Inside you'll find a book lover's utopia - the latest literary offers, relaxing beach reads, stunning coffee table tomes, fun kids activity books - and plenty of gorgeous toys, games and greeting cards and gifts for all occasions. If we don't have the book you are looking for, we'd be more than happy to order it for you.

This little haven of books, stationery and design is all about slowing down, so take your time browsing titles old and new inside or grab a table out the front and have a read or a chinwag. As the name suggests, you can certainly while away the hours here as the cafe serves you coffee, tea, iced drinks, savoury and sweet treats.

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Reviews (13)

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Shane Coulter

Dec 26, 2021

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Unique Cafe, best on the main strip. Never thought the smell of paper would go so well either coffee. Great service and loved hearing the staff sing in their language behind the counter to the music over the speakers. Good vibe.

Ada Tse

Nov 25, 2021

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Thank you Whileaway Bookshop and team, for thinking outside the square and allowing a young boy to earn his “book” that he was so desperate to have whilst on holiday last week. He was very chuffed of his card, lemon tart bookmark and of course this book he had been searching for all year he says. Thank you for being accommodating and thank you for letting a young boy realise that there is kindness and compassion in the world.

Clare Meyrick

Nov 05, 2021

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Fantastic book shop. I am a a bibliophile from a family of book lovers. The owner is delightful + super knowledgeable and the selection is world class. What a gem. I would bring more luggage space next time

John B. Schilt

Oct 28, 2021

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Nice place to enjoy a great coffee and a pastry on a Sunday morning.
In the middle of Port Douglas, on Macrossan Street.
Lots of seating outdoors, under cover and away from the hot noon sun. Also seating indoors for the less adventurous 😁
Coffee was good, and the almond croissant was great !

S. J.

Sep 10, 2021

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Loved! Great coffee- best soy FW I’ve had in Qld…good atmo and cool books.

Heather York

Jul 26, 2021

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Wonderful feel about this Cafe with shelves of wonderful books on every subject imaginable.

Richard Laidlaw

Jul 22, 2021

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Great breakfast menu and the coffee's nicely restorative. Then there's the bookshop. What a find!

Russell Ingram

Jul 21, 2021

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Coffee always brilliant. nice place to sit out the back and chill for a little while and forget about stuff. and there's the books- seriously hard to get out without spending money. love this place.

Jenny Williams

May 19, 2021

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Very nice bookshop, decent cafe, water available without having to ask and free wifi. Happy.

Anna Kotz

Sep 25, 2020

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This cafe is my favourite cafe in all of FNQ! I LOVE the atmosphere - coffee and books are such a perfect combination. The coffee is great, strong, and the bookshop is great too, lots of beautiful things to look at. Highly recommended!

Barbara Rosevear

Aug 20, 2020

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Fabulous bookstore, love going there. Highly recommend Whileaway to all book lovers.

Catherine Kerrigan

Jun 01, 2020

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Terrific little bookshop and cafe - wonderful selection of books and having the cafe in the bookshop encourages one to browse and see what they really have in stock. My mum was very pleased to get a book she's been looking for a while and my sister was very impressed with the children's books. Good coffee and selection of cakes to be had as well.

Stuart Henderson

Jun 17, 2018

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My wife is in love with this cute little bookshop/cafe. We stopped in and had some coffees and sandwiches. Lovely food and selection of cakes and everyone is very friendly. My wife went and looked at all the books while I wrote this review. Great little coffee stop

Whileaway Bookshop & Cafe