Sarah Jordan: Port Douglas, Australia

I arrive within one minute to spare (on Friday 9 August 2024) before the doors on the Airport Express close. Port Douglas here I come!

Check-in is nice and easy. After security I decide to give the Qantas lounge a miss and head to the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge.

I enjoy a bite to eat before having to get on a work call.

We depart HK a few minutes late. I’ve been surprised how “calm” the boarding process was. Hopefully a good sign for a chilled flight. I received a message on Wednesday night that my update to business class (via points) came through. A nice surprise.

At 8.40pm the pilot announces we are due to land at 6.30am Sydney time (4.30am HK time) and that it’s going to be 12 degrees. OOH MY MY! I am absolutely going to freeze. Today has been 33 degrees.

I manage to get some sleep and wake up when the customs video is being played. Opening the windows I see night turn into day.

The lines at immigration are beyond ridiculous!! It’s like they only have one counter open for so many planes. Crazy! In the end I ask someone where the line is for the APEC card. I’m advised because I have a NZ passport I can go through the self service gates at the front. Off I go. Thankfully the line moves quickly.

Transferring to the domestic terminal is easy. And within minutes of arriving I'm at the lounge having a coffee.

For whatever reason we end up sitting at the gate for a good 25 minutes before pushing back. The 3 hour flight passes by quickly.

Pip and Kat are waiting for me at the baggage claim. Soooo lovely to be all together again.

It’s around an hours drive to Port Douglas (from Cairns airport). We stop enroute at a bridge to see some crocs but there are none around today.

Pip drives us around Port Douglas quickly, it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

We check-in at our hotel, which is a 5 minute walk from Pip and Sean’s place and drop our bags before going back to their place to relax and of course chit chat!!!! The children coming and going while we remain in the same place.

Many many many bottles of wine later (us girls) walk down to the local Italian place for pizza and more wine / cocktails.

Sunday 11 August I wake just after 7am. It was super peaceful. I wander out to the balcony and am surprised how “cold” it is, 23 degrees.

Kat and I have a nice chilled morning drinking coffee and chatting.

We were about to leave the room to walk to Pip’s when the heavens open. Right, we’ll be staying put for now. In the end there is a knock at the door and it’s Pip to collect us.

Back to their place for coffee and vegemite toast before going to the Sunday market. Thankfully the rain stopped while we were wandering around the stalls.

Pip managed to get us a table at a Salsa Bar and Grill – typically it’s fully booked on a Sunday. We all have the same thing - crayfish pasta. It’s absolutely delicious!!!

It’s good to walk after the super tasty lunch! We wander around K Mart and Coles - purchasing a few things. I could have brought half of Coles! Everything is soooo much cheaper than Hong Kong.

When we go back to Pip’s, Lin (Pip’s Mum) is there. She and Charlie have just made chocolate chip cookies so the kitchen smells lovely.

We enjoyed a couple of hours at Ulis’s house (friends of Pip and Sean’s). Her place is between our hotel and Pip’s house, super handy!

Back to our balcony for cheese and for me alcoholic ginger beer - I couldn’t handle wine after last night!!

Monday 12 August I wake at 8am, heavenly although I could sleep for longer.

After having coffee in our room, we head out for a walk. Within minutes we are on the beach.

While the sun has some warmth there is a small breeze which is nice. As we get closer to the town the amount of people increases tenfold. There are even some people swimming. Not for me, a tad too cold!

Lunch is a delicious tuna poke bowl. Needed after yesterday’s dinner of wine and cheese.

Kat and I wander around the “town”, making our way to the marina where Pip comes to join us for a drink.

We have a couple of hours back at the hotel before going for an early dinner with Lin and Chris and the children. A proper Aussie pub meal.

I wake just after 6.30am on Tuesday 13 August. Our neighbours had left earlier which had been disrupting. Thankfully I managed to go back to sleep for a bit.

Kat and I have a few hours relaxing at the pool. It’s far too cold to swim! But too hot to be in the direct sunshine.

When it’s time for lunch, we stop by Pip’s to do a load of washing. Then continue to walk down to the Italian place, where Pip joins us.

After hanging out the washing (a huge novelty for me) we go back to our hotel for a couple of hours while Pip returns to work.

Just after 5pm we pack up the things for Pip and wander down to her place. We are off to see the sunset at Rex Smeal Park.

In the end there are 12 of us. Such a lovely setting and super relaxing. Remains me of my childhood, taking picnics to the park.

After unpacking the car Pip, Kat and I head down to Ulis’s for drinks. Thankfully it’s warmer than it was two nights ago. A great way to end the night.

I wake just before my alarm at 7.25am on Wednesday 14 August. It has been a short night for me unfortunately and more sleep is needed!

We have a chilled couple of hours in the room before Pip collects us at 11am.

Toast and coffee back at Pip’s place before we depart for Cairns.

Stopping enroute at Palm Cove for our last meal together.