Several leases expiring on March 12th are set to be handed back to Council which clears the path for redevelopment. Council has given the go ahead to commence demolition and clearing of the land even though the required funding for Stage 1 of the Waterfront project is yet to be secured from both the Federal and State Governments. Once the buildings are removed and the land is cleared the views to and from the waterfront will be changed substantially. Look out for the changes when you next visit Port Douglas.

The three part series looks at the life of Green Sea Turtles nesting on Raine Island in the far north, the largest breeding ground in the world, and follows the life of the Tiger Shark and looks in great detail at the amazing life of coral. New research also reveals for the first time the process of coral bleaching and explores the reasons for the vast coral colonies that form the Great Barrier Reef.

Based at James Cook University in Cairns and using Port Douglas as a base to access the above and below water marvels of  the reef and the Daintree Rainforest, two iconic eco systems that exist side by side, the documentary is set to inspire and amaze viewers the world over and will be great exposure for Far North Queensland and the Port Douglas region.

The festival will coincide with the solar eclipse on November 14th 2012. Plans include a street parade, night markets along the Esplanade and live entertainment with at least one national or international performing artist as a major draw card.

Tipped to be the biggest event in the history of Port Douglas the solar eclipse is shaping up as a “must be there” event for 2012. With the recent announcement of additional flights by both Jetstar and Tiger Airways and great accommodation deals at The Mango Tree now is the time to jump on-board the excitement of the 2012 Port Douglas solar eclipse.

Secure your place in the tropical far north for this steller occasion

Gone are the former midnight arrivals and departures with a new time table arriving at 12:15pm and departing at 12:45pm.

Tickets are already selling for as low as $99 and when you add this to an $85 per night 7 night stay at The Mango Tree Victorians can save a packet on a tropical holiday in Port Douglas.

This news follows recent announcements by Jetstar of four additional flights a week from Melbourne to Cairns.

Last Wednesday we had a night off from taking our own boat Ice out for a sail and fellow skipper Graham Moritz invited us on-board Sinabada.

We had a fabulous sail and settled in back at the club afterwards for dinner. In conversation with a couple from Vancouver, Canada Richard and his partner (to whom I must apologise as her name eludes me), we asked the two usual questions – where are you staying and how did you find out about the sailing?

The answers thrilled us when they said they had discovered the free sunset sailing on the Mango Tree website while researching their accommodation online. Unfortunately we missed out on their booking as they chose to stay elsewhere but it was great to see they got on-board and that these pages are bringing in the crew for the sunset sailing at the Yacht Club. Helping people to discover some of Ports lesser known attractions and treasures.

As much as we’d love to have everyone stay with us At The Mango Tree, we realise we can’t convert every web visitor to a bed visitor but it’s satisfying to know that through these pages we are helping people make the most out of their visit to Port Douglas.

Harry: Now, are you telling me that’s not worth twenty shekels?

Brian: All right. I’ll give you nineteen then.

Harry: No, no, no. Come on. Do it properly. Haggle properly. This isn’t worth nineteen.

Brian: All right. I’ll give you ten.

Harry: That’s more like it. Ten? Are you trying to insult me?

Eventually they settle on 14 and Brian gets his fake beard for 6 shekels less than the original asking price.

One can almost imagine Harry the Haggler peddling accommodation to passers by.

Harry: Get your room here! $200 per night. Fully self contained, air conditioned apartment.

Brian: OK here’s $200.

Harry: Hang on a minute! $200? What if you want two nights?

Brian: But I don’t want two nights!

Harry: You’re supposed to haggle. Offer me less.

Brian: All right, I’ll give you $100.

Harry: That’s better, now you’re getting the hang of it. $100 a night?! Are you trying to insult me? It’s gotta be worth at least $150. Stay a week and we can talk a $100.

When it comes to renting holiday accommodation these days rightly or wrongly it seems to be more and more acceptable to question the price.

So in the true spirit of Harry the Haggler we’ve got a couple of rooms open to your offers for a limited time only:

Tell us how much you want to pay and we’ll tell you how much we want you to stay.

Go on; why not give it a go? Fill in the quick quote on the right and let’s haggle!

Whatever we choose to call summer in the tropics it’s true to that name providing lush growth and an abundance of life giving rain.
The first sign of the season is the shifting winds as the regular south easterlies give way to hot moist northerlies. This pattern may swing back and forth as the monsoon trough fights to push its way further south. As the summer weeks roll by and the build up intensifies the rains become more and more frequent and the downpours become heavier.
You might be lucky and witness some of the heaviest rain fall imaginable, briefly turning roadways into rivers and then you realise why the culverts and drains are so huge!
The summer season is the season of renaissance as life under the tropical sun responds to the moist warm air that fuels growth and rejuvenation. Humans are not immune to this either. Fill your lungs with a fresh sea breeze and marvel at the wonder of a hot, wet, green and tropical summer season. There is inspiration here enough for us all and everyone should experience a summer in the tropics at least once in their lifetime.

Port Douglas is situated in the heart of the tropical far north coastline and is a perfect place to spend an Australian summer holiday. Witness the awesome power of Mother Nature from the daily burst of growth on the tiniest of new born plants to the massive movements in the air of infamous tropical lows. The cycles of life unfold before your very eyes.
At The Mango Tree Holiday Apartments are offering the last days of summer specials for the month of February. Come to Port Douglas and see it for yourself. The wet season, the green season or the summer season, call it what you like – it’s the season to see.

Check out the online chat button at the bottom right of your screen and give it go.  Just click on it and type away. Your text appears in the orange box where you type it and ours appears in the red box above it. It’s that simple.

If we’re online we’ll get right back to you and answer any questions you might have about your Port Douglas holiday.

It’s certainly a sign of the times and in these days of instant everything we hope we can give you an instant reply and help you with your holiday plans.

Chat soon…

 

Richard and Kay Noble also staying at The Mango Tree were treated to a fabulous evening on the water. Richard discoverd the free sunset sailing on the Mango Tree website shortly after making his booking and was quick to let us know they were keen to take up the offer during their stay. The club had a particularly busy night with over 100 people looking to get onboard and fortunately an unusually high number of 11 skippers and yachts to meet the demand.

The first weekend of Carnivale (18 – 20 May ) is dedicated to the food and wine festivals with all the popular food events including Longest Lunch, Palates of Port, Food Wine and a Taste of Port and the ever popular Seafood Extravaganza all held over the first weekend.  The second weekend ( 25- 26 May ) will have the  Street Parade (25 May ) and Beach Day (26 May).  There will be lots of events during the week including the Exemplar Clipper Cup Regatta from 23rd to 27th to make 2012 Port Douglas Carnivale a fabulous experience for locals and visitors.

Port Douglas accommodation specials at The Mango Tree are now available for visitors wanting to stay for the full 9 nights of Carnivale at just $75 per night.  Apartments are available at this fantastic rate for a limited time only.

For people unable to stay for the whole 9 days weekend specials are available for 3 nights at just $99 per night. A limited number of Apartments are available at these great rates and holiday makers wishing to take advantage of this great offer should book early.