Australia's national identity is as tied to sun, sand and sea as England's is to bangers and mash but is there any sleepy seaside towns left anywhere on the eastern seaboard of Australia?

It may seem difficult to believe, but hot spot Port Douglas still feels like a small coastal village and not Toorak by the Sea.

Despite the enormous amount of development it will never be highrise like the Gold Coast nor will it emulate Noosa's inflated prices. There is a lot of building and planning going on in the sleepy town affectionately known as Port by the locals, but it still retains its atmosphere and charming elegance.

Its no wonder there is strong development and forecasts of continued growth, when as at June 2001, 84.7% of Australia's population lived within 50 kilometers of the coastline and between 1996 and 2001, and Queensland has had a net gain of 92,200 people giving it nearly 86,000 more new residents than its nearest rival. This dive north has continued to increase to date and the seachange lifestyle phenomenon shows no signs of abating.

Flying high on the success Carnivale 2005, Port Douglas is currently experiencing a mini peak as the beginning of the tourist season is upon us with much excitement and interest in the variety of "off the plan" development projects and new holiday resorts currently on offer. That coupled with the recent media attention of the Sheraton acquisitions by the Ray Group has created quite a stir and much debate and speculation with regard to the proposed boardwalk link between the Marina Mirage and Anzac Park and the beautification of the inlet side of town.

With major celebrities meandering up and down Macrossan Street, smiles on the faces of locals and tourists alike it is hard to beat a town like Port Douglas with an award wining bakery where you can buy lunch for two under $10.00 and sit under a palm tree in the park to warm your frozen bones.

We can't speak for the rest of the sleepy seaside towns but we know everyone taking off from some cold city on a whim and a fare is destined to enjoy our charming yet growing village of Port Douglas.