‘It has an ancient, Jurassic Park feel’: a local’s guide to Port Douglas

‘Where the rainforest and the reef meet,’ says local Juan Walker about Coconut beach, north of Port Douglas in Queensland. Composite: Getty Images

I was born and raised in Mossman, 20 minutes from Port Douglas, and have worked in tourism on Kuku Yalanji country since 1999.

When I was young, Port Douglas was a bunch of local fishers, a handful of shops and the pubs. When the Sheraton resort opened in 1987, development really kicked off. Now it’s one of those scenic resort towns you find all over the world.