Some sights we've seen since moving to Port douglas from Melbourne in Sept 2014

Along with our now 15 year old daughter - we met some of the critters of the north - outside on the footpath, on the beach, in our pool! and just 'hanging around' This is such a great place for a family holiday. This is not so much a place to smell the roses - its more a place to either sit down and see what walks past - or get out and look closely at all the amazing bugs and beetles and creatures up in this Far North Queensland Garden of Eden:)

Santa visiting Wildlife Habitat Crocodiles in Port Douglas. LOCAL INSIGHT: The crocs need the visit! We prefer the visitor experience at Hartley's Crocodile Farm about 20 mins south of Port Douglas. More bang for your buck and open spaces for animals at Hartley's large croc lagoon and boat ride experience. We do not agree with the small cages Wildlife Habitat uses for animals. Really the best experiences are seeing nature in the open, on the Daintree River and around Port Douglas streets. Keep an eye out :)

What a whopper! About 15cm long - this frog was just waiting for us to walk past on April 30, 2015 - out back of Ramada Restaurant- on the way for a night time stroll to the beach.

This little crab kept running into our house during the start of the wet season. Then unfortunately it decided to check out the swimming pool one night and couldn't get out. We did help it out - but it became a very bleached and slow moving crab :(

The Rhino Beetle - huge bugs - sometimes jet black - others flouro green. Cool!

Two star fish having a hug?

Crocodiles on the Daintree River, just 30 minutes from Port Douglas. There are several tours operating from the Daintree River Cruise Centre, just a few hundred meters before the river ferry crossing. Best to see crocodiles in the wild!

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Cassowary - one of two at Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas. We suggest best place to see is in the Daintree where they are truly wild. Always steer clear - they are a big bird with a big bite and the world's most dangerous bird! They are amazing to look at, and best seen in the wild. Also at Hartley's Crocodile Farm.

Parrot at Wildlife Habitat in Port. Careful - these can nibble your chin! as we later discovered. Tip: Don't try and kiss the birds.

A HUGE spider - looks like it should audition for a role in the TV 'miniscule' series - that's quite a face. Dangling off its own web in Cane Toad alley. Hung around for a few days - then left.

Feeding kangaroos at Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas

A huge grub on the driveway - is this a witchetty grub ?

A giant moth - maybe 10-12cm - in Cane Toad Alley, Port Douglas

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Available for rent. 1 crab shell - orange - owner left town.

At Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary - about a 1 hour drive by shuttle bus or car from Port Douglas - 30 mins from Cairns. Great place to visit - 100s of butterflies to see.

Our record 'Gecko Count' is I believe 52 Geckos out around lights and eating through bugs. Some locals don't like Geckos for their habit of shorting our A/C - but they do a great job eating bugs. Go Geckos!

Someone lost an arm? Was this a dual to the death? Not sure if these were connected to one crab or two - but they were available to a new home

A Giant Grasshopper -maybe 10-12cm - in Port Douglas

A Cane Toad off Andrews Close in Port Douglas. Due to the regular appearance of several toads we have dubbed this 'Cane toad alley'

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Fish churning the water at 6.30am off Port Douglas Beach.

One armed crab that burst out of the sand at low tide - Port Douglas Beach

Lobster shell on Port Douglas Beach

Skink sitting on a Coconut at Wonga Beach - north of Mossman - which is a 15min drive just north of Port Douglas

Coconuts on the beach in Port Douglas - this bunch of 8 we found and shared with visitors

A dead stingray washed up on Port Douglas beach at 4 mile - about 1m across

A Blue Bottle - still alive - washed up on the beach at dusk November 2015

Watersnake on Port Douglas Beach. Still alive just above the outgoing tide. November 2015

Not an Orange footed scrub fowl (the most common ground bird around Port Douglas) - this is the good Aussie Brush Turkey - pictured here in Kuranda.

This small hammer shark was found on the beach July 2017. About 40cm long, this is a good example of another one of the amazing creatures that live in the Coral Sea off Port Douglas.