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Sailboats on Dickson Inlet
In the relatively sheltered waters of Dickson Inlet in Port Douglas, sailboats are moored or anchored, protected from the cyclones that hit this coastline any time from the beginning of November through to the end of April.
In some parts of the Tropics, they call it Rainy Season. In the northern reaches of Australia, it is simply The Wet.
On a daily basis, the skies open, and it doesn’t rain, so much, as pour. I first experienced this when visiting my son in Darwin, NT, many years ago: mid afternoon, it was like having a warm bathtub dumped over your head. Regular activity goes into hiatus as visibility is reduced to almost nothing and you are soaked to the skin in an instant.
Visiting Tropical Far North Queensland during the Wet Season comes with risks – but I had cabin fever, and the timing of my road trip north was determined by windows of opportunity in the rolling Covid-19 lockdowns and the availability of accommodation.
There are advantages to travelling in the low season: while it is very hot, very humid, and very wet, the crowds are definitely fewer, the accommodation is cheaper, and the vegetation and waterways come to life.
Last February, I managed to organise myself a week’s accommodation in Port Douglas, a civilised little resort town a mere stone’s throw from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park on one side and Great Barrier Reef on the other. I was determined to make the most of my time in the north and mapped out my time accordingly. I had made a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef from Airlie Beach a few days before on my drive north (see: The Heart of the Reef), so I was focussed on inland pursuits. On my first days in town, I took a segway tour of Four Mile Beach and rafted down the Mossman River – two activities which were great fun, but didn’t lead to photographs I’d care to share!
For a change of pace, I booked onto a late-afternoon trip on the Lady Douglas, a beautiful riverboat offering tours up the Dickson Inlet and around the Port Douglas waterfront. The ecological significance of the red mangroves and other salt-tolerant vegetation has been recognised, and the branching network of channels that make up Dickson Inlet are now part of the Estuarine Conservation Zone of the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park.
Join me in a glass of wine and a lovely evening cruise:
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Marina off Wharf Street
The coastal town of Port Douglas in tropical Far North Queensland has always attracted sport fishers: there are some beautiful powerboats in the marina.
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The Lady Douglas
I’m heading for the classic Lady Douglas riverboat for a late afternoon cruise.
Lucas Agrums
Skipper, engineer, and co-owner Lucas keeps us entertained with his amusing and knowledgeable commentary as he guides the riverboat up Dickson Inlet / Packers Creek.
Sailboats in the Estuary
As we make our way upstream, (iPhone12Pro) …
Sailboat in the Estuary
… we find the mangrove-covered banks lined with luxurious sailboats.
Battened Down
Boat after boat is battened down in preparation for the summer storms.
Storm Clouds over the Inlet
For the storms will come! The only questions are about the strength and timing of each afternoon squall.
Tinnie on Dickson Inlet
Water-ferry services must do a roaring trade here: some of the moored boats are a long way from the mouth of the inlet.
Waves and Ripples
The chugging of our motor as we wend our way up the inlet is mesmerising.
Red Mangroves – Rhizophora Stylosa
The Dickson Inlet is estuarine, flooding with sea water regularly. With their well-adapted root systems, the mangroves that thrive along the shoreline are well suited to periodic inundations with saline waters.
Whimbrel in the Mangroves
Their aerial roots help them cope in oxygen-poor soils: branching stilt roots allow the trees to stay upright, while stabilising the coastline and providing a nutrient-rich habitat for other creatures.
Schooner on Dickson Inlet
Radjah Shelducks – Radjah Radjah
Overhead, a flight of Burdekin ducks gets my attention.
Masked Lapwings – Vanellus Miles
The plovers on the banks are much more common – and twice as noisy!
Little Croc in the Mangroves
Although this is crocodile territory – and deadly attacks on humans happen every few years or so – the best we saw on our trip was this little baby, only showing his eyes above the surface.
Boats on Dickson Inlet
I lost count of the sailboats we saw, stretching well up-river.
Sailboat in the Rain
As we worked our way back towards the mouth of the inlet, the rains came in. Fortunately, we were well protected!
Small Bird Perching
The inlet is rich with foods for small birds.
Dreamy Boat in the Rain
We come out of the estuary and into more open waters, and the mountains slide off into the distant rains.
Boat and Dinghy
All manner of boats hunker down.
Keeping an Eye on Things
Mad Dogs and Fishermen
Not many people are out and about in the evening downpour.
Port Douglas Wharf and Storage Shed
The historic wharf was built in 1904 and heritage-listed in 1992 for demonstrating aspects of Queensland’s history.
Rain and Rocks
With one last look over the rainy waters, we head back to dock.
I love the perspective you get on a place when you see it from the water, and I thoroughly enjoyed my rainy evening in the Port Douglas mangroves.
Of course, although the boat was sheltered, my walk home was not.
I’m so lucky that tropical rains are warm!
Safe Sailing
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Photos: 22February2021
