sightseeing in Port Douglas

[TimberNut]

Hey Guys.

Am going to be holidaying in Port Douglas in May, and the missus thinks we are doing 'her sightseeing' !!

Not too keen on that idea.

suggestions requested:
Sawmills, furniture makers, WOOD TURNERS, galleries worth checking out.

Anyting to do with timber is of interest, but turning is my addiction. Can't bear to be away from the lathe for 2 weeks, so need to feed the addiction somehow (and her shopping trips just won't do it for me!)

We are going to be flying up from Sydney. So it looks like I can look, but can't bring any treasures back (unless I can convince Virgin to pack some beautiful QLD timbers into the cargo hold )

Any other suggestions for places to drive to see around there also greatfully received.

Ian

[ptc]

Give her some money and leave her in Cairns.

[Baz]

Ian, there is a woodturning gallery at Daintree and Tolga on the Atherton Tablelands, timber available at Wren Timbers in Cairns.Hope this helps.
Cheers
Barry

[namtrak]

The Tolga Woodworks has a nice coffee shop (swmbo will be happy) and Trevor Allwood doesnt mind people poke around his workshop as he does stuff. Just North of Tolga, which is just North of Atherton.

Dont bother with the wallet though, it's all priced to a different market to normal people!!

Check out some of the work by Rafael (he was a mate of mine who lives in Ravenshoe) I reckon it rivals some of the stuff of Dave In Cairns Which makes me think it would be very worth while tracking down Dave In Cairns who I think is based in Malanda, which is South of Atherton - but all very do-able in a day. Along with the waterfall circuit, hypapamee crater, curtain fig tree, Lake Eacham, lake Barrine (including teahouse) etc

[stephenmeddings]

We went last year. One of the best things we did was Tony's Tropical Tours and did the Bloomfield Falls day tour. Also check out the Chinese Junk that goes out to The Low Isles, can't remember its name but just go to the marina, it will stand out.

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

I'm a turner in Cairns.
I have a computer repair business in Cairns & live here 4 nights a week.
I'm doing an ATM installation in Port Douglas tomorrow.
My wife works in Atherton & lives at a place called Minbun on the southern tablelands, I also live there, 3 nights a week. That's where 3 of my lathes are.
I ACTIVELY avoid places that sell timber 'cos I have WAY TOO MUCH.
I have it stored in 4 different sheds around Far North Qld.

There is a woodwork galery in Daintree Village (I hope it's still there, it was for sale).
The best woodwork galery is the Tolga Woodworks, the stuff for sale is gallery prices, not weekend market prices. They do have turning blanks for sale BUT.... they also have a turning workshop so I can tell you that the blanks for sale are what's left after they have picked out the good ones.

When are you coming up? I know you said May but when? I will be in Brisbane for the Timber & Working with Wood show 20-22 May.

What sort of 'her sightseeing' is lined up do you know or will you be 'told' on the day? Will you have a car?
You could do a BIG loop from Port Douglas, turn North & head for Mossman. Before you get to Mossman there's a turn to the Left that takes you West up onto the Northern end of the Tablelands via Julattan & Mount Malloy.
Then you turn Left again & head South to Mareeba. The Mareeba wetlands will be open then & worth a look if you are into birds. (with feathers)
Also out of Mareeba is a place called Granite Gorge & a Coffee works.
Mareeba has a very good information centre on the southside.
From there you head for Atherton & then you can go to Herberton & on to Ravenshoe then to Milla Milla or Malanda. There are heaps of tings to see, waterfalls, craters, crater lakes, TREES, ( ) there's more than you can do in a day. From the southern end, you could continue on from Milla Milla down the South Johnson & on to Meena Creek to see Paronella Park & then head out to the Coast & go home to Port Douglas via the Bruce Hiway (Hiway 1 goat track) From the Tablelands, there are 4 roads to the coast, the one that comes up from between Port Douglas & Mossman to Mount Malloy, one that come up from Smithfield on the north side of Cairns to Karanda to Mareeba, there's one from the southside of Cairns at Gordonvale that goes to Yungaburra or Malanda & on to Atherton etc, & then there's one that comes up from Innisfail, about 80Kms south of Cairns, to Milla Milla & on to Malanda or Ravenshoe.

Our house up there is between Malanda & Milla Milla.
(Tarzalli is also between Malanda & Milla Milla, about 9 kms from us, & it has a working sawmill)
If you wanted to do a tour & venture as far as the Southern end of the tablelands, I'd be happy for you to call in. We could even give you a bed for a night or 2 on a weekend, if you wanted to break the trip.

Mick (journeyman mick) is in Kuranda & the skyrail running from Smithfield, Cairns to Kuranda is worth a trip. Mick may or may not be up to visitors, you'll have to ask him.

There are another couple of board memembers up here as well, one in Karanda (robsreturn2003 or something like) & he's a turner & one in Cairns somewhere. (forgot his name)
Cairns also has a Woodworkers guild (lots of turners) & I think the club house is open on the weekends. (has lathes )

Send me a PM with your snailmail address & I'll spam ya with tourist ballist & my local contact details.

[journeyman Mick]

) .......Mick (journeyman mick) is in Kuranda & the skyrail running from Smithfield, Cairns to Kuranda is worth a trip. Mick may or may not be up to visitors, you'll have to ask him.......

PM me a bit closer to the time, hopefully the SWMBO will be getting out of hospital in the next couple of days, have to see how things are.

Mick

[Iain]

PM me a bit closer to the time, hopefully the SWMBO will be getting out of hospital in the next couple of days, have to see how things are.

Mick

Just a well wishing hijack, hadn't heard for a while....

[Cliff Rogers]

.... holidaying in Port Douglas in May....Any other suggestions for places to drive to see around there also greatfully received.
...

G'day.

I've been to Port Douglas today & I nabbed a BIG load of glossy's for you. Send me a PM with your postal address & I'll send them to you.

[stephenmeddings]

Good idea Cliff.

We found that from here in Melbourne all the travel brochures advertised the big names. When we got there the apartment we were in (and all around town) had heaps of brochures on the smaller guys. We actually found that the smaller ones, had smaller groups and we thought did more interesting things for us than the big ones.