Each luxury yacht or sailing catamaran going out to the Great Barrier Reef or coming back to port passes the historic structure of the Sugar Wharf on the Dickson Inlet. This once weathered landmark for sailors heading for Port Douglas has been upgraded and is now an extremely popular venue for weddings over the water. It is also one of the most photographed sights in this famous tourist town.
Originally built for the shipping of sugar cane to other Australian destinations, the Sugar Wharf is now one of the town’s most cherished historic landmarks. Trains ran from the sugar mill in nearby Mossman to the wharf. The first road to Cairns, the nearest city in Far North Queensland, caused the shipping of sugar cane by boat to come to an end in 1958.
Bring your camera for a striking photo of the jetty with its white wooden shed standing out against the natural backdrop of green palm trees and deep blue water. Pylons along the platform allow boats to moor here. More commonly wedding parties, and not sailors or fishermen, now visit the pier.
Before the upgrade of the jetty, people came here to catch fish from the pier, enjoy a takeaway meal at sunset or visit a shipwreck museum informing the town’s visitors about the marine past of Port Douglas. The museum was closed and its building revamped with a bar, dance floor and dining tables to become a wedding venue. Book your ceremony to be held inside or on the jetty with the sparkling blue water in the background.
The nearby chapel, St. Mary’s by the Sea, and the rolling mountains across the inlet of the Coral Sea make this both a practical and idyllic setting for these memorable events.
Further along the Dickson Inlet is the Marina Mirage, the town’s port. From there, cruises depart for the Great Barrier Reef.
The Port Douglas Sugar Wharf can be seen from the small beach at the south end of Anzac Park. Visit this beach at sunset to get the best photos of the jetty.
