Page 107 - Port Douglas Magazine 35

VALLEY OF DREAMS

- DO IT IN DOUGLAS -

WORDS by Emma Tunnock

estled in the hinterland on the outskirts of Port Douglas is As we embrace a fundamental shift in the way we work, more of us
Nthe Mowbray Valley. are taking a stance against the rat race. We’re making bold, conscious
Take a drive down Mowbray Valley Road, and you’ll suddenly find lifestyle choices for the betterment of our health and well-being, and
yourself face to face with a spectacular rainforest mountain range, we’re realising that big dreams can in fact happen from anywhere.
every shade of green you can imagine, and the lushest paddocks on Gary runs his globally recognised architectural business from a
earth. Look a little harder and you’ll find creeks and streams so clear converted house on a 200-acre cane farm in the Mowbray Valley. Add
and calm you’ll think you’re in a fairy-tale. Home to some 300 people, the availability of high-speed internet to a talented team of 14 architects
this pocket of paradise is a hidden gem of the Far North. and support staff spread around Australia and the world, and suddenly
One Mowbray Valley local is celebrated architect Gary Hunt. As part of a charming old Queenslander in the remote reaches of the far north can
a collection of stories that celebrates the beauty of living and working become an international gateway.
in the Douglas Shire, Gary shares his thoughts on what it’s like to do “We’re working on projects near and far, and with access to incredible
just that. digital tools to create 3D images and movies, we’re able to work in
“The main traffic I have to deal with going to work in the morning is paradise and deliver on client expectations no matter where they might
somebody walking their horse down the road,” says Gary. “We be based.” When zoom doesn’t cut it and a face-to-face meeting calls,
don’t have the stresses of the lifestyles of people living in Sydney with Gary being a chopper pilot, the helicopter onsite makes for the
and Melbourne, and at the same time through our technology and most convenient get away to remote locations and island resorts for
incredibly talented team, we can offer project outcomes that are every which Hunt Design is renowned.
bit as sophisticated as anyone else in Australia, and for that matter the Gary also speaks genuinely about the special community spirit in
world.” Douglas. “It’s almost a classless society and it’s a community where
Do It In Douglas is all about celebrating local business and inspiring people really look after one another. It’s not cliquey. It’s a place where
people to bring their talent and ideas to paradise. It’s about encouraging people are very welcoming. It’s a place where you are judged by what
people with big dreams and bold visions to take up the ultimate work- you bring back to the community rather than the logo on your shirt.”
life balance. So, there you have it. With nature’s best as your inspirational backdrop,
It’s the lifestyle that had Gary hooked from the start: “When I first came a welcoming community dedicated to supporting one another, and
to Port Douglas I was just entranced by the fact that you had this resources to help you fly - what more could you ask for to take your
natural beauty all around you. You had the rainforest, and the reef – and next big step? Check out doitindouglas.com, get in touch, and take
as a mad keen sailor, it made the perfect location for me to call home.” your courage to the next level – be like Gary, Do It In Douglas.
We’re living in an era now where the spark of a “what if” can set off a
chain of events that has us seriously contemplating a lifestyle change
that just a few years ago would have been as inconceivable as the
pandemic itself. doitindouglas.com

“It’s a place where people are very welcoming. It’s a
place where you are judged by what you bring back
to the community rather than the logo on your shirt.”

PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 109