The fantastic news is that over 100 Port Douglas businesses have been voted for in the inaugural Port Douglas Magazine Awards. If your business in one of them, then congratulations, for encouraging your customers or guests to take the time to cast their vote. 

The Port Douglas awards have obviously captured the imagination of hundreds of visitors to such a degree that the votes have been streaming in from all directions, whether postal, on site, personal or online.  

The even better news for many of the shops, tours and accommodation houses is that the diversity of venues being voted for is giving everyone a chance to be a winner in these inaugural Awards. 

There's no clear leaders yet but naturally we can't give too much away, 'cos there's still a long way to go yet, but we thought perhaps you might like to see who has received multiple votes within each voting section to date.

Nominations received so far, but in no particular order, have been made for the following businesses per category below :

• Best Accommodation include Mantra Aqueous, Coconut Grove, Sea Temple resort, The Sheraton Mirage, Coral Sea Villas, Beaches, Meridien and Reflections
  
• Recommended Boutique Accom includes Shantara, Club Tropical, Newport, Mandalay, Daintree Eco Lodge, Reflections and Latitude 16 Villas.
• Recommended Hotel/Resort includes Oaks Lagoons, Rydges Sabaya, Bale, Portsea, Sheraton Mirage, Mowbray by the Beach, Rendezvous, Sea Temple Resort, Treetops and the Plantation Resort.
• Recommended Private Accom includes agencies Port Accom and Executive Retreats, Thorntons, Mali Mali, Driftwood, Tranquilla, Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm and the Boathouse at Oak Beach.
• Recommended Budget Accom includes Port O'Call, Dougies, Pandanus, Lychee Tree, Nimrod, Tropical Breeze and Cape Trib Farm Stay.
• Best Retail includes Jungle Road, No 5, Splish Splash, Wicked Willies, Bamboo Shack, Tshinta, Coco Beach, Natural Clothing, Barbarella and Swan, Witchery, Bellissimo, Coles, Georgies, Sheraton Golf Shop, Foodwork, Tript, Shed 6, In Port Shoes, Blue Dog, Between the Flags, Portfolio, Oz Marina and Cloud Nine Guitars.
• Best Retail Promotion includes Tshinta facebook, Mirage Country Club locals special, Lorna Jane sale and Shed 6 locals offers.
• Friendliest Service Recommendations have come for Reef Adventure Centre, Jam Jar Car Hire, Imagine, Salon Z, Bellissimo, Macrossan Street pharmacy, Tshinta, Four Mile Videos and Jungle Road.
• Best Restaurant includes Salsa, Bucci, Harrisons, On The Inlet, Zinc, Silky Oaks,
  Billys, Bistro 3, Bel Cibo, Star of Siam, Court House Bistro, Nautilus and Sassi's
• Recommended Lifestyle Dining includes Salsa, Surf Club, Beach Shack, Nautilus, Hi Tide, Thala Beach, EJs, Bale, Harrisons and Silky Oaks.
• Recommended Breakfast includes Surf Club, Sea Temple, Cafe Fresq, Peppers Beach Club, Lure, Marina View, Lagoons at Sheraton, Java Blue, SeJuice and Origin.
• Recommended Coffee includes Whileaway, Jai's cafe, Sugarworks, Brumby's, Peppers Beach Club, Taste on Macrossan, OTZ and The Coffee Club.
  
• The Friendliest Service in a restaurant includes Salsa, Mockas Pies, Wicked Willies Ice Cream, Beach Shack, Mango Jams, The Combined Club, Bel Cibo, The Court House Hotel, Four Mile Fish and Chip Shop, Paddys and Under wraps.
• Best Tourism Product includes Wildlife Habitat, Sky Safari, Lady Douglas, Tony's
  Tropical Tours, Daintree Discovery Tours and Windswell Kitesurfing.
• Recommended Reef Tour includes Aristocat, Haba, Enterprise, Synergy, Quicksilver, Poseidon, Sky Safari, Ocean Safari at Cape Tribulation and Sailaway IV.
• Recommended Daintree River and Rainforest Tours include Daintree River Cruise Centre, Bruce Belchers Tours, Masons Tours, Floravilla Ice Cream, Daintree River Train, Sky Safari, Back Country Bliss, BTS Tours, Daintree Discovery Tours, Solar Whisper and Ku Ku Yalanji.
• Recommended Tourist Attraction includes The Sunday Port Douglas Market, Mossman Gorge, George the Groper at On The Inlet, Mt Mulligan, Flames of the Forest, Hartleys Crocodile Adventures, Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm and Windswell Kitesurfing.
• Recommended Tour Guides include Bradley King from Sky Safari, John Edmondson from Lady Douglas, Dave Smith, Gary Deutscher, K star, Grant Knight from Daintree Discovery Tours, Michaela Flood from Back Country Bliss, Roy from KuKu Yalanji, Kit Bray from Poseidon,  The lovely man from the Bally Hooley Railway, Brett Wright and The guide from Billy Teas Safaris has received a few votes but we haven't yet been able to track him or her down, anyone help?
• Recommended Eco Tourism Operator includes Sailaway, Calypso, Daintree Discovery Centre and Jungle Surfing.

So, is your business name on the list?  If it's not, then you're not going to be a winner of one of these coveted awards!

The closing date for voting is 4pm September 20th, so there's still plenty of time to get your customers and guests motivated and enthusiastic about your business!

We have individual voting slips at the office in Grant Street or you'll find a voting form on page 10/11 in the latest edition of Port Douglas Magazine which you'll find all over town.  Votes can also be cast online on www.tourismportdouglas.com.au or by clicking on the advert opposite.   All you have to do is encourage your customers to vote.

As a current or post visitor and you would like to vote for your favourite Port Douglas area business, then please vote online by clicking on the advert opposite and fill in the form to submit direct.

The awards evening in association with Port Douglas Catering & Events has been confirmed now as October 6th from 6pm to 9pm in our new offices on the balcony at the Meridien Marina Mirage overlooking Dickson’s Inlet and the Coral Sea. Tickets are limited to the inaugural event so as soon as the tickets go on sale, we would recommend you book your tickets without delay to ensure you can say "I was there" at the inaugural Port Douglas Magazine awards.

It promises to be a night to remember and who knows, if you've been nominated for an award, you may be able to say “I was there and I won”!