I would disagree with the reviews stating that PD is crowded in peak season. The town has a lovely quiet feel even then. There is never any problem finding seats in a restaurant. 4 Mile beach also remains quiet, although there will be a number of people near the lifeguard station. I also don't find it particularly expensive.

That would deepend on where you are comparing it with. Certainly cheaper than Sydney or the UK.

Port Douglas

Paradise. For those who long for azure seas lapping onto smooth empty beaches ringed with lush greenery. By the reef, Port Douglas is one of the settlements servicing the multi million dollar reef-appreciating economy. Peak tourist season is in winter when the rest of Australia comes to visit, increasing the population by what could be a thousand times. Pretty flash, most of us would like to be able to afford to retire here but can’t, good restaurants and cafes but without the fuss of the major capitals and posh end resorts. The Daintree is the other major major attraction. Lots of companies offering tours and trips onto the reef and the rainforest, but you don’t have to let them take you.

Kids will love it

One of my overwhelming memories of childhood trips to Port Douglas are the cane toads, an introduced pest and really really ugly to boot. Kids will love them. There was plenty of indigenous wildlife, we did get leeches all over us on our explorations into the Daintree, but that added to the excitement for us.

Other highlights for kids would be the train ride to Kuranda, the famous ex-hippy commune turned tourist attraction in the rainforest.