queensland

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Port Douglas

IN THE MOST NORTHERN TROPICS OF OUR FINE COUNTRY, YOU’LL FIND THIS RECENTLY REVAMPED QUEENSLAND OASIS,

boasting attentive hospitality and a thoroughly modern $43 million makeover. Thanks to a consistently warm climate (Port Douglas bottoms out at about 24 degrees in the depths of winter) and the fact that it’s surrounded by beaches, this expansive resort is slick enough to drag your attention away from the nearby, breathtakingly beautiful Great Barrier Reef. Many of the 294 perfectly appointed rooms now allow you to swim right up to your balcony, so if you don’t quite get through your cocktail at the bar (try the Beach Peach Tea or the Daintree Punch), you can paddle it home for later. Befitting of the location, the on-site Feast restaurant offers one of the biggest seafood buffets you’ve probably ever seen, with enough oysters and crabs to lull you into a food coma, or you can position yourself among the pockets of tropical gardens in the foyer, which is home to a cafe serving great coffee and snacks. For swimming enthusiasts who don’t fancy risking the jellyfish (only usually around November to May) in the ocean, the Sheraton is fitted out with two hectares of saltwater lagoon and flanked by private cabanas offering stellar service by the pool. If you do venture out, the best way to get to the main scuba-diving spots along the reef is to skip the scenic driving speed of the boat trip and fly to the dive site with GBR Helicopters instead. So baller, and no risk of sea-sickness.