At a gala cocktail party on the Sugar Wharf on Friday night Diane Cilento opened Monsoon Passage, the inaugural event of the Go Troppo Arts Festival which will run from Friday 2 October to Sunday 11 October at Port Douglas, celebrating life and arts in the tropics.

Spearheaded by the inimitable Jill Booth and a team of volunteers the festival is in its second year and has a range of 15 events including art workshops, a number of exhibitions, artists-in-residence, theatre, a jazz night at the Combined Club and a festival finale party at the Port Community Centre.

I'll be going up again on Tuesday October 6th for the launch of the Diana Bowden Jewellery exhibition and to see the opening night premiere of Jack Heywood's new play Max and Diana of the Nautilus, based on the life of the Bowdens, "an extraordinary English couple who settled in Port Douglas after World War II and left their stamp on the town. Diana became world famous for her unique shell jewellery and Max for pioneering the exotic fruit and flower industry. They became legendary for their hospitality, welcoming friends and guests from around the world." (Go Troppo website)

Get to Port, support the Festival and help to create that buzz that both tourists and locals love. For more information there's a great website: http://www.go-troppo-arts-festival.com/index.html