Page 77 - Port Douglas Magazine 46

LEGEND HAS IT that in the 9th century, an Ethiopian goatherd noticed that after eating

berries from a certain tree, his goats became so frisky they didn’t want to sleep at night. He

reported his findings to the abbot at his local monastery, who made a drink with the berries

and was delighted to find it kept him awake through the evening prayer session. He shared his
discovery with the other monks, and knowledge of the magic beans began to spread.

Words by Sara Mulcahy

Today, Australians collectively down six billion cups of coffee a year. The vast

majority of it is imported from Brazil and Colombia, but we do grow our own, AROUND THE COFFEE CLOCK

too. Premium Arabica coffee beans have been successfully cultivated up and
down the east coast for more than a century, and 70 per cent of Australia’s In the 1950s, the good-quality espresso we know
coffee is grown right here on the Atherton Tablelands — about an hour’s drive and love was introduced by southern European

southwest of Port Douglas. migrants. Thanks to them, Australia is widely

considered to have one of the best coffee cultures
A BRIEF HISTORY OF COFFEE in the world. Here’s where to enjoy the good stuff

Coffee was brought to Australia on the First Fleet in 1788. By the 1880s, in Port Douglas, any time of day.
there were coffee plantations throughout Northern NSW and Queensland,

MORNING:
ROASTED! where some 46 growers were established in the Cairns region. Coffee growing Origin Espresso roasts and brews from 6.15 am

persisted into the 1920s, but the fledgling industry soon encountered problems.

every day at 21 Warner Street. Pair your cup with a
locally made cake or doughnut.
Planters initially used indentured South Sea Islanders, known as Kanakas, to
tend and harvest their crops, but with the introduction of the White Australia
ON THE RUN:
policy in 1901, that cheap labour supply was cut off.

wall in the heart of town at 54 Macrossan Street.
The climate also took a toll, with frosts, droughts, and a series of cyclones Captain & Co Espresso serves from a hole-in-the-

damaging plantations. With the advent of World War I, transport too became LUNCHTIME:
a major issue as coastal trading ships were co-opted for the war effort. Enjoy a wrap or frittata accompanied by excellent

All these factors, plus the appeal of sugar cane as a preferred crop, led to the coffee at Whileaway Bookshop and Café, 43

decline of the coffee industry in Queensland, and imported coffee took a grip Macrossan Street.

in our shops and cafes. AFTERNOON:

In the 1980s, however, with the decline of tobacco, a resurgence of interest in Shop for freshly ground coffee, including four

coffee cultivation began in the Mareeba/Atherton area, which now produces locally grown blends, at Coffee Works, 32
most of Australia’s annual harvest. The area is perfectly suited for coffee Macrossan Street.

cultivation due to its fertile volcanic soil, and a climate with sunny days, cool COCKTAIL HOUR:
nights, and good rainfall. Sip on an Espresso Martini with tapas at
FAR NORTH COFFEE Cosmos, 9 Grant Street.
On a self-guided day trip from Port Douglas to the Atherton EVENING:
Tablelands, you can experience the world of local coffee- Enjoy contemporary cuisine

growing first-hand. Set your sat nav for Mareeba and get and an after-dinner affogato
ready for the Far North’s best coffee experiences. (three to choose from) at

Salsa Bar & Grill, 26 Wharf

Skybury Coffee (136 Ivicevic Rd, Paddys Green) features Street.
a purpose-built tourism centre with a working roastery,
licensed café and wide-open decks where visitors can relax

with a cup of plantation coffee.

Jaques Coffee (137 Leotta Rd, Mareeba) offers a two-tier tour:

the simple version, where you watch a documentary, then have a

look around the harvesting machinery and coffee fields; and a more
in-depth adults-only guided tour of the plantation and behind-the-
scenes processing, followed by a coffee tasting board and lunch.

Jack Murat (Jackmurat.com) hosts a ‘Coffee Immersion’ three-day retreat

around harvest time each winter, which takes participants behind the scenes of

coffee production. From early 2026, Jack Murat will also offer short agri-tours,

providing a closer look at life on an operating coffee farm.

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PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 77