Where's the love at Four Mile Park?



Friday 15 February 2013

Where's the love at Four Mile Park?

Four Mile Park in Port Douglas, a popular entrance to one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, fluctuates between a dust bowl in winter and a waterlogged mosquito breeding ground in summer.

Two local businessmen have expressed their concern over the state of Four Mile Park, and say it's time for Council to give the area some TLC.

"We work hard to get people from overseas all the way to here," said Brett Wright from water sports company, Windswell. "Four Mile Beach is definitely one of the best water sports arenas in Australia, it's world class.

"The doorstep to that part of the beach could do with some improvements. I'm not talking about a lot of money here, or chopping down coconut palms, I'm talking about a bit more maintenance, improvements of the aesthetics of the whole area, car parking, and some bitumen."

Mr Wright wrote to Council and provided them with a list of problems he believes need addressing including drainage and irrigation, trimming of beach lettuce to maintain views of the sea, resurfacing the roads within the park, and car parking.

He also expressed his concern over the safety of pedestrians at the entrance to the park.



Council employed contractors to lay an area of new grass within the park in 2012, but Mr Wright said it has long since died.

"All that died in the dry season, it turned back to dust...Now where that grass was put, which was pretty much over that old road base that was there, it (water) is puddling up there with nowhere to run leaving mosquitos."

Local tour guide, Grub from Grub's Personalised Trike Tours, agrees.

"The road is rough as guts and the park could do with a lot of prettying up. They've got those shrubs next to the gate and you can't really pull up there and show people what it (Four Mile Beach) really looks like.

"Tidy it up and it would look really good."

Mr Wright said the park has the potential to be a new tourist attraction focussing fitness and adventure sports. Kite surfers in particular regularly use the park to access the beach's prime location for their sport.

"A lot of locals live at that end and you've got Sea Temple there...It's where a lot of tourists get their first glimpse of Four Mile (Beach)."