helicopter ride to remote Aboriginal rock art sites and the outback, or try a heli-horse or heli-rafting safari (+61 (0) 7 4099 3666; www.skysafari.com.au).
Smith Tip
How to open a coconut:
Use one of the dozens of coconuts strewn across the lawn in front of the house as a guinea pig. Pull off the strands of outer husk, and remember to hold the coconut over a bowl if you want to catch the delicious water inside. Locate the three holes, known as the eyes, at the top of the fruit and with them pointing sideways, wallop the coconut across the ridge with the back of a meat cleaver and it should split in half.
