Many Aussies head overseas before exploring their own backyard as it’s easier to justify spending more money on a holiday when you’ve got a decent exchange rate to back you up.
However, this means that they’re missing out on hidden gems, such as the one hidden in Far North Queensland.
We’re talking about Port Douglas.
The town is iconic to Queensland and is popular with honeymooners as well as families looking to explore their country.
With a climate that’s warm year-round, this destination ends up being very popular in winter as Aussies try to beat the cold in their own states.
A big focus in Port Douglas is on the local culture.
The traditional Kuku Yalangji people often give tourists an insight into their 50,000-year-old culture.
The Kuku Yalangji people are known as the “rainforest people” due to their love of nature and the surrounding scenery. They’re also known as the oldest chefs in the world, with cooking methods dating back tens of thousands of years.
They were also the first people to invent bread.
Gary Creek showcases the intricate underground oven to news.com.au, saying:
“We used a car to get the materials and a chainsaw to cut the wood,” says Gary.
“Those were the only modernisations we made.
“We figured the ancestors would be OK with that,” he added with a laugh.
He says he shows people his culture in order to bridge the gap between traditional and non-Indigenous Australians.
“There are these misconceptions about us … and I think we need to do our part in changing that. That’s what this is about — we want to teach people about what we do, the processes behind all this —” he gestures to the burning underground oven — “and why we do it.”
Have you been to Port Douglas before?