Port Douglas Carnivale will feature a French flavour this year with the popular game of petanque to be played at Rex Smeal Park during the event.  

For the first time Carnivale will host a 'Games Day', boasting a number a family oriented activities suitable for people of all ages.  

Petanque enthusiast Ron Kelly will be tossing a boule with learners as part of the festivities and said the game is a great way to meet people.

"It's a game I learned to play in Mauritius," Mr Kelly said. 

"I played a little bit in France and started a club in Melbourne about nine years ago. 

"It's a very, very social game and that's what I like about it. 

"You can get everyone together and perhaps have a glass of wine while you play." 

Mr Kelly said he hoped the 'Games Day', held on Sunday, May 18 will help launch petanque in the Douglas region.  

"Now that I'm living up here I think it would be a great place to play and have a club," he said.

"You don't have to have any special skills, just a good eye for distance. 

"It can be played by anyone really of any age." 

Mr Kelly said he had spoken to the Douglas Shire Council about finding an adequate venue to start a petanque club in the near future.

"That certainly is the goal," he said. 

On Monday around a dozen people tried their hand at the game, played by an estimated 17 million people in France, at Rex Smeal Park. 

In petanque, players toss the boule across the court, or piste, in an attempt to get it closest to the jack.