General News
20 January, 2026
Rollercoaster start to 2026
FIRSTLY. “Happy New Year to everyone, it’s great to be back with the ‘Goss’ for 2026.”
The recent holiday season has been a mixed bag of events, firstly in the build up to Christmas, the New Year celebrations and turbulent weather in-between.
As in most years, the Douglas Shire has been a popular destination for holidaymakers, with busy cafes and restaurants, buzzing bars and local attractions like Mossman Gorge and the Daintree, plus great fishing and boutique shopping drawing in sizeable numbers of visitors.
During December, Port Douglas was due to host passengers and crew from three cruise ships, however the final ship transfer had to be sadly cancelled due to inclement conditions.
Just to make the ‘back to work’ period a little more interesting, Tropical Low U12 teasingly brushed past our region eventually making landfall between Ayr and Bowen as Koji, a category 1 cyclone.
No doubt, many locals spent a period of their summer break keeping an eye on the rain radar and, for those who possess their own weather station, a regular close look at the rain gauge.
Our thoughts are with those affected by the weather event a little further south. Douglas Shire residents and those in the surrounding areas are more than aware of the stress strong winds and rain can cause.
Surprisingly, among the heavy rainfall, the coastal waters remained extremely calm for ‘boaties’ and those who love to cast a line, with winds around and often below 10 knots. The lack of wind was probably not so popular with members of the Port Douglas Yacht Club.
In the Douglas Shire, the effects of Koji certainly appeared to have a slight effect on numbers in restaurants and pubs particularly in Port Douglas. Other than this, the weather actually turned out to be very pleasant.
Getting back to the holiday period, which may already feel like a distant memory, local venues celebrated the New Year in true FNQ style, with great food, favourite beverages and fireworks lighting up the skies.
Some lucky winners had smiles on their faces, with the Tin Shed dishing out $1000 to 10 very happy members. The Barrier Reef Tavern, in Four Mile, saw one of its more senior regulars pick up a larger-than-life meat tray, with Alan McIlroy currently in his 90th year winning the big prize.
Overall, it has certainly been an interesting start to 2026 and I have no doubt the year will continue to provide a few surprises. One thing that is guaranteed is that we all continue to enjoy this beautiful part of the world we call paradise.
I’m off to enjoy even more of our very own backyard, so for now it’s Gazza signing out.
Send your stories to gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au
