It's always hard being the new girl in town, but it's even more difficult when you're the new girl in town trying to put together a giant social event in tropical heat.  

Kelly Caughey is the new owner and manager of Lure Restaurant and Bar, having taken over the waterfront establishment in August. 

Originally from Victoria, Kelly ran a supermarket in Melbourne for five years and moved up after she ‘got tired of living in a concrete box’. 

The sudden climate change doesn’t bother her, however, as she has lived in Douglas before and thrives on the warm weather.

“I love the heat, especially for a Melbourne girl,” she said.

“Bring it on, I say.”

Porttoberfest is her first major event after taking over the reins at Lure, and the preparations have been hectic, to say the least.

“It’s all been thrown together in a month and we’re planning for a crowd of between 700 and 1000,” she said. 

“But we’re handling it - I’ve had a lot of help from the previous owners Wayne and Jerry, as well as Rob Cruz here at the Reef Marina and Sam Cullen at Port Douglas Events Management, their help has been absolutely invaluable and I’m very grateful to them.”

Even with the help, it’s a big task for Kelly - Porttoberfest 2014 will feature Beers from Around the World, two live bands including breakout Cairns outfit Grand Theft Audio and, of course, beautiful Bavarian dancing girls. 

The event will also feature a $500 prize for the best-dressed attendee under the traditional German costume theme.

Porttoberfest runs from 1pm to 9pm Saturday.