82 AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
After the illustrious launch of the $100 million Sheraton
Mirage by Christopher Skase back in 1987, the town was opened
up to the world and Port Douglas saw its biggest boom period over
the next two decades. “The resort became a playground for the
rich and famous,” says Steve Molnar, general manager of the
resort; celebrity visitors included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tom
Hanks, John Travolta and Mick Jagger.
But as almost 30 years passed and ’80s style turned from cool
to cringeworthy, the resort lost a little of its lustre, as did much
of the town’s surrounds. “When you’re sending a message that Port
Douglas is a high-end world trip, the property can’t be dated.
Everyone is looking for that next new thing,” says Steve. With the
intention of bringing the five-star hotel’s reputation back from its
glory days, owners Fullshare invested $43 million into a complete
refurbishment, keeping the bones of the building intact, but with
everything else reimagined for the 2017 visitor.
Walking past the two hectares of refreshed saltwater swimming
lagoons, I come to the Sheraton’s private entrance to Four Mile
Beach, a sandy stretch of clear blue sea and waving palms. It’s
a sign of the town’s intrinsic connection to the water – one it has
built its very foundations on.
Stretching out for more than 2000 kilometres, the Great
Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, and Port Douglas is
one of the closest gateways to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Launching the very first tour to the Low Isles back in 1979,
Quicksilver Cruises is a pioneer in exploring the area.
Aboard its high-speed catamaran (seasickness tablets in hand,
of course), I settle in for the one-hour journey to Agincourt Reef.
This small group of pristine ribbon reefs runs parallel to theCLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
The open deck at Barbados at the
marina; A cocktail at Barbados;
The homewares at Ahoy Trader
are entirely suitcase worthy.
OPPOSITE: St Mary’s by the
Sea, torn asunder by a cyclone and
rebuilt pride of place on the harbour.1