Port Douglas and Beyond Blog

Written by Guy Besley, Latitude Travel Services, Port Douglas, [caption id=”attachment_5338” align=”alignright” width=”300” caption=”Matty White, a solid chance for Sundays Race. And a hell of a nice bloke!!!”] [/caption] Well the weather is PERFECT! For a triathlon that is… The Cairns Ironman this Sunday will have perfect conditions for the race. On the cool side and low winds! So a nice fast race. Although to be fair, nit my cup of tea. I’m quite critical of the direction triathlon is taking; faster races and quicker times; that’s not because the athletes are getting so much faster, or the equipment much better, its because organisers want a fast race… That is fine, but it does detract form the basis of triathlon. But never fear, the Tr-Port Long course certainly doesn’t go down that path, its brutal!!! And that’s why the athletes love it. anyway, enough of that. Why my title? Well there are still a few people complaining about the captain cook highway being closed on Sunday! I only wish that a road closure would ruin my life, but unfortunately I have other things to worry about, so I’m not as lucky as those guys complaining. But like I always say, if i stood on 5the corner and handed out $100.00 bills someone would complain, its in their nature hey! So instead of complaining about the road closures, make the most of it, and get out and watch the spectacle! Support the event that brings a serious amount of tourists to the region! till tomorrow, PS. Go Matty!! (White that is)

Who doesn’t love a Boston Bun. Mmmmm

Written by Guy Besley, The Digital Media Strategist, As I was doing my usual hourly scour of Facebook I noticed something that gave me the idea for this post. I was looking at a business page of a tourism business and noticed something interesting; they appear to be only using Facebook for their promotional work, and websites of course. Now let me preface this by saying that I believe their Facebook page is certainly one of the best I have come across and they do a brilliant job of engaging with their fan base. Their page is not only very informative but also subtly stocked with great deals and their balance of information and sales is perfect, to say the least. So firstly well done. There is a but though… I should also say, I may be wrong with these guys, but I could not find evidence to show that I was, but regardless, that is why I thought a brief post on the topic “you need more than just Facebook” was relevant. Although this particular Facebook page has brilliant content, is well managed and has some great offers and deals it is really only being seen or promoted to its fan base (yes I know, and likes etc… ) But what is missing here is Google ? Google cant find these great offers, deals and amazing content. Why? Because its on their Facebook post ad not on a blog site , yes I found it on a website that appears to be an affiliate site, but that page was not indexed by Google for a start. Now, let me remind you, I am not having a go at these guys, their digital media is as good as Ive seen, they have all the technology in place and booking engines to convert the sale etc. but it comes down to the potential to get the content out to a larger audience; remember we are in a world of long-tail marketing. If they had a blog site, syndicated to Facebook they would achieve two solid things; one, Facebook would still get the article and its solid fan base would get to see it, BUT Google would without a doubt index the articles (deals or offers) within hours and maybe even hit page one quickly! Yes, there is more to it, but am I going to give away all my information for free, please…. But in short, the perfect platform for Digital media is no longer a pretty website, its a blog, its Facebook and lets not forget our old mate Twitter! Oh, and finally on Facebook; its Social Media, don’t expect sales from it, focus on traffic. Let me summarise by saying this! If you think you are an expert in this space, your wrong! No one is, its about trying new techniques, and as it appears now, Blogs are king!!!! Sorry webguys :-) Till next Time, Carpe Diem

This is without doubt my favorite light dish. I prefer Tuna, but only Salmon was available and works well anyway.

Written by Guy Besley, The Digital Media Strategist, As I was doing my usual hourly scour of Facebook I noticed something that gave me the idea for this post. I was looking at a business page of a tourism business and noticed something interesting; they appear to be only using Facebook for their promotional work, and websites of course. Now let me preface this by saying that I believe their Facebook page is certainly one of the best I have come across and they do a brilliant job of engaging with their fan base. Their page is not only very informative but also subtly stocked with great deals and their balance of information and sales is perfect, to say the least. So firstly well done. There is a but though… I should also say, I may be wrong with these guys, but I could not find evidence to show that I was, but regardless, that is why I thought a brief post on the topic “you need more than just Facebook” was relevant. Although this particular Facebook page has brilliant content, is well managed and has some great offers and deals it is really only being seen or promoted to its fan base (yes I know, and likes etc… ) But what is missing here is Google ? Google cant find these great offers, deals and amazing content. Why? Because its on their Facebook post ad not on a blog site , yes I found it on a website that appears to be an affiliate site, but that page was not indexed by Google for a start. Now, let me remind you, I am not having a go at these guys, their digital media is as good as Ive seen, they have all the technology in place and booking engines to convert the sale etc. but it comes down to the potential to get the content out to a larger audience; remember we are in a world of long-tail marketing. If they had a blog site, syndicated to Facebook they would achieve two solid things; one, Facebook would still get the article and its solid fan base would get to see it, BUT Google would without a doubt index the articles (deals or offers) within hours and maybe even hit page one quickly! Yes, there is more to it, but am I going to give away all my information for free, please…. But in short, the perfect platform for Digital media is no longer a pretty website, its a blog, its Facebook and lets not forget our old mate Twitter! Oh, and finally on Facebook; its Social Media, don’t expect sales from it, focus on traffic. Let me summarise by saying this! If you think you are an expert in this space, your wrong! No one is, its about trying new techniques, and as it appears now, Blogs are king!!!! Sorry webguys :-) Till next Time, Carpe Diem

Written by Guy Besley, Latitude Travel Services, Port Douglas , Rain rain go away, come again another day… well maybe not! Its actually good conditions for a Triathlon, and ALL eyes will be on Cairns and Port Douglas this weekend from all over the world! The Cairns Ironman is coming to town. In case your wondering, yes, millions of people globally tune into Ironman races via the internet, and tv (yes some countries actually have it on TV) No doubt we will also have a program in a few months highlighting the Cairns Ironman, and of course our amazing region! So although its a tad wet, it keeps things cooler for the athletes, so long as the sun comes out after the racing so that the athletes and their families can enjoy getting out and about on many tours and activities in the region. Remember the stats from last year; every athlete had 2.6 people traveling with them! And trust me, they arnt there to watch an Ironman, boring! (sorry to be honest to the self obsessed ironman athletes, but its true, lol, and I know) They are there to have a much needed holiday! Till tomorrow,

Written By George, GEO Landscapes , [caption id=”” align=”alignright” width=”240” caption=”Coriander (Photo credit: Ruby’s Feast)”] [/caption] For all you budding cooks, who love to combine gardening with the kitchen, a bit of research has revealed a possible answer to a ageless problem. How the hell do you stop Coriander from going to seed as soon as you get it home from the nursery? To answer, I now believe after discussing this problem with the boys from JH Lees propagating nursery in East Brighton , is that coriander it is a herb that does not like the heat. Its natural time of year is in the cooler months, but as the market demands these common herbs all year, they are sold right through summer and the rest of the year. The use of genetics has allowed for the season to be extended, but only by a few weeks at the most. During the warmer months, keep the pots in an area that gets morning sun, fertilise regularly with a liquid feed, keep cool for the rest of the day and you might get more than a few weeks out of it, then again you might not! If it goes to seed all is not lost. Collect them as the plant dies down, and dry in a paper bag. An absolute must have staple for any pantry.