Accommodating just 28 people, Orpheus is an all-inclusive, private island lodge located in the Great Barrier Reef. With only 14 rooms, suites and villas, Orpheus Island is the ultimate in secluded, unspoilt tropical paradise, and stretches across 11km of immaculate turquoise coastline.

The island itself, comprising more than 1,000 hectares of national park, is surrounded by pristine fringing reef you can access simply by stepping out from your accommodation. The island lodge features the main pavilion bar and alfresco-style dining area, a restaurant, a reading room, Gwandalan Day Spa and an inviting 25m x 13m infinity pool that mirrors the Coral Sea.

All stays at Orpheus include three gourmet meals prepared daily by chef Winston Fong and his team, use of water sports equipment, a selection of wines, beers, spirits, as well as soft beverages, and a daily Orpheus experience.

GREAT BARRIER REEF RESORT
This idyllic island provides unrivalled access to the untouched Great Barrier Reef. Its principal dive sites boast 1,100 of the 1,500 species of fish on the reef; the local waters are a fisherman’s playground and home to the most sought after reef fish species in the world.

Explore the magic of the Great Barrier Reef with a personalised snorkelling or diving tour and come face to face with an enchanting underwater world that will take your breath away.

THE WEATHER
Orpheus has a warm tropical climate with an average temperature of 27°C (80°F) year-round. The water temperature varies between 21°C (69°F) in the winter and 29°C (84°F) in the summer.

Remember that during the wet season (November to April) there is a chance of rain during these times. The Lodge has a seasonal closure from the 30th January to 28 February 2021 inclusive. During the cooler, drier months from May to October, when the south easterly winds blow, the weather is pleasantly warm with reduced humidity and plenty of sunshine.

ROOMS & SUITES
Discover the ultimate luxury island getaway at the Great Barrier Reef’s best island resort. With a commitment to sustainability, each room embraces the natural environment. Our boutique, all-inclusive accommodation offers 14 contemporary suites, all facing immaculate beachfront. At Orpheus, luxury has never been so comfortable.

BEACHFRONT SUITE
With a glistening Coral Sea vantage, the North Beachfront Suites deliver a tranquil sanctuary for guests to unwind in. Boasting a spacious adjoining lounge room, the suites evoke the relaxed island spirit of Orpheus. Made for flexibility, a third guest can easily be accommodated for in this room type.

BEACHFRONT VILLA
Showcasing an idyllic Coral Sea backdrop and minimalist island aesthetics, the generously appointed North Beachfront Villas ensure complete tropical immersion. The ultimate retreat for families and friends travelling together, the villas boast a spacious two bedroom, two bathroom and communal lounge configuration.

EAT & DRINK
Best suited to the island’s tropical environment, the culinary team delivers an innovative daily-changing menu that showcases the riches of the region. Awarded a Chef’s Hat in the 2019 by the Australian Good Food Guide, Orpheus is a food lover’s destination where guests can enjoy ‘chef hatted’ restaurant meals at every course.

Celebrating a bounty of locally-sourced, wholesome and freshly grown and caught seasonal delights, you are guaranteed a bespoke epicurean adventure. Each meal is an event within itself featuring quintessential Australian breakfast classics, shared tapas-style lunches celebrating different cuisines from around the globe, and memorable degustation dinners.

With a strong focus on sustainability, the island’s veggie patch provides the chefs with a constant supply of fresh produce and resident chickens lay fresh free-range eggs for guest meals. Fresh prawns, Coral Trout and painted rock lobster are just some of local delicacies sourced from local fisherman and suppliers.

Each evening, guests are offered the chance to pair each course with a wine from our award-winning cellar list. Honouring a diverse selection of Australia’s finest drops, the list has been carefully crafted to ensure perfect harmony between cuisine, climate and environment.

BREAKFAST
The Orpheus breakfast is a quintessential à la carte menu starting at 8am, guests can make their way at leisure and choose from the menu. Paired with fresh juice or coffee, breakfast is laid-back and a taste of what real island life is all about, with fresh seasonal produce from the garden to your plate.

LUNCH
Lunch is served at 1pm daily. A changing tapas menu features different regions around the world, including Asian, Italian, Spanish, Mexican, and Australian dishes. The menu is tailored to suit individual food preferences. Alternatively, you can request a picnic hamper to take as you venture out to one of the nearby island beaches.

DINNER
Served from 7pm onwards. The degustation dinner is hosted in the main pavilion dining room overlooking the Coral Sea. The dining experience is described as refined, in a relaxed atmosphere and comprises 4 courses, complete with dessert.

If you are lucky enough to catch something while out fishing our Executive Chef and his team will be happy to prepare the catch for your dinner that night. Matching wines can be partnered with the meal at an additional cost.

BAR
Included in your stay are a selection of quality Australian wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks. The main pavilion bar is open throughout the day to enjoy poolside cocktails, with a perfect view out to the Coral Sea.

In the afternoon watch the famous Orpheus sunset with a pre-dinner drink in hand. The cellar beverage list features Australian favourites as well as some beautiful wines from around the world.

GWANDALAN SPA
Awaken the senses and rebalance the mind and body at our island day spa. Gwandalan means ‘rest and peace’ in the Aboriginal language. The day spa was named in consultation with the elders of the region and draws inspiration from the island’s unique and fascinating indigenous history.

As the name suggests, peace guides every element of the spa while each treatment aims to restore balance and wellness. Our treatments are designed to reflect the tranquillity and uninterrupted beauty of Orpheus and its endless surrounding seas.

Decadent spa treatments utilise Li’tya spa product range. Li’tya, meaning ‘of the earth’, is a unique collection of products formulated using sustainably wild-harvested, pure Australian botanicals and organic ingredients.

SAPPHIRE SEA WRAP
Unwind with this revitilising anti-ageing treatment. Begin with an energising and nourishing native mint body exfoliation before being cocooned in warm, vitamin packed pearl and kelp body mud which works to cleanse and deliver essential nutrients to the skin.

Follow with a quandong infused Aboriginal-inspired scalp massage. Indulge body and soul in a rhythmic Kodo massage to complete this truly holistic marine spa experience.

THE DREAMING
The ultimate spa journey. In the beginning was ‘the dreaming’, the unseen vibration of creation – the sacred source from where all things are nurtured, renewed and revitalised. Our signature spa journey will reconnect the body, mind and soul and provide a total sensory journey from head to toe.

Escape with this deeply therapeutic treatment; a body scrub and warm mud wrap, the all-encompassing Kodo massage, an indulgent facial, hair mask and decadent hand and foot treatments.

Surrender yourself to the ultimate renewal and potency of this experience through the power of nourishing Australian native plant essential oils and extracts, cleansing earth ochres and purifying desert salts or powerful anti-ageing marine extracts.

EXCLUSIVE ISLAND HIRE
Discover one of only a few secluded islands on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that can be booked in its entirety for private-use. Orpheus Island Lodge is nestled among the Greater Palm archipelago, a group of 16 islands just off the Queensland coastline within the waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The island enjoys a year-round tropical climate, with an average temperature of 29 degrees Celsius. Orpheus Island Lodge can become your own exclusive oasis for a myriad of events including small conferences, product launches, corporate retreats and private milestones.

Comfortably sleeping 28 indulged guests in 14 rooms, we invite you to discover this idyllic island paradise for yourself and to be inspired by its natural beauty and surrounding aquatic wonderland!

CONFERENCE VENUE
The alfresco layout of Orpheus’ Main Pavilion is ideal for hosting small meetings, banquets or product launches. Couple this with natural light, Coral Sea views, memorable dining locations and unique leisure experiences, Orpheus is one of Australia’s premium conference venues.

CORPORATE RETREATS & INCENTIVES
Inspire your colleagues with a corporate retreat at the Great Barrier Reef’s favourite island resort. Whether you’re looking to improve team morale or reward your staff for their hard work and dedication, Orpheus Island Lodge is the perfect destination for inclusion in your corporate incentive programme.

DREAMY ISLAND WEDDINGS
Orpheus Island Lodge welcomes you to the Great Barrier Reef’s best island wedding venue. Say “I do” barefoot on a pristine sandy beach, alongside an iconic infinity pool or amidst lush tropical gardens overlooking the Coral Sea! Every love story deserves a perfect celebration.

LUXURIOUS ISLAND HONEYMOONS
Enjoy newlywed bliss at the Great Barrier Reef’s most romantic and idyllic island honeymoon destination. Spend your wanderlust-worthy days lounging by the infinity pool, indulging in a couples spa treatment at the Gwandalan Day Spa, finding seclusion on a private beach complete with gourmet picnic hamper , exploring the Great Barrier Reef or sampling an intimate degustation dinner on the island’s jetty.

OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THE REEF
The Great Barrier Reef hosts one third of the world’s coral species and is home to an abundance of marine life.

Whilst the reef area surrounding Orpheus Island is still in excellent condition, there are many areas on the reef that have been impacted by coral bleaching, damage from cyclones and the coral-eating starfish, The Crown of Thorns. Orpheus Island Lodge is respectful, protective and proud of the reef and is investing in the preservation of this exquisite organism for future generations.

We are working in partnership and providing funding support to James Cook University to address the Crown of Thorns issue, the Orpheus Island Research Station on the recovery of the reef after cyclones and with Great Barrier Reef Legacy to understand coral bleaching and ways we can assist the reef to adapt.

We also foster visitor connections with the world’s largest living organism in line with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Authority regulations so you can feel confident your experience is a positive one for you and mother nature.

Wild about wildlife? There is breathtaking nature to enjoy all-year-round at Orpheus Island. Orpheus Island Lodge is respectful, protective and proud of the reef and is investing in the preservation of this exquisite organism.

NORTHERN ESCAPE COLLECTION
Orpheus Island Lodge is proud to be part of the Northern Escape Collection, a curated portfolio of boutique sustainable lodges and experiences that celebrate Queensland’s diverse natural beauty in one bespoke journey.

Inspiring authentic experiences and lasting memories, discover a secluded island paradise on the Great Barrier Reef (Orpheus Island Lodge), a soul-enriching retreat in the Daintree Rainforest (Daintree Ecolodge), and invoke the spirit of adventure in the outback (Mt Mulligan Lodge).

A private helicopter charter service provides unrivalled access to the three boutique lodges and an outstanding superyacht (M.Y. Flying Fish), equipped with its own heli-pad, offers privately chartered Great Barrier Reef exploration.

The Northern Escape Collection was crafted by Australian family business, the Morris Group, with the goal of allowing travellers to experience Northern Australia in its purest form and to contribute to sustainable economies in the region.

THE MORRIS FAMILY
The Northern Escape Collection was crafted by Australian family business the Morris Group. The Morris family is passionate about contributing to sustainable economies in Australia and allowing travellers to experience the unique natural beauty of Northern Australia in its purest form.

With this vision in mind, Chris Morris curated the Northern Escape Collection and brought his daughter Hayley on-board to help design unique experiences that tread lightly on the planet and create meaningful memories.

Chris, together with Hayley and the family, run the Morris Group which has diverse interests spanning the tourism, hospitality, agriculture, food, technology and aviation industries in Australia and the UK and is parent to charitable fund, Morris Family Foundation.

PHILOSOPHY
Achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. At the Northern Escape Collection, we are passionate about reducing our impact on the environment and making a positive one on the community. We believe that turning a profit and supporting these two areas can go hand-in-hand.

Sustainability lies at the core of who we are as a business and we use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as the framework to help focus our efforts with the mission of achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

At Orpheus Island Lodge we are continuously expanding our efforts to tackle these issues by focusing on the goals where we think we can have the most impact. Orpheus’ parent company, the Morris Group, also supports community projects related to these goals through its philanthropic foundation the Morris Family Foundation.

REEF KEEPERS FUND
At Orpheus, we are passionate about preserving the reef that makes your stay so special. The Reef Keepers Fund is an environmental fund created by the Morris Group that supports projects and organisations that are committed to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

The fund allows you to indulge with a clear conscience, as $50 per guest stay is donated towards environmental projects aimed at protecting and preserving the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem.

The donations will be granted to different organisations working on projects that protect our reef. If you feel inspired to contribute after witnessing the true beauty of the reef first-hand during your stay at Orpheus, you are welcome to match or add your desired amount to your final bill.

The Reef Keepers Fund has supported projects that have helped build research, awareness and education surrounding reef sustainability, and has helped combat issues like climate change, water pollution, crown-of-thorn outbreaks, clearing of forests and plastic pollution. Guests will be kept updated on the impact of their contribution to preserving one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

NATURE & WILDLIFE
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef is composed of 2,900 reefs and 900 islands. The beauty of the Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 km and is the only living thing on earth that can be seen from space.

The underwater world is home to more than 1,500 fish species, 10% of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Above the water, there are so many wildlife species residing on Orpheus and surrounding islands.

Over the last 20 years, the Great Barrier Reef has been faced with many threats that have compromised the health and sustainability of the reef. Climate change, water pollution and over-fishing have had severe impacts on the underwater ecosystem. Find out about the steps taken by Orpheus Island Lodge to preserve our precious reef.

MANTA RAYS
Manta Rays are truly friendly creatures of the reef. These harmless creatures have a toothless mouth and are free of the sharp barb, making them the perfect swimming buddy.

HUMPBACK WHALES
During the winter months of June through to September, Humpback whales grace the waters of the Great Barrier Reef with their presence.

REEF SHARKS
Generally a reclusive species, the Reef Sharks of the Great Barrier Reef feed on small fish and stay clear of humans. Reef Sharks can be found swimming in the shallow waters of the reef, but are nothing to be scared of!

AUSTRALIAN SNUBFIN DOLPHIN
The Australian Snubfin Dolphin is a rare species endemic to northern Australian oceans. The species can be identified by their rounded snouts and can usually be found swimming around the shallow oceans of the Great Barrier Reef.

TREE FROGS
During the wet season, these bright green amphibians make themselves known to Orpheus Island guests.

GREEN TREE SNAKES
Green Tree Snakes are completely harmless and do not pose a threat to humans. This friendly species can grow up to 2 metres long, and can often be spotted dangling from a tree branch around Orpheus Island.

BIRDS
More than 200 bird species can be found soaring over the Great Barrier Reef. Some species to be on bird watch for include the White Bellied Sea Eagles and Brown Falcons that hunt the aquatic animals residing in the reef.

BANDICOOTS
Closely related to a rabbit, these small marsupials can only be found in Australia. The local bandicoots are friendly in nature and will often greet our guests.

ISLAND RESORT ACTIVITIES
With its unique location set amongst the pristine Great Barrier Reef there are boundless opportunities to explore the island and surrounds and many once-in-a-lifetime moments.

In addition to all the diving and snorkelling the heart desires, guests can take a private charter out on the reef and try their hand at fishing, or a helicopter drop-off to secluded Havannah Island with a gourmet picnic hamper.

SNORKELLING
Explore the clear azure water surrounding Orpheus, see the many species of reef corals and fish in an incredible array of colours. Enjoy unlimited use of snorkelling equipment during your stay.

Venture to the many nearby snorkelling spots on the Great Barrier Reef including the protected Giant Clam Garden just in the bay. Guided snorkelling tours to the local fringing reefs are run as one of the daily signature experiences on the island.

DINGHY ADVENTURE
Motorised dinghies are available for our guests to explore the many neighbouring beaches, go snorkelling or try your luck at fishing. Take a chef prepared picnic and find the perfect sheltered bay for an intimate private lunch.

PICNIC ADVENTURE
A chef prepared picnic can be arranged for any adventure. Guests can take a pick of the many neighbouring island beaches for the most private and secluded beach picnic.

PADDLEBOARDING
Try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding and enjoy a bit of light exercise while taking in the scenery. You might even be lucky enough to see a green turtle.

SAILING
Take out one of the island’s catamarans and venture out into the surrounding waters of the sheltered bay of Orpheus Island. The conditions around Orpheus are perfect for sailing.

KAYAKING
Guests can take a kayak and explore the mangroves just off the shore, within the sheltered bay.

CRUISES
Join a pre-dinner sunset cruise and observe the sun’s setting rays over paradise with a side of mouth-watering canapés and iconic Australian wines and beers.

SCUBA DIVING
Orpheus’ local dive sites are home to 1,100 of the 1,500 species of fish on the reef, 340 of the 359 varieties of hard corals and some of the region’s largest collections of soft corals.

The pristine outer reefs are approximately 75 minutes from the lodge by boat and are accessible by private charter. Private local charters and private outer reef charters include skipper, guide, equipment and refreshments.

MUSEUM OF UNDERWATER ART
Dive into Townsville to discover the reef’s greatest stories. Be inspired as you experience the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef with a new and thought-provoking encounter at the Museum of Underwater Art.

HINCHINBROOK ISLAND
Explore the rugged coastline of Australia’s largest national park island by boat charter. Highlights of this tour include guided walks along rainforest-clad trails to the famous Zoe Waterfall and saltwater crocodile spotting in the island’s waterways. The perfect day trip for nature lovers and adventurers alike.

DINING WITH THE TIDES
Not to be missed is the island’s signature ‘Dining with the Tides’ experience; an intimate degustation dinner for two guests under a starlit canopy on the lodge’s jetty.

HELICOPTER ADVENTURES
Flying with Nautilus Aviation adventure and luxury go hand in hand. Explore the beauty of this vast region from above on a scenic joyride, enjoy a romantic remote island picnic or embark on a fishing adventure.

FISHING
The Great Barrier Reef is a fisherman’s playground, the surrounding waters teaming with fish. Light fishing gear is available for guests to take out at leisure. Fish from one of the motorised dinghies or for the avid anglers take a trip to the outer reef.

FISHING CHARTERS
Some the most sought after reef species in the world can be found around Orpheus. An array of table fish including Coral Trout, Sweetlip, Red Emperor and Giant Trevally can be caught locally, but the outer reef is where the famous pelagic species such as Dog Tooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerel and Wahoo breed.

Full and half day expeditions to the fringing and outer reefs are available, subject to weather and tidal conditions. Bookings are essential.

RESEARCH STATION TOUR
Located within Pioneer Bay is the Orpheus Island Research Station, a marine research facility operated by James Cook University. On this educational eco-tour, explore the research facilities, including the wet and dry laboratories and the live reef touch tanks.

During specific times of the year, internationally renowned Marine Scientists will be conducting integral research on climate change, sea level rise and their potential impacts on the local reef and ecosystems.

PICNIC BAY BEACH CLEAN-UP
We at Orpheus Island Lodge are passionate about preserving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef. Our staff and guests regularly conduct beach clean-ups at Picnic Bay. Marine debris is a major threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef! Marine debris can smother coral, cause wildlife injury or death through drowning, injury through entanglement and internal injuries, or starvation following ingestion.

ECO-EDUCATIONAL DIVE AND SNORKEL
Take a half-day charter with one of our qualified dive instructors or explore the protected giant clam garden via motorised dinghy with a qualified eco-educational guide.

DIY RESEARCH VOLUNTEERING
There is a citizen science project for everyone. Study anything – from Mangroves to Manta rays, from coral to coastal habitats. Collect data in your own time, in or out of the water. Volunteers produce real and tangible results, with data being used by professional scientists, reef managers, communities or conservation groups.

Contribute to a great cause and explore the wonders of this unique environment at the same time. Citizen Science gives the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the Great Barrier Reef and beyond – like never before.

Rooms: 14

Price: from 770 EUR per night

Source: www.orpheus.com.au

We invite you to discover one of the most exclusive stays in Australia – Arkaba Conservancy, a Wild Bush Luxury property in the Flinders Ranges. Just ten guests at a time share this remote 60,000 acre private wildlife conservancy dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s unique wildlife and birds.

Mobs of kangaroos, emus and other abundant wildlife will delight you on safaris through spectacular ancient landscapes, where expert field guides will immerse you in the story of the bush. Nestled within the Flinders Ranges and framed by the walls of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Range, Arkaba offers some of Australia’s most spectacular outback scenery.

Here, surrounded by the arid wasteland of the great salt lakes, you’ll discover an ancient seabed that has been sculpted by millions of years of rain and sun into a fractured, furrowed landscape of deep valleys covered with casuarinas and cypress pines which fall into creek beds lined with river red gums.

Your stay with us is a fully hosted, fully guided experience and we aim to provoke, inspire and reconnect you to the bush. Our all-inclusive rates feature daily activities that showcase the magic of Arkaba such as bush walking, 4WD safaris, tracking native wildlife, visiting ancient Aboriginal sites or just soaking up the sights and sounds of the Australian bush.

Expect great food, exceptional wine and a supremely comfortable night’s rest. Our concept of ‘Wild Bush Luxury’ brings a touch of style to an experience of Australia’s extraordinarily diverse habitat: a ‘down to earth’ yet attentive level of service; an appreciation of the finer details; and above all a team of hosts and field guides who are passionate about Australia’s environment, its wildlife and culture.

Your accommodation is in one of only five guest-rooms at the beautifully restored 1850’s Arkaba Homestead whilst hosted dinners and sharing stories with field guides and fellow guests provide an atmosphere more akin to staying with friends in the country or a private safari lodge, than a typical luxury hotel.

In addition to providing exceptional Australian travel experiences, our mission is ultimately to conserve the environment that sustains us. This philosophy guides everything we do.

Since 2009 our focus has been to reverse the impacts of over 150 years of livestock-grazing and restore the land to its pre-European settlement bio-diversity. In just seven years our hard work has payed off with the return of native species and the regeneration of native habitat.

HISTORY OF ARKABA
In 2009 Wild Bush Luxury added Arkaba to its portfolio of luxury tourism destinations in Australia. Our goal was to provide a unique tourism experience with exclusive private access for our guests to enjoy the extraordinary diversity of our property.

As a private wildlife conservancy we have put in place successful conservation programs across the property, focussing primarily on feral species eradication and reversing the effects of years of 150 years of livestock grazing. In 2010 we removed the sheep stock from two-thirds of the property, the last of the these sheep were removed in September 2013.

THE FIRST INHABITANTS
The Flinders Ranges were originally inhabited by the Adnyamathanha (Hill People) thousands of years ago, and many still reside here today. Cave paintings, rock engravings and other artifacts indicate they have lived in the region for tens of thousands of years.

The area and its people played an integral part in the long-distance trade routes that crossed the continent. Ochre and pituri, a mildly narcotic drug, were traded along with stones used to make axes and tools, and shells which were used for decoration.

Important archaeological sites including ochre quarries (ochre is used as a paint decoration in ceremonies), rock quarries and art sites have been found among the hills and valleys of the Flinders.

EARLY EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT
In March 1802 the first European explorer to the region was Matthew Flinders, who spotted the ranges from the deck of his ship, Investigator, as it sailed up Spencer Gulf. From his anchorage south of present-day Port Augusta he sent an exploratory party to climb a nearby peak which is now known as Mount Brown, named after his intrepid botanist.

Edward John Eyre was the next to arrive to the region in 1839. He set out over a period of two years to explore the western edge of the range. In 1850 William Browne, J.F. Hayward, G. Marchant and an Aboriginal guide explored more country to the North.

Heavy rain stopped the party just north of Hawker so they had to return to Booborowie Station, which was settled earlier in 1843. William Chace, a stockman for the Brownes, was later sent to further explore the country.

It was then that Chace discovered the Arkaba, Wilpena and Aroona country (the Chace Range on Arkaba’s eastern boundary remains testimony to his work).

Doctor William James Browne (1815-1884) and Doctor John Harris Browne (1817-1904) claimed Arkaba and were issued with Pastoral Lease 129 in July 1851 and engaged Frederick Sinnett, a surveyor from Adelaide to survey their claims.

Although practising doctors, the Browne Brothers abandoned their medical careers soon after arriving in Australia and turned to buying property. They were the second settlers in the region after establishing Booborowie Station.

Early in 1851 they placed managing partners, the Marchant Brothers, in charge, giving each a half share in the property. The Great Drought of the 1860s broke many pastoralists, including the Marchant Brothers, who left Arkaba. The Brownes however, had the means of surviving and stayed on.

During the 1890s dingoes posed a great threat for the survival of Arkaba as it was still unfenced. As a result Arkaba changed hands a few times between the 1860s and 1900, the owners not being able to hold on to the property and it was reduced to 460 sq km (180 sq miles or 115,000 acres). Today the property is 260 sq km (100 sq miles or 64,000 acres).

1900 ONWARDS
In 1901 Otto Bartholomaeus purchased Arkaba. Bartholomaeus spent all of his money and borrowed to erect a vermin proof fence six feet high. Paddock after paddock was fenced. The cost of 14 miles of fencing in 1912-1913 was 954 pounds; labour 324 pounds; material plus freight 630 pounds. A man’s wage was 30 shillings per week.

The completion of the dingo fence allowed dingo numbers to be controlled and Arkaba became a successful venture. Otto’s son, Frank took over the station and they held it in the family until 1984 when the Rasheed family purchased the property.

When the Rasheeds moved to Arkaba in 1984 there was only one road on the property and so destructive were the rabbits that much of the country looked like a moonscape.

The first major project was a program to eradicate vermin by using bulldozers, explosives and chemicals. This project took more than 14 years and many hundreds of thousands of dollars but the result was magnificent and won them three Ibis Awards for Pastoral Management.

Bushes and trees that had not been seen for many years returned and the carrying capacity of sheep increased from 3000 to 8000. Also, approximately 10,000 feral goats were removed from Arkaba.

ARKABA HOMESTEAD & WOOLSHED
The Historic Arkaba Woolshed was built in 1856 and was used as a depot shed for the surrounding properties. The original corrugated iron roof is still on the building to this day, along with the ‘kit-form’ roof struts which were shipped over from Oregon, USA.

Back in the blade shearing days it was a 40 stand shed but now, with electric wide combs, it is a five stand shed. Still to this day you will find names etched on the stone wall of shearers gone, dating from today right back to the late 1800s.

The five-bedroom heritage homestead was built in 1856 and retains its original Flinders region settler lines. Originally, it was two cottages and later was joined together with a building between the two. Since then the ‘bones’ of the homestead have remained the same.

ACCOMMODATION
Arkaba Homestead is an oasis of comfort and style amidst a harsh and rugged landscape. In true Wild Bush Luxury style, the Arkaba Homestead pays homage to its rich pastoral and exploration heritage in a manner that is both rustically chic and utterly exclusive.

Your hosts ensure a friendly and personal level of service that is typically ‘down to earth’ but does not lose sight of the attention to the small details that are so important in delivering an outstanding outback experience.

JUST FIVE GUESTROOMS
The original layout of 1850s’ homestead has been retained, delightfully making all of the five guestrooms unique. Each has its own character and all have ensuite bathrooms and open out onto a shaded verandah with individual views of the surrounding ranges.

Four are located in the homestead, while the Coachman’s Cottage in the corner of the garden provides a fifth guestroom and is ideal for honeymooners.

ARKABA HOMESTEAD ENSUITE
The rooms are air conditioned / heated and the mix of king and twin beds have premium mattresses, organic cotton sheets and a choice of pillows to ensure a great night’s sleep.

A comfortable library with deep leather armchairs and a large stone fireplace provides seclusion for enjoying a quiet drink and a good book, while dinner is hosted on the terrace overlooking the ranges. In the heat of summer, the swimming pool overlooking the Arkaba Creek is a welcome retreat after a morning or day spent exploring the bush.

EXCEPTIONAL FOOD & WINE
Hosted dinners and sharing stories with field guides and fellow guests provide an atmosphere more akin to staying with friends in the country or at a safari lodge.

Dining around an old wool classing table on the outdoor terrace with the ever-changing light and sounds of the bush all around is a special and uniquely Australian experience. A firepit in the corner of the garden provides a great spot to retire to after dinner with a glass of wine or port to watch the stars appear over this ancient landscape.

South Australia is one of Australia’s great culinary stories: – our soil and clean air provide the key natural parameters for fresh and innovative produce.

LOCAL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE
Arkaba has adopted a ‘buy local’ principle and our head chef uses the very best of South Australia’s produce to craft the food program with a few native elements to add a unique intrigue and interest.

The menu may include mouth-watering dishes such as: Twice cooked Berkshire pork belly served on port wine braised radicchio, apple Perry puree and glazed muntries (native cranberries); panfried scallops served with pea puree, champagne sabayon, Yarra valley caviar and Barossa valley prosciutto; or butternut pumpkin and goats cherve tortellini served with a walnut Beurre noisette and crisp sage.

A purely South Australian wine cellar has been selected to showcase a cross-section of wine growing regions with the grape varieties for which they are best known. The bar is completely open and the chef will adapt very specifically to guest tastes and needs.

THE FLINDERS RANGES
Nestled within the Flinders Ranges in South Australia and framed by the walls of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Range, Arkaba offers some of Australia’s most spectacular outback scenery.

Here, surrounded by the arid wasteland of the great salt lakes, an ancient seabed has been sculpted by millions of years of rain and sun into a fractured, furrowed landscape of deep valleys covered with casuarinas and cypress pines which fall into creek beds lined with river red gums.

For wildlife watching, bush-walking, photography or just soaking up the sights and sounds of outback Australia, the Flinders is in a class of its own. There are a huge variety of landforms in the area, including high ranges, plateaus, gorges, valleys and creek lines as well as floodplains.

The intriguing blend of semi-arid to temperate habitats within these mountain ranges that cut into deserts of Outback South Australia has encouraged a huge diversity of wildlife and plant life, with about 1,200 species of plants and nearly 300 species of birds recorded within the ranges.

HIT THE ROAD – ADELAIDE TO ARKABA
The road to Arkaba is pretty. Very pretty. You’ll travel through the boutique wine country of the Clare Valley specialising in Riesling. The ‘Riesling Trail’ links towns, restaurants and more than 30 cellar doors over 36 kilometres.

The oldest vineyard dates back to 1848 when the Jesuit priests fled religious and political persecution in Silesia, migrated to Australia and established Sevenhill Cellars.

You’ll have the chance to admire many gorgeous outback towns with Quorn retaining much of its old world character. There’s wide streetscapes and charming heritage buildings, interesting bric-a-brac stores and art galleries.

Warren Gorge is home to a colony of Yellow-footed rock wallabies and for the energetic there is a hike to the summit of Devil’s Peak, 670m above sea level.

The town of Wilmington was named “beautiful valley” by the pioneers who settled the region in the mid 1850’s and offers views of the southern section of the Flinders Ranges to the west and Willochra Plain to the east. Red canyons and unusual rock formations can be found in the stunning Alligator Gorge.

Melrose is cradled at the base of impressive Mount Remarkable, is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges and arguably one of the prettiest in Australia, while the pioneering town of Stone Hut began its life as a stagecoach town with Cobb & Co calling in on its way from Clare to Port Augusta. Today the town includes a collection of stone cottages mapped out on a gorgeous heritage walk.

SEASONS OF THE IKARA-FLINDERS RANGES
Whenever you experience the ancient landscape of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges and Wild Bush Luxury at Arkaba, you’re not only witnessing an environment in recovery. You’re actively participating in its revival. We adore four distinct seasons each bringing an abundance of flora and fauna at various life-cycle stages. We can’t wait to share the nuances of each with you.

DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY
In summer the days are hot, the landscape is dry and the red dirt of the outback is picturesque and dreamlike making the quintessential Aussie outback experience a reality. Be surprised by the diverse range of wildlife that remain active at this time of year.

Western Grey Kangaroos are hopping around with joeys in their pouches and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a rare yellow-footed rock wallaby. Don’t forget to look up to see the array of colourful migratory bird species like budgerigars and cockatiels that stop in the ranges and marvel at vibrant sunsets created by residual dust in the air.

December’s theatrical storms bring life and motion to the skies around Arkaba, hear the reverberating drum of the thunder and watch sudden strikes of lightening in the distance. Nature, reminding you who reigns supreme in the outback.

MARCH TO MAY
The combination of warm days and cool nights make for a fantastic time to explore the Ikara-Flinders ranges. Late rains bring much needed relief to life and land, with wildflowers beginning to bloom in response, bringing splashes of rainbow colours to the formerly sunburnt horizon.

View the wildlife becoming more active during the middle parts of the day, particularly the reptiles, such as the goanna and bearded dragon that can be seen roaming the land. Autumn is the favourite month of Arkaba lodge manager Brendon.

Due to the comfortable temperatures, the changing colours of the landscape, and the increased wildlife activity. As the end of the season approaches, the elusive echidna can be spotted venturing out of its burrow, as temperatures become more inviting.

JUNE TO AUGUST
Winter brings warm, dry and cloudless days, making spotting active wildlife an enjoyable experience. Emus and wedge-tailed Eagles are pairing off building nests to accommodate their future offspring. Male echidnas, as many as eleven, can be spotted in a line following a potential female mate closely.

The regeneration cycle continues with the once red horizon, now forming a luscious green carpet covering the land. The environment flourishing with the new hydration. As the afternoon approaches, the sky puts on a spectacular show, showcasing all the colours of an outback sunset.

Come night, as it really cools down, you will be greeted at home to a roaring campfire. Which, paired with a glass of South Australian vino, compliments the evening perfectly.

SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER
With warm days and cool evenings, Spring is a spectacular time to visit Arkaba. The start of the season brings rainbows back to Arkaba. Although, to see them don’t look up, look down! Wildflowers bloom once again and the horizon is patterned by hues of greens, yellows, blues, pinks, and reds of Paper Daisies, Early Nancies and Vanilla Lillies.

The abundance and timing of the wildflowers depends entirely on rainfall throughout the year. The vegetation is lush and signs of life can be seen everywhere. Spot emu chicks as they begin hatching and migratory birds begin to return.

Watch as the Wedge-tail eagle chicks hatch between August and September, though starting small, the chicks will grow to become Australia’s largest bird of prey with impressive nest structures that can weigh up to four hundred kilos!

CONSERVATION AT ARKABA
We’re proudly celebrating 10 years of conservation at Arkaba & we’re encouraged by what we’ve been able to achieve so far (changing the lives of 5,610,306 native animals and counting!). We can’t wait to get stuck into our fully endorsed conservation plan for the future. So what is the Conservation Levy?

At least 2 percent of your all-inclusive experience at Arkaba goes back into conservation projects. The Conservation Levy does not increase the price of your Wild Bush Luxury experience.

It is simply a guarantee that a minimum amount from your Wild Bush Luxury experience goes towards initiatives that contribute directly to protecting Australia’s biodiversity. Whole-hearted thanks for supporting the conservation work we love doing.

We wouldn’t exist and your wildlife experience would be vastly different without it! To experience Arkaba in a state of positive change extends your immersive experience into an enriching one. We look forward to seeing you ‘out in the field’ and showing you the real and very visible difference your stay at Arkaba makes.

OUTBACK EXPERIENCES AT ARKABA
Our expert field guides are essential in delivering an immersive wilderness experience through their interpretation and knowledge of the flora, fauna and geology of the Flinders country.
Your stay at Arkaba includes twice-daily, safari-style exploration across our 60,000 acre conservation property.

Our experiences maximise wildlife viewing potential in the varying terrains, take in some massive vistas, and encourage being out at the best times of day for beautiful light shows – early morning & late afternoon (throughout the year).

Activities are shared with other guests and curated based on interests. For serious birders and photographers we highly recommend booking private experiences (at additional cost) to ensure the full attention to your individual interests.

ARKABA THROUGH ADNYAMATHANHA EYES
A walk with Pauline McKenzie is an opportunity to connect you with stories of Adnyamathanha people, Australia’s first people who have long looked after the landscape and wildlife of South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges.

Adnyamathanha people come from tens of thousands of years as an oral culture and this has made them wonderful story tellers. Pauline is a living library of her ancient Adnyamathanha lifestyle.

Born in Hawker, she spent much of her childhood on country just north of Arkaba and, like most indigenous people of a certain age, has a connection with the land that emanates from long before any European explorers or settlers appeared.

Pauline lives locally in Hawker and is one of few people who still speaks the Adnyamathanha language fluently. She spends a large portion of her time teaching cultural stories and language (Yura Muda) at the Hawker area school and is determined that Adnyamathanha stories and her culture are passed on.

Her stories of the land and her personal story growing up as a person in ‘white’ Australia provide a glimpse into Australia’s Aboriginal history and the issues that confront Aboriginal society today.

OUTBACK AIR SAFARIS
For some of the best birds-eye views in Australia you can’t miss an outback air safari over Arkaba and surrounds. It’s one of the best ways to get a real sense of place and the scenery is spectacular.

An outback air safari provides an all encompassing view of the topology of the ranges, particularly Wilpena Pound, and is an easy way to experience the massive salt pans of Lake Torrens to the west of the ranges. Whether it’s a heli tour of Wilpena Pound or a day trip in small aircraft flight to Lake Eyre, this opportunity is not to be missed.

HELI-OUTBACK EXPERIENCE
Soar with the spirits over Wilpena Pound along the ancient ramparts of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges. Allow your sense of freedom to take over as you pass Rawnsley Bluff, down the spine of Wilpena Pound, weaving amongst the cliffs of the incredible Heysen Range, exit the ranges through Brachina Gorge and let the vastness of Lake Torrens and the outback stretch out in front of you.

Touch down at one of Australia’s iconic outback pubs, the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna, for a platter of ‘feral food’ (or something else that takes your fancy). You’re back in the helicopter for round two tracking south along the old railway and through Edeowie Gorge, around St Mary’s Peak before returning west along Arkaba’s spectacular Elder Range.

Get your last bird’s eye view of Arkaba’s folded landscape, spotting wildlife from the air before landing back on Arkaba in time to head out for a sundowner drink on top of the ranges.

ADMIRE WILDLIFE UP CLOSE FROM ARKABA’S NEW HIDE
A reliable watering point for birdlife and wildlife to retreat to and a leisurely stroll from our Arkaba Homestead through beautiful red gum trees. The hide is a complimentary experience and an ideal place for a spot of morning or afternoon tea as you listen to sounds of the Australian bush.

The last few months have delivered a hive of exciting activity including 36 different bird species, Western Grey Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos, an Echidna, Sand Goannas, Bearded Dragons, Shingleback Skinks and the Tawny Dragon endemic to Australia.

Galahs are one of the most prominent and easily identifiable bird species in all of Australia. With their beautiful rose-colored bodies and noisy chattering, they are an unmistakable Australian icon.

Once mating season is officially underway, Galahs can be found throughout Arkaba’s 60,000 acres nesting in tree hollows lined with their plucked down feathers.

Though nationally Galahs have a high chick mortality rate (averaging 50% mortality per nest), we have seen an inspiring increase in chick survival at Arkaba as a direct benefit of feral cat management and conservation.

Arkaba is uniquely positioned on the cusp of the territory ranges of three species variations of Australian Ringneck Parrots. All three variations mate without discrimination and hybridize seamlessly, making for unique and exciting spottings for sharp-eyed bird watchers who can discern subtle plumage variations.

Ringnecks are opportunists and will feed on whatever is available – fruits, seeds and even insects. Luckily unlike Galahs, Ringnecks have impressive fledgling survival rate at around 75% per nest, and have also benefited from the feral cat management at Arkaba over the last ten years.

This Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) might have been hunting rabbits, reptiles or even birds when field guide Charlie managed to snap this picture as it came down to land on an old fence post.

This beautiful eagle, along with the larger and more commonly known Wedge-tailed eagle make up the only two “booted” eagles in Australia, their feathered legs being one of the features that set them apart from other Australian Raptors.

New evidence suggests that Little Eagles migrate from South to North during the winter months, explaining why we tend to see them more frequently in the summer. One individual was recorded to have travelled as far as 3,000km in a season!

Nesting pairs of this very attractive eagle have been recorded across Arkaba’s private wildlife conservancy in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges over the past couple of years, with birds preferring to nest in dense, tree lined watercourses with large living trees.

Arkaba will continue to be an attractive breeding ground for the Little Eagle, as current and future conservation projects continually improve the health of river red gum communities across the conservancy.

SAFARI DRIVES
Explore the vastness of Arkaba’s 60,000 acres on a wildlife-viewing safari drive. Arkaba’s picturesque high ranges, plateaus, gorges, valleys and creek lines provide a huge variety of habitat for wildlife and on any given day a game drive will reveal Arkaba’s hidden treasures.

Afternoon guided experiences are usually capped off with a sundowner drink on top of the ranges with the scale and grandeur of outback Australia laid out for miles around.

RIDGETOP SUNDOWNERS
Arkaba’s signature experience will take you on a 2 to 4-hour loop drive traversing the hills of Arkaba with views across the region and beyond the vast property boundaries. This drive will take you through some of the beautiful rolling hill country that was historically used for sheep grazing but now keeps mobs of ‘roos and emus happy.

From scenic ridge-tops you’ll have views to the North of Wilpena Pound, east to the Chace Range, west to the Elder and Red Range and south to Yappala and Yourambulla Ranges.

On a clear day you may even spot Lake Torrens to the west – the second largest salt lake in Australia. This safari drive features plenty of great aspects for photography as the sun sets with a glass of South Australian wine in hand!

RUGERS HILL
This safari drive takes you to a high lookout point between the Elder Range and Wilpena Pound. It gives great aspects of both and is a favourite for photo shoots, sun downers or morning tea. You’ll also pass through historical sheep grazing rolling hill country where the ‘roos and emus are now extremely happy. 2 1/2 to 3 1/2hr round trip

BILLYGOAT HILL
This scenic drive takes you to an epic lookout atop the Ulowdna Range, which runs parallel to the southern rim of Wilpena Pound.

On a clear day you can see Lake Torrens to the west – the 2nd largest salt lake in Australia, as a white strip on the horizon; sometimes easily mistaken for an actual body of water. The drive to this spot traverses some of the foothills of ‘The Pound’. 3 to 4-hour trip.

GRAVE CREEK LOOP
This is a very different drive to those above in that it follows the Arkaba Creek to some of its reliable spring spots where you’ll see big River Red Gums and potentially lots of wildlife.

This area is a very spiritual area for Adnyamathanha Elders and also provides great views of the Elder Range. 1 to 2 hours but potentially a lot longer if guests wish to sit and watch waterholes to see what comes to drink.

THE SOUTHERN LOOP
This is an adventurous extension of the Grave Creek Loop and continues to the south of the property – a little traversed, remote region, and follows our southern boundary fence in one section.

Travelling through some interesting native shrubbery that due to its lack of proximity to water is seeing some great chenopod (saltbush family) recovery, amongst other varieties. A fabulous view of the southern end of the Elder and Red Ranges appears as we climb a rocky rise to a large clearing, most suitable for morning tea. 4 to 5 hours.

THE DUNDEE TRACK
This loop track takes us through astonishing habitat changes as we leave the Homestead via Arkaba Creek to rumble over the rolling grazing hills. This rocky adventure traverses up and over the Red Range, taking us to the valley between that and the Elder Range. Here the huge Red Gums are nowhere to be seen, replaced by a vast sea of Mallee and Cypress forests.

Geological changes can be mapped through the vegetation changes that are clearly seen throughout this drive. The loop back through the Red Range takes a small creek line that has cut through the Range over many years.

During the course of this drive we pass three of our vegetation transect study sites chosen for their unique diversity and potential evidence of change since grazing ceased. At least 4 1/2 hours – often 5 to 6 with a morning tea break.

WALKING SAFARIS
Get a completely different perspective of Arkaba’s magnificent wilderness on an included walking safari. Our expert field guides pull together the incredible geological history, wildlife and pastoral heritage of this region that will deepen your connection with the land. Walking safaris are individually tailored to your interests and cover some of the best bushwalking territory in Australia.

ARKABA HILL HIKE
This steep and rocky scramble to the top of the camel hump hill behind the homestead is a good sweat breaker with a very rewarding view at the top. Here we pass some fascinating native flora examples eking out an existence in what looks to be inhospitable rocky soils. Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours round trip.

THE ARKABA WOOLSHED
The impressive old stone shed although no longer in use, tells stories of the shearing hardships of days gone by. Built in the 1850’s and still in use up until the property destocked in 2013, the smell as you enter is unmistakeable.

The walk (or drive) to the sheering shed goes through some interesting Mallee forest that is showing signs of recovery after heavy grazing pressure, and the ‘Woolshed Creek’ that passes it has some surface water in the form of small spring fed puddles that attract bird and mammal life.

ARKABA CREEK WALK
This very pretty walk amongst the gum trees follows Arkaba creek in a southerly direction. We pass reliable water springs that attracted the first settlers to the site for the Homestead and Woolshed and today attract wildlife.

As we visit two headstones of some early settlers you’ll hear stories of their hardship, evidenced in their young years at death. This is a 1/2 hour to as-long-as-you-would-like walk. The creek meanders all the way to the south-western corner of the property and beyond.

WILDLIFE AT ARKABA
Wildlife conservation on the property is an ever changing and ever improving endeavour which has immensely enhanced the wilderness experience.

As such, Arkaba’s wildlife is now prolific with Australia’s three largest macropods (Red Kangaroo, Western Grey Kangaroo and Common Wallaroo) all regular sightings. The near threatened Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby has also returned to Arkaba’s range since the introduction of active conservation programs.

Rooms: 5

Price: from 2.250 EUR per night

Source: www.arkabaconservancy.com

Nestled among rich red dunes, Longitude 131° overlooks Australia’s best-known natural icon, Uluru.

The welcome open spaces of the central Dune House include a restaurant and bar with ever-changing views of the monolith as a backdrop for dining as well as lounging areas in contemporary campaign style, ideal for relaxing with an icy drink and exchanging stories of the day’s adventures in the outback.

A stay with Baillie Lodges is to experience the luxury of travel. Each Baillie property is located in an extraordinary natural destination, with a personal experience of its culture and history, its art and natural heritage and local food and wine sourced from regional producers.

Together, the luxury lodges are timeless in design, with myriad thoughtful details combining to create a genuinely warm welcome, a generosity of spirit. Guest itineraries are designed to offer the most from each stay, creating a personal, lasting connection with the destination.

ROCK STAR
Uluru, star attraction in the Red Centre, is visible from almost every angle at Longitude 131°, from the end of the bed in guests’ luxury tents, from the Dune House and from the Dune Top lounge, one of the only places in Australia where the views sweep effortlessly from Uluru to Kata Tjuta.

DUNE HOUSE
The Dune House, with its panoramic views of the outback and soaring canopy is the hub of Longitude 131°. Guests dine in the restaurant, relax in the lounge or on the outdoor terrace and fix a sundowner in the bar. Local Aboriginal artworks create a vibrant space, ideal for planning the next adventure.

DUNE TOP
Perched high on the outback landscape, the Dune Top is an intimate space comprising a help-yourself bar, outdoor lounges and plunge spa with views to both World Heritage-listed natural icons Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Private dining pods offer a window to the flush of dusk in time for an intimate dinner under the stars.

THE HISTORY
Longitude 131° first opened to global acclaim in 2003, with its otherworldly gathering of safari-style guest tents around a central Dune House the creation of leading Australian architect Philip Cox.

Since taking the reins in 2013, Baillie Lodges has reinvented an icon with a three-stage multimillion dollar transformation led by award-winning South Australian architect Max Pritchard.

THE VISION
Longitude 131° was the third lodge in the Baillie Lodges collection, forming the outback star of the traditional Australian trio of visitor destinations.

Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island sees wildlife roaming in the nation’s own Galapagos while Capella Lodge offers barefoot luxury on tropical Lord Howe Island. Guests on a Baillie Lodges itinerary experience Australia’s diverse and remarkable destinations in signature style.

THE DESIGN
Longitude 131°’s distinctive architectural design set it as one of the world’s accommodation icons, and the only lodge to offer views direct to Uluru.

With its place in the fragile outback keenly felt, the lodge’s sustainable design includes renewable energies and the ability to be dismantled and removed entirely, restoring the rolling red sand dunes to their original state.

THE LUXURY LODGES
Luxury Lodges of Australia is a collection of independent luxury lodges and camps offering unforgettable experiences in Australia’s most extraordinary locations.

There are 19 lodges in this stellar collection of the nation’s most celebrated properties. The luxury of experiences and genuine connections to people and place are what set these lodges apart. Longitude 131° is a founding member.

THE COMMUNITY
Baillie Lodges actively seeks engagement with the communities in which each lodge is set, ranging from establishing supplier relationships with food and beverage producers, local artists and furnishing designers to supporting school education initiatives, community events and work experience programs.

ERNABELLA ARTS
Established in 1948, Ernabella Arts is the oldest, continuously running indigenous arts centre in Australia and has become a culturally strong contemporary art centre producing works in a variety of mediums drawing world-wide acclaim.

Longitude 131° sponsors a ceramist teacher and ongoing education for the community, and has set up quarterly artists-in-residence programs at the lodge, allowing a rare cultural exchange between guests and the Aboriginal artists.

SHARED STORIES
Guides at Longitude 131° have an extensive knowledge of the geology and ecology of this ancient land and an introduction to the traditional Anangu Tjukurpa, which is the foundation of the indigenous community’s life and society.

WORKING TOGHETER
At Longitude 131°, the team works with several regional Aboriginal Art Centres, particularly Ernabella Arts, to supply artworks, woven birds and baskets, wooden carvings and traditional spears and more.

PEOPLE
The Longitude 131° team is small and close-knit, attracting hospitality professionals from Australia and around the world and creating a remote family for guests and staff alike. Renowned for their relaxed and friendly first-name service, our people are what keep our friends returning for more.

Husband and wife team Ben and Louise Lanyon took the reins at Longitude 131° in 2019, having already managed sister property Southern Ocean Lodge when it opened on Kangaroo Island in 2008. The couple now have three active boys and have made their home at nearby Yulara, where the boys are enrolled at the local school.

COMMITMENT & ENVIRONMENT 
The Baillie Lodges environmental commitment is best expressed by each lodge’s interaction with its local natural and cultural surroundings. A dynamic environmental management plan featuring cutting edge and continually evolving technologies steers lodge operations and ultimately enhances each guest’s experience. How we support travelling for good.

FLORA
Longitude 131° is situated on 23,800 square metres of privately owned land and is surrounded by Katiti Aboriginal Land and the dual World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. A host of measures has been undertaken to protect the unique environmental and cultural heritage of the area.

FAUNA
As its World Heritage listing details, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park contains distinctive desert fauna and many rare species of mammals, birds and reptiles. Although appearing flat and uninhabited, the desert around Longitude 131° is alive and caters for many different ecosystems.

ENERGY
Construction of Longitude 131° was completed with a focus on energy efficient design. Guest tents are designed to enhance thermal and acoustic insulation and floors are insulated and covered in natural stone to enhance cooling in summer and insulation in winter.

FOOTPRINT
Longitude 131° has been carefully designed to have minimal impact on the delicate natural environment. Guest tents are designed to ‘float’ above the sandy desert floor, providing an intimate encounter with the vast and unspoilt outback landscape.

STAY
Nestled among ancient dunes, Longitude 131° is a gathering of sixteen tented pavilions designed to offer both luxurious sanctuary and a profound sense of place.

Unparalleled views of Uluru’s changing lights play out from the end of the bed, or on balconies from the warmth of a luxury swag unfurled in the cool night air. Custom furnishings invite stylish lounging, while works by local indigenous artists offer inspiration.

Guests observe the sights of the outback through floor to ceiling windows, relax on outdoor decks and sleep under a blanket of stars.

LUXURY TENT
The Luxury Tent features floor to ceiling glass to embrace unparalleled views of Uluru, either from the end of the bed or from the day bed on a private balcony.

LOUNGE & TERRACE
Custom-designed furniture from Australian designers complemented by works by local indigenous artists offers stylish lounging after a day of exploring the Red Centre. Private floor to ceiling windows yield unparalelled views of Uluru, quite literally at the end of the bed, opening onto an expansive balcony with day bed, armchairs and fireplace.

ROOMS & SUITE
Sink into our signature ‘Baillie Bed’, the ideal place to rest between busy days exploring remarkable destinations and enjoying world-class wining and dining. An ensuite bathroom offers a generous rain shower, while the complimentary in-suite bar proffers a selection of Australia’s best loved gourmet treats.

DUNE PAVILLON
Expansive and contemporary, the Dune Pavilion is Australia’s only accommodation offering views of both World Heritage-listed Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

DINING
Dining at Longitude 131° sees a creative, contemporary Australian menu enjoyed with a view to the nation’s spiritual heart, Uluru. The finest premium produce is delivered to the Red Centre and combined with bush ingredients to offer guests a unique taste of Australia.

Centred around a commitment to deliver a real ‘sense of place’ for guests, the Baillie Lodges’ Culinary Philosophy is essential to the dining experience at Longitude 131°. Chef Tom Saliba and his team in the kitchen deliver a menu complemented by an enviable wine list that connects guests with the country from the restaurant to the in-tent bar.

THE BREAKFAST
The day often starts pre-dawn at Longitude 131°, with tours of Uluru and Kata Tjuta departing as the sun lights the horizon. Best to be prepared for the adventures ahead, premium espresso and fine leaf tea awaits.

A grazing table of fresh-cooked pastries, fruits and cold meats tempts, while an a la carte menu features hot breakfast items from eggs cooked as preferred, smoked salmon served with crispy potato rosti and fluffy blueberry pancakes.

THE LUNCH
After a morning exploring the Red Centre, lunch is served in the cool of the Dune House or outdoors on the terrace overlooking Uluru. Guests can enjoy a starter and main meal, with fresh seafood, meats and salads a highlight.

Enjoy a paired wine or and finish with dessert and coffee. Lunch is the perfect precursor to a relaxed afternoon by the pool, on the Dune Top or in the comfort of a luxury tent.

THE DINNER
Dinner starts best with sunset drinks in the club-style leather lounges around the bar. A range of premium mixers, wines and craft beer invites a help-yourself vibe, and friendly staff are at hand to mix up a cocktail.

Dinner is enjoyed at the Dune House and under the stars at Table 131° on alternating days. For a special occasion, advance bookings can be made for private dining on the Dune Top, where intimate pods offer a window to the outback after dark.

DINING UNDER THE STARS
The southern skies over Uluru-Kata Tjuta are a glittering kaleidoscope of stars, with cool, clear nights and an absence of manufactured lights from cities or nearby dwellings creating a stargazer’s paradise.

Longitude 131°’s Table 131° is renowned around the world as an iconic outdoor dining experience, with a menu prepared on a remote dune top and served under a blanket of stars.

WATERING HOLES
The dry and mostly warm Red Centre climate inspires the need for an icy cold beverage. Happily Longitude 131° has a number of ‘watering holes’ both indoors and out where guests can help themselves to a drink, or – better still – ask a friendly staff member to fix a refreshing cocktail.

DUNE HOUSE BAR
Lined with nearly 500 unique spinifex tiles each hand designed by the ladies at Ernabella Arts Community, the Dune House bar is a cool retreat.

The well-stocked bar features a range of premium spirits – including baillies 9 gin distilled exclusively for the lodges to a secret Kangaroo Island recipe – as well as an excellent selection of wines and local craft beers. Snacks are available and depending on the mood guests sit up at the bar to watch the action or settle into luxurious club-style armchairs.

DUNE TOP BAR
Set high on a platform above the red sands of the desert, the Dune Top bar offers the chance to relax in the quiet of the vast outback landscape.

The outdoor lounge offers panoramic views that sweep from Uluru to Kata Tjuta, while an outdoor bar features a help-yourself fridge stocked with cool Australian white and rose wines and a swag of craft beers. Outdoor loungers and a plunge spa are the perfect spot to enjoy a refreshing beverage while drinking in the views.

IN TENT BARS
A stay at Longitude 131° is generously all-inclusive, even down to the in-tent bar. Guests discover a mini bar filled with treats, making a mid-afternoon snack an easy accompaniment to reading a book on the verandah daybed or simply relaxing with the view.

A selection of leaf teas and pod coffee pairs with traditional Anzac biscuits, while individual servings of cheese, crackers, nougat and chocolate partner with beers, wine, juice and kombucha, depending on the mood.

THE CHEF
With his most recent posting at sister property Southern Ocean Lodge, Executive Chef Tom Saliba brings a passion for fresh seasonal produce and contemporary Australian cuisine to the menu at Longitude 131°.

Working with a philosophy of bringing Australia’s finest premium produce to the Red Centre, Tom uses local bush ingredients and traditional indigenous techniques to create unique taste of Australia served, with a view to Uluru.

A daily approach to designing each menu – where local and regional ingredients are the stars – is essential to the Baillie Lodges Culinary Philosophy which steers the dining experience across all the lodges.

Tom is a strong believer in the sustainability side of food, from both environmental and economic perspectives and takes a nose-to-tail and root-to-shoot approach to produce. The result is a truly remote and extraordinary dining experience!

THE SPA
Set among the spinifex and the red sand of the outback, Spa Kinara is a cool, calm retreat reflecting the clever design of a traditional Aboriginal shelter, or wiltja. Kinara means ‘moon’ in Pitjantjatjara, and offers a spiritually grounding, revitalising connection between the traditional country and the vast blue-domed sky that cloaks the landscape.

A physical and spiritual retreat, Spa Kinara aligns body and soul under the gaze of Uluru, whose mysterious natural energies radiate throughout the landscape. Guests emerge with a sense of connection and calm, reflective in the rare stillness and inspired by the outback’s boundless horizons.

JOURNEY TO COUNTRY
A signature menu of relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments embrace the Red Centre’s surprising resource of native beauty products, from Kakadu plum, quandongs and Scented Emu Bush to desert lime, Australian yellow clay and nutrient-rich desert salts.

BUSH MEDICINE
A powerful bush medicine used by Aboriginal ngangkari or healers, irmangka-irmangka is also known as Scented Emu Bush and is used in many treatments at Spa Kinara.

The general cure-all is made from the bush’s fresh leaves, mixed with olive oil to form a balm. The balm is made by the ladies in the Ngangkari Program run by the local Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands Women’s Council.

INDIGENOUS WISDOM
Spa Kinara features Australian Li’Tya spa care products. Meaning ‘of the earth’, Li’Tya embraces a series of healing rituals that combine Aboriginal massage techniques with botanical beauty essences.

SPA MENU
Each Spa Kinara treatment is a personal journey. Guests are invited to select a therapy that resonates most with their mood or desired focus, and each treatment may be tailored with the addition of a Spa Essential for a complete mind, body and soul treat. All Spa Kinara journeys commence with a traditional Aboriginal welcome ceremony.

DESTINATION
Home to the World Heritage-listed natural icons Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Australia’s Red Centre is a vast outback wilderness characterised by endless horizons of rolling red sand dunes, green Desert Oaks and great domes of blue sky. Uluru lies around 60km west of Kata Tjuta and 470km south west of Alice Springs.

OUTBACK ICONS
Standing some 873 metres high and visible from many vantage points around the Red Centre, Uluru is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago. Rising higher still at 1,066 metres, Kata Tjuta is a mysterious gathering of 36 rock domes. Both landmarks are culturally significant to the indigenous Anangu people.

CULTURAL CONNECTION
Longitude 131° works with several Aboriginal arts communities to source the vibrant local artworks that guests see around the lodge, from ceramics to painted canvases, spears and weavings.

The lodge has a special partnership with Ernabella Arts in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands whose artists periodically paint in residence with a backdrop to Uluru.

FIELD OF LIGHT 
Artist Bruce Munro’s internationally acclaimed solar installation Field of Light in the foreground of Uluru is a wonderful interactive experience that captures the imagination of young and old.

The outdoor light sculpture is a gathering of some 50,000 stems which bloom in soft frosted-glass and appear to sway in the breeze as the dusk falls on Australia’s spiritual heartland.

BUSH INGREDIENTS
Longitude 131° offers a contemporary Australian dining experience with premium produce delivered from around the country to the Red Centre. Bush ingredients like quangdongs or the desert peach, finger limes, muntrie and pepper berries and lemon myrtle add a uniquely outback flavour to the menu.

SEASONS OF THE OUTBACK
The semi-arid desert of Uluru-Kata Tjuta makes for warm travelling conditions. Sunny days and cooler nights may be expected for much of the year, while the hot summer often sees dramatic storms with rains rendering the Red Centre a relatively lush green.

The indigenous Anangu identify five seasons in the region, noting changes in the weather that have an impact on their day-to-day life.

SUMMER (DECEMBER – FEBRUARY)
During the summer months the hot, dry daytime conditions inspire a dip in the pool or an icy drink at the bar. Tours run in the cool of dawn and dusk and the night-time comes alive, with cooler temperatures and storms passing across the outback, offering the rare chance to see waterfalls cascading down Uluru. Daytime temperatures range from 35–38°C in summer.

AUTUMN (MARCH – MAY)
Autumn is an ideal season to visit the Red Centre, when the semi-arid climate makes for great travelling conditions. Experience the desert landmarks in the cool of the morning before returning to a leisurely lunch. An afternoon rest is the perfect precursor to a sunset expedition and dinner. Daytime temperatures range from 24–35°C in autumn.

WINTER (JUNE – AUGUST)
Brisk mornings provide a fresh start to the day in winter, with the promise of sunshine and warmth ahead. Clear night skies offer a brilliant chance to discover the southern sky and the Milky Way Galaxy, watching for the lucky swoosh of a shooting star. Daytime temperatures range from 20–24°C in winter.

SPRING (SEPTEMBER – NOVEMBER)
Springtime in the Red Centre is the chance to see the desert blossom in colour as wildflowers transform the outback landscape. Spring offers ideal conditions to learn the ancient lore of the traditional Aboriginal owners and explore the regional flora and fauna with the lodge’s expert guides. Daytime temperatures range from 29–35°C in spring.

ITJANU (JANUARY – MARCH)
Billowing or overcast (utawari) clouds build on the western horizon and move east to cover the sky, bringing rain. Storms can also come from other directions, bringing winds and tipping the temperature down. Many food plants flower during Itjanu and good rains produce ample fruit and seed.

WANITJUNKUPAI (APRIL – MAY)
The cooler weather returns to Uluru now. Tjuntalpa clouds roll in from the south but stay above the hills until the end of the day without producing much rain. Reptiles begin hibernating ahead of winter.

WARI (LATE MAY – JULY)
The cold season, when there is sometimes frost (nyinnga) and mist or dew (kulyar-kulyarpa) in the morning but little rain. The frosts dry and preserve the desert grasses. In summer this dry fuel can feed fires.

PIRIYAKUTU (AUGUST – SEPTEMBER)
Piriya is the name of the warm, steady wind that blows from the north and west in December. Warm weather brings reptiles out of hibernation, animals breed and food plants like the honey grevillea begin to flower.

KULI (AROUND DECEMBER)
Kuli is the hottest part of the year. Storm clouds (marutjara) roll in the sky and lightning flashes but there is little rain. Lightning strikes can cause fires.

GETTING THERE
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is located in the Red Centre in Australia’s Northern Territory. The main airport, Ayers Rock Airport is three hours’ travel by air from most Australian capital cities.

Longitude 131° is located 15 minutes’ drive from Ayers Rock Airport via lodge transfer, a 3 hour self-drive from Kings Canyon and a 4.5 hour self-drive from Alice Springs.

EXPERIENCE
Longitude 131° is the ultimate luxury basecamp from which to explore the natural and cultural landscapes of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Guests at Longitude 131° embark on a signature itinerary of guided adventures, allowing a personal discovery with the Red Centre’s iconic natural attractions and Aboriginal heritage. View and download our experiences facts and rates.

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
These experiences are included in the tariff and are provided on an intimate shared basis with fellow guests at scheduled times. Private experiences can be arranged at additional cost subject to availability.

ULURU SUNSET
The Uluru Sunset experience is a gathering for Longitude 131° guests with drinks from an exclusive pop up bar just in time to see the sun set and transform the monolith in glowing shades of pink, orange and purple.

The Uluru Sunset viewing area is the best place to see the sun set over Uluru. It’s also a popular spot for visitors to take selfies, couple and family shots as well as landscape photos of Uluru as it appears to change colour as the sun dips behind the domes of Kata Tjuta to the west.

A pop up bar exclusive for Longitude 131° guests is set up in prime position to watch the light change its cast over Uluru, a little further along the sandy pathway from other travellers.

Enjoy French Champagne, Australian craft beers and premium spirits accompanied by canapés with fresh Australian ingredients and outback flavours.

FIELD OF LIGHT
Discover an outback wonderland as the Uluru sunset continues, with the mighty monolith fading slowly to the background as the field of lights takes centre stage. Guests wander at leisure along pathways through the award-winning sculptor Bruce Munro’s incredible light installation.

An outback fairyland, the celebrated open air art phenomenon is made up of some 50,000 individual stems crowned with colourful frosted glass bulbs that bloom and appear to sway as the inky night blankets Australia’s spiritual heartland.

As darkness descends on the desert, guests are transported to Table 131°, to dine under a glittering canopy of stars.

TABLE 131°
Longitude 131°’s signature dining experience, Table 131° makes for an unforgettable evening. Set among the red sand dunes in a remote, secret location, Table 131° features a decadent four-course dinner with matched wines, perfect for a special occasion.

Guests discover the wonder of the outback’s inky night sky, which allows the Milky Way to play centre stage, shining brightly without the distraction of city lights.

As the cool of the night sets in, guests look up between courses to discover the stories of the southern skies, and perhaps catch a glimpse of a shooting star. The lodge guide offers a tour of the sky, with legends from the Greek Gods told alongside Aboriginal creation tales from the Red Centre.

WALPA GORGE & KATA TJUTA
An unforgettable discovery of Kata Tjuta, this early morning adventure heads to the World Heritage-listed site where 36 mighty red rock domes gather in the desert landscape. The group appears mistily on the horizon, glimpsed between desert oaks and spinifex on the approach.

In the company of a Longitude 131° guide, guests learn about the geology and history of the formation, formerly known as The Olgas. The site is sacred for the local Aboriginal people, and kept as a closely held secret as part of Anangu men’s business.

Longitude 131° guides are permitted to know and share some of the Tjukurpa, and these stories offer a more personal understanding and connection to this special part of the country.

The guide leads guests through Walpa Gorge, with its towering rock walls and surprising tree-lined creeks and waterholes. From there the tour heads to the Kata Tjuta viewing platform, which offers a step-back view of Kata Tjuta and the chance to capture a panoramic view including Uluru.

It’s a magic spot for morning tea, with coffee, tea and freshly-baked goods on the menu. A visit to the Cultural Centre at Uluru completes a morning of discovery in the Red Centre. The centre is designed by the local Anangu people, with long pathways providing cool refuge.

Here, guests learn about the history of the Aboriginal people at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and about their art and culture. Aboriginal artists often spend time at the centre painting, carving and sculpting.

MALA WALK & KANTJU GORGE 
Journey to the base of Uluru and learn about the Aboriginal Mala people. Longitude 131° guides lead guests on a discovery trail along the caves which occur around the rock and whose walls reveal ancient Aboriginal artworks. Learn the significance of each ‘room’ and the cultural stories each one tells.

A meandering pathway leads through groves of green trees and along boardwalks over spinifex and occasional streams, depending on the weather. At dusk the tour reaches Kantju Gorge, a giant ‘fold’ among Uluru’s rippling surface.

There, guests enter a cool reserve lined by trees which leads to a waterhole which the local Aboriginal people use for swimming. As the sun sets, it casts a golden light across the rock faces, striking it a brilliant red against a deep blue sky.

Guests enjoy a moment of reflection at the pool, before sampling canapés and sipping sunset drinks at the Longitude 131° pop up bar.

MUTITJULU MEANDER
A morning walk around Uluru’s base tells the Aboriginal Tjukurpa story of Kuniya Piti and reveals the swimming hole and frequently running waterfall at Mutitjulu. It’s also the home of Wanampi, an ancestral watersnake.

Lush green trees and grasses are a surprising sight in this section of Uluru. The Aboriginal story of Kuniya Piti is integral to a better understanding of Uluru and the Anangu belief system.

When walking around Mutitjulu Waterhole visitors are surrounded by the presence of two ancestral beings: Kuniya the woma python and Liru the poisonous snake.

The individual Kuniya and Liru stories occur on different sides of Uluru, but their dramatic battle took place near Mutitjulu waterhole, and a giant cave nearby reveals the secrets of the story from start to deadly finish. Morning tea is served in the cool shade of the trees before the tour returns to Longitude 131°.

BESPOKE EXPERIENCES
An additional menu of bespoke experiences offers the chance to tailor a special interest itinerary. Activities operate on a limited share basis for an exclusive safari feel.

VALLEY OF THE WINDS
The five-hour round trip Valley of the Winds walk is necessarily started early in the day, to make the most of cooler temperatures. The hike can be taken as a private guided hike or on a self-guided basis with Longitude 131° pickups and drop offs.

A wonderful, challenging hike, this trail traverses rocky terrain, cool groves, creeks and canyons before climbing through a steep gorge between red domes to reveal a relief of rolling green plains.

Walkers enter the sacred territory of Aboriginal Anangu men, a place where traditional secret men’s business is carried out. Many walkers experience a spiritual connection with the country.

The walk offers an unforgettable experience with the interior of the 36 domed Kata Tjuta site and is categorised as a Grade 4 walk for its rocky track and steep sections.

There’s a chance to spot wildlife along the way, from ‘euros’ or rock wallabies to lizards, finches and colourful budgerigars. The hike may be taken on a guided basis or as a self-guided adventure with private vehicle drop off and pickup.

ULURU BASE WALK
The four-hour Uluru base walk is a must-do for many visitors to the Red Centre. The journey around the perimeter of Uluru travels through lightly forested areas and red sand stretches, along boardwalks and among grasses and spinifex.

The walk passes by several sacred Aboriginal sites, with an opportunity to discover more of the monolith’s cultural significance and place in Australia’s history.

Longitude 131°’s guide will share the Anangu Tjukurpa or creation stories which play out right around Uluru in unfolding chapters. Uluru’s fascinating geological history is explained as part of the journey.

The hike may be taken on a guided basis or as a self-guided adventure with private vehicle drop off and pickup. The Uluru Base Walk is included for stays of three nights or more.

SUNRISE & ULURU BASE WALK
Sunrise is an ideal time to set off on an unforgettable journey on the Uluru base walk. The ten kilometre loop walk offers a fascinating insight to Uluru’s geology and natural history, and takes in the Aboriginal Anangu Tjukurpa stories.

The legends of the battle of Liru and Kuniya and the story of the Mala people play out with natural symbols seen right around the walk. Walkers encounter ancient Aboriginal rock art and Uluru’s diverse landscape – from green trees, creeks and waterholes in deep gorges to open plains dotted with grasses and spinifex.

It’s also a wonderful workout and start to another incredible day in the Red Centre. Enjoy sustaining lodge-made treats along the way.

KARINGANA LOOKOUT
The Karingana lookout is a highlight along the Valley of the Winds hike through the domes of Kata Tjuta. Walkers start the Valley of the Winds hike from the carpark, and cover rocky pathways on the way to entering the interior of the Kata Tjuta site.

Best taken in the early morning to avoid the warmer midday temperatures, this four-hour hike is a walk-and-return hike, with Karingana the tipping point. Walkers pass through rocky sections and grassy expanses, pass flowing creeks (depending on the season) and encounter colourful birds and wildlife.

The spectacular Karingana lookout is reached after a hike up a ridge between towering gorge walls, a saddle with views out to rolling green plains of the Valley of the Winds and back through the soaring red domes.

The trail passes through territory sacred to Anangu men, and is considered as challenging as it is rewarding. The hike may be taken on a guided basis or as a self-guided adventure with private vehicle drop off and pickup.

KARU LOOKOUT
The shorter hike to Karu lookout is a great option to experience the majesty and intrigue of Kata Tjuta and to get a sense of its mighty boulders and secret valleys without committing to a more challenging hike.

The Karu Lookout hike is a moderate grade hike with some rocky paths to navigate along the way. Hikers learn of the geological history and cultural heritage of Kata Tjuta and encounter its flora and fauna including birds and lizards.

Views to the mighty red domes and lush green valley floor make for wonderful photo opportunities but it’s the power of the land that will stay with visitors long after the experience.

TALINGURU NYAKUNYTJAKU
The Talinguru Nyakunytjaku area is a popular place for viewing an Uluru sunrise. By the late afternoon, it’s a quieter, more spiritual location, ideal for creating a special occasion whilst viewing the sun set over Uluru.

Guests enjoy sunset drinks including French Champagne and premium Australian wines, beers and spirits along with specially prepared canapés. The setting is a more private and exclusive Uluru sunset experience, perfect for capturing special moments as well as wonderful sunset photos.

SUNRISE SILHOUETTES
The north-west face of Uluru provides a remote and still platform from which to witness the sun as it rises across the outback landscape casting its rays in pinks and oranges.

For photographers, the cool reserves of the desert oak groves around Uluru offer a private place to set up the camera and witness this most extraordinary daily spectacle. Return in time for breakfast back at Longitude 131°.

PRIVATE DINING
From amuse-bouche to petits fours, dining on the Dune Top is an unforgettable experience. With just four private alcoves, it’s an exclusive experience with butler style service, fine cuisine led by the seasons and a sunset view of the outback icons.

ERNABELLA ARTS
Guests at Longitude 131° encounter the colourful ceramics, canvas paintings, tiles and spears created by the artists at Ernabella in guest tents, Spa Kinara and in the Dune House restaurant and bar.

To meet the artists and make the real connection with the country’s heart and soul, an unforgettable full-day tour to the Ernabella Arts Community in South Australia’s Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The tour is on offer by special advance arrangement and includes a scenic charter flight to reach the community, which lies some 665km by road or 155km by air from Longitude 131°.

Visitors arrive in the remote Aboriginal community and discover the arts centre, a hub of vibrant activity where the community’s elders and young people work side by side creating artworks and sharing their culture and knowledge.

Guests have a chance to learn about the symbols used in Aboriginal artworks, meet the artists and try their hand at painting a take-home ceramic tile.

KINGS CANYON
A full day roundtrip through the Red Centre from Uluru to Kings Canyon offers a real sense of the outback with its vast red sand plains and blue domed skies. Settle in to the rhythm of the road, sing along to some road trip tunes or take it as a mind-opening mediation.

Along the way pass Mount Conner (known as ‘Fooluru’), the historic cattle station at Curtain Springs and Kings Creek Station, famous for its camel burgers. Kings Canyon is found in the Watarrka National Park and is roughly midway along the road to Alice Springs from Uluru.

Embark on the four-hour Rim Walk which climbs the canyon’s steep stone walls and follows the contour of its dramatic cliffs, leading to the surprisingly lush, fern-filled groves of the Garden of Eden.

Learn about the canyon’s ancient geology and take a Priscilla Queen of the Desert photo opportunity, from the location of the cult Australian film.

PRIVATE EXPERIENCES
Many guests value the option of private touring, ensuring an experience of Uluru Kata Tjuta in the exclusive company of immediate fellow travellers, be they family and or friends.

Guests on private tours have the luxury of touring at their own pace, and may follow an itinerary of private signature experiences or tailor their own. Transport is in a luxury private vehicle with a personal lodge guide. Advance bookings are essential, charges apply.

Explore the protected cultural and natural landscape of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the privacy of a luxury four wheel drive vehicle including four signature experiences and return airport transfers.

The tariff commences from AUD $3,000 for four guests, while larger vehicle options are available for groups of up to 16 passengers. Subject to availability, advance booking is essential.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Red Centre offers a swag of options for guests looking to explore more or perhaps pursue a special interest. Longitude 131° works with premium local operators to offer these special adventures. Additional charges apply, view rates here.

HELICOPTER FLIGHTS
Take a Red Centre adventure to new heights, lifting off from the lodge’s helipad on a scenic helicopter flight. Most popular is the 36-minute aerial tour of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, ideal as an exhilarating departure experience.

DOT PAINTING
Maruku Arts offers a fun introduction to Aboriginal art and the opportunity to learn about the symbols and painting styles used by local Aboriginal ladies in their artworks. Join the ladies and with their guidance, create a painting to take home as memento.

CAMEL TOURS
Join a camel train through red dune country, with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as a stunning backdrop. Most popular at sunrise and sunset, tours are guided by cameleers who share the animals’ quirky names and stories. These meditative tours are a nod to the original Red Centre pioneers.

SCENIC PLANE FLIGHTS 
Take off in a small charter plane and soar high above the above the desert to see the outback from a spectacular new angle. Choose from a range of light plane adventures taking in the region’s iconic natural attractions or travel further afield to take in Lake Amadeus and Kings Canyon.

MOTORCYCLE TOURS 
Feel the freedom of the outback highway on the back of an authentic Harley Davidson cruising through Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on a motorbike or trike. Drivers double as guides to provide an informative commentary along the way.

OUTBACK CYCLING
Jump on a mountain bike and cycle the ten kilometre path around the base of Uluru. Fun for adventure-loving travellers and families, a mountain-biking tour is a wonderful way to take in the outback giant. Recommended for stays of three nights or for returning guests seeking a fresh perspective.

SEIT TOURS
Northern Territory tour specialist SEIT Outback Australia offers exciting and innovative adventures throughout Central Australia, specialising in off the beaten track environmental and cultural experiences. SEIT also offer a foreign language guided tour service using iPod technology.

Rooms: 15

Price: from 1.984 EUR per night

Source: www.longitude131.com.au

Located on an entirely private 28,000 hectare outback property 160km north-west of Cairns, Mt Mulligan Lodge accommodates just 20 indulged guests at any one time, ensuring a rugged and intimate escape.

Offering all-inclusive luxury accommodation in the shadow of majestic Mount Mulligan, the lodge features four different accommodation types, a beautifully designed main pavilion for guest meals and relaxation, an infinity pool and sunset bar.

Each guest room at Mt Mulligan Lodge is also assigned its own electric buggy for guests to zip to the communal Main Pavilion or the Sunset Bar. A range of experiences have been designed to make the most of the rugged outback territory.

Mt Mulligan Lodge offers guided tours of the goldfields including a sighting of Australia’s oldest operating gold stamper at Tyrconnell, exploration of the historic Mount Mulligan coal mine and abandoned township, ATV adventures discovering the history and beauty of the region.

Chef-prepared gourmet picnic hampers, wildlife spotting, sunset drinks overlooking the escarpment, stargazing, hikes around the southern face of Mount Mulligan, barramundi fishing in the weir, scenic helicopter flights and the chance to experience the day-to-day operations of a working cattle station. Mt Mulligan Lodge is a child-friendly property, welcoming children of all ages to this luxury lodge Queensland.

NORTHERN ESCAPE COLLECTION
Mt Mulligan Lodge is proud to be part of the Northern Escape Collection, a curated portfolio of boutique sustainable lodges and experiences that celebrate Queensland’s diverse natural beauty in one bespoke journey.

Inspiring authentic experiences and lasting memories, discover a secluded island paradise on the Great Barrier Reef (Orpheus Island Lodge), a soul-enriching retreat in the Daintree Rainforest (Daintree Ecolodge), and invoke the spirit of adventure in the outback (Mt Mulligan Lodge).

A private helicopter charter service provides unrivalled access to the three boutique lodges and an outstanding superyacht (M.Y. Flying Fish), equipped with its own heli-pad, offers privately chartered Great Barrier Reef exploration.

The Northern Escape Collection was crafted by Australian family business, the Morris Group, with the goal of allowing travellers to experience Northern Australia in its purest form and to contribute to sustainable economies in the region.

THE PHILOSOPHY
Achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. At the Northern Escape Collection, we are passionate about reducing our impact on the environment and making a positive one on the community. We believe that turning a profit and supporting these two areas can go hand-in-hand.

Sustainability lies at the core of who we are as a business and we use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as the framework to help focus our efforts with the mission of achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

At Mt Mulligan Lodge we are continuously expanding our efforts to tackle these issues by focusing on the goals where we think we can have the most impact.

Mt Mulligan Lodge’s parent company, the Morris Group, also supports community projects related to these goals through its philanthropic foundation the Morris Family Foundation.

REEF KEEPERS FUND
At Mt Mulligan Lodge, we are passionate about preserving the natural beauty of the Far North Queensland area. The Reef Keepers Fund is an environmental fund created by the Morris Group that supports projects and organisations that are committed to protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

The fund allows you to indulge with a clear conscience, as $50 per guest stay is donated toward environmental projects aimed at protecting and preserving the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem.

The donations will be granted to different organisations working on projects that protect our reef. If you feel inspired to contribute you are welcome to match or add your desired amount to your final bill.

The Reef Keepers Fund has supported projects that have helped build research, awareness and education surrounding reef sustainability, and has helped combat issues like climate change, water pollution, crown-of-thorn outbreaks, clearing of forests and plastic pollution.

Guests will be kept updated on the impact of their contribution to preserving one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

THE MORRIS FAMILY
The Northern Escape Collection was crafted by Australian family business the Morris Group. The Morris family is passionate about contributing to sustainable economies in Australia and allowing travellers to experience the unique natural beauty of Northern Australia in its purest form.

With this vision in mind, Chris Morris curated the Northern Escape Collection and brought his daughter Hayley on-board to help design unique experiences that tread lightly on the planet and create meaningful memories.

Chris, together with Hayley and the family, run the Morris Group which has diverse interests spanning the tourism, hospitality, agriculture, food, technology and aviation industries in Australia and the UK and is parent to charitable fund, Morris Family Foundation.

MOUNT MULLIGAN
Located 150kms north-west of Cairns, Mt Mulligan Lodge offers luxury outback accommodation on a secluded 28,000-hectare heritage property in remote Far North Queensland.

Guests staying at Mt Mulligan Lodge will be able to experience the spirit of the North Queensland back-country through a captivating landscape with indigenous significance dating back 37,000 years.

The expansive property bears the marks of the historic gold and coal rush and in its current operation, as a working cattle station, the pastoral history of Australia.

Iconic historical sites on the property include the old Mount Mulligan township, cemetery and coal mine, Tyrconnell gold mine, the old Cobb & Co staging posts and crossing, Lizzie Redmond mine shaft and the General Grant mine.

The majestic Mount Mulligan dominates the surrounding landscape; the conglomerate and sandstone tabletop mountain boasts a spectacular 18 kilometre escarpment that towers over the surrounding Australian eucalyptus woodlands.

Mt Mulligan Lodge lies beneath this undiscovered landmark with views overlooking a sparkling weir and is an all-inclusive luxury property accessible via a 35-minute scenic helicopter flight from Cairns or a 2.5-hour 4WD adventure from Cairns.

CLIMATE
From April to October the climate at Mt Mulligan offers dry, warm days and cooler evenings. The winter months of June to August see temperatures during the day between 25 – 28 degrees Celsius and overnight lows between 13 – 15 degrees Celsius.

From April to May and September to October guests can expect warmer temperatures, hovering around 30 degrees Celsius. Remember that during the wet season (November to March) there is the chance of rainfall and humidity. The Lodge has a seasonal closure from the 27th January and re-opens 2nd March 2020.

WHAT TO BRING
Whilst the Lodge and surrounds are designed to provide the ultimate in outback luxury, the day-to-day activities are designed to offer an authentic outback experience.

Guests are encouraged to bring relaxed, casual wear for during the day. Light, loose clothing including trousers, closed shoes and hiking boots are recommended if you intend to participate in hikes, fishing and other outdoor activities. Relaxed evening wear for dinner at the lodge is also encouraged.

During the winter months you will need suitable warm clothes for night time and early mornings. Make sure you pack your swimwear to enjoy the infinity pool, the weir and the various creeks around the property.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
The remote nature of Mount Mulligan makes it a dream holiday destination. However due to the accessibility of the property and the experiences it offers we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance prior to travelling.

Please take the time to review your insurance policy to ensure you are covered in the unlikely event your travel plans are disrupted due to extreme weather conditions or acts of god.

The lodge accommodates just 16 guests in spacious guest retreats that complement the landscape and offer a luxurious and charming take on pastoral living. Each retreat is a sanctuary overlooking a eucalyptus-fringed weir and views of the ever-changing moods of Mount Mulligan.

The spacious retreats are contemporary and luxurious; yet retain a raw external charm with their spotted gum timber cladding, pitched roofs and deep verandahs. Inside, the earthy-tones of the plush linen, sisal rugs and lavish leather furniture give a rich sense of place, mirroring the hues found in the landscape outside.

With its dark grey stone tiles and bronze fittings, the ensuite bathroom is both luxurious and calming. Slide open the glass and timber doors onto your private deck to run a deep outdoor bath, offering uninterrupted views of the Northern Queensland outback.

The spacious retreats are made for flexibility: the Outback Room is perfect for those travelling individually or as a duo, while the Outback Suite, with its adjoining lounge room, is ideal for those looking for additional space to unwind.

The lounge is spacious, with a cosy wood-burning fire and private deck. The Outback Pavilion is the ultimate getaway for families and groups, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a communal lounge.

One of the pavilions is wheelchair accessible and guests are assigned their own electric buggy to explore the sprawling property with ease.

Additional features in all retreats include; complimentary room mini-bar, daily housekeeping, optional climate control, complimentary laundry service, wi-fi, binoculars, yoga mats, music system (with MP3 input) and a safe. There are no TVs in any of the room types.

OUTBACK SUITE
The lodge accommodates just 20 guests in spacious guest retreats that complement the landscape and offer a luxurious and charming take on pastoral living. The Outback Suite, with its adjoining lounge room, is ideal for those looking for additional space to unwind in.

The lounge is spacious, with a cosy wood-burning fire place, buttery tan leather furniture, and private deck with rounded outdoor dining table offering captivating views of the sparkling weir and the imposing ridges of Mount Mulligan.

The spacious Outback Suite is contemporary and luxurious; yet retains a raw external charm with its spotted gum timber cladding, pitched cathedral ceiling and deep verandah.

Inside, the earthy-tones of the fine linen, sisal rug, and dark green wall panelling give a rich sense of place, mirroring the colours found in the outback environment outside. With its dark grey natural stone tiles and bronze fittings, the ensuite bathroom is both luxurious and calming.

On your private verandah, a corrugated iron water tank has been re-purposed as a deep outdoor bath, orientated to capture uninterrupted views of the Australian outback.

EAT & DRINK
Mt Mulligan Lodge offers a light, contemporary and daily-changing menu that showcases a bounty of locally-sourced, caught and freshly-grown seasonal fare.

The menu puts a flavoursome twist on outback living, featuring a tasting plate of kangaroo tataki, miso cream, tea-soaked egg, wasabi granola and hearty mains such as grass-fed Bushy Creek beef, charred peppers, manzanilla olive, lemon myrtle, smoked chimichurri.

Each meal will inspire and delight with tales of local provenance. The cellar has been crafted to ensure harmony between cuisine, climate and environment featuring iconic and boutique wines from Australia’s renowned wine regions.

BREAKFAST
The Mt Mulligan breakfast is a quintessential à la carte menu starting at 8am; guests can make their way at leisure to the main pavilion and fuel up for the day’s adventure.

LUNCH
Lunch is an à la carte celebration of locally sourced, seasonal produce, accompanied by the Mt Mulligan beverage selection. The menu is tailored to suit individual food preferences. Alternatively, you can request a gourmet picnic hamper and dine al fresco in the bush.

DINNER
Each evening dinner will be a relaxed yet indulgent affair with produce showcasing the incredible offering of the Atherton Tablelands and the menu putting a twist on outback-living.

BAR
Included in your stay are a selection of quality Australian wines, beers, soft drinks and house spirits. The Main Pavilion bar is open throughout the day to enjoy poolside cocktails, with a vista of majestic Mount Mulligan.

The cellar beverage list features Australian favourites as well as some beautiful wines from around the world.

DINING UNDER THE STARS
Our signature experience ‘Dining Under the Stars’ is a must do for any guests celebrating a special occasion in the outback. An intimate seven course degustation dinner is served on the edge of the weir under a blanket of flickering stars and in the shadow of lofty Mount Mulligan. The menu puts a flavoursome twist on outback living and is paired to Sommelier chosen wines from our reserve wine list.

LISA MAHAR – THE CHEF
After working her way from apprentice to Executive Chef in the Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm Restaurants in Tasmania, Lisa Mahar, Executive Chef at Mt Mulligan Lodge, headed north to Noosa six years ago to chase the sun and cultivate new inspiration and ideas.

After not long she found herself working alongside Executive Chef Paul Leete at Sails, one of Noosa’s most iconic waterfront restaurants. As she gained incredible experience and knowledge through her time at Sails, Lisa then found herself presented with numerous options.

She moved to Makepeace Island in Noosa and since has had no shortage of creative influence cooking alongside chefs including Sat Bains, George Calombaris, Matt Stone, Jo Barrett, David Pugh, Travis McAuley and Alastair McLeod, to name a few.

Lisa spent years 2016-2020 working for owners Richard Branson, Brett Godfrey and Radek Sali on Makepeace Island. Aside from all this incredible experience, Lisa is most passionate about working with local, whole, ethically produced and organic foods.

So true to her passion for sustainable food sourcing, Lisa joined Noosa’s Slow Food Movement in 2018 with the intention to further contribute creating awareness of the connection between our food, farmers and moreover our land and our individual wellbeing.

OUTBACK EXPERIENCES
The activities at Mt Mulligan Lodge have been designed to make the most of the rugged outback territory and luxury lodge Queensland.

MT MULLIGAN OLD TOWNSHIP & COAL MINE TOUR
Now a ghost town, the remains of Mount Mulligan township are rich in history. Originally laid out in 1912 and abandoned in 1958, the once busy coal mining town now only consists of a cemetery, a single residence which was the former hospital, a chimney stack, and the electricity generator.

The Mount Mulligan coal mine opened in 1915 but is sadly the site of Queensland’s worst mining disaster which took 75 workers’ lives in 1921. The derelict remains of the township and mine are eerie yet visually arresting and give an insight into how coal mines operated during that era. Duration 2 hours, 30 minutes.

TYRCONNELL GOLD MINE
Wind back time and venture out on one of our most talked-about tours. Explore the once operational Tyrconnell Gold Mine, the most famous mine on the Hodgkinson goldfield. Much of the infrastructure remains untouched, allowing visitors to uncover the history and tenacious prospectors life at this captivating site.

The 10-head gold stamper and old industrial machinery are a sight to behold. This old thriving gold miners’ village and shaft hold many tales. Let’s take you back to the wild west era of this once flourishing outback town. Duration 3 hours.

THE LOOKOUT
There’s nothing quite like watching the sun rise over the Hodgkinson Valley as Mount Mulligan wakes and dominates the surrounding landscape of gently rolling hills.

Just a 10 to 15 minute ATV ride from the lodge, along the old railway tracks used for transporting coal from Mount Mulligan mine to Dimbulah, The Lookout is a great location to paint, photograph or enjoy a picnic from.

FLORA & FAUNA
The environment at Mount Mulligan supports a range of fauna and flora with agile wallabies often spotted around the lodge and frequent opportunities to sight rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras and noisy friar birds to name a few species.

Each year more than 50 new species of plants, algae, lichens and fungi are discovered in Queensland. In 2017, a plant species was discovered on Mount Mulligan and it’s the only place it grows in the world. When discovering the property, take one of our Mount Mulligan Naturalist Charts and identify the plants and animals around you.

BARRAMUNDI FISHING
The weir at Mount Mulligan is home to Australian Barramundi. Cast your line from the weir’s banks or from a kayak. Mature Barramundi can be brought back to the lodge and prepared to your liking by the Chef.

SUNSET BAR
Head over to our rustic Sunset Bar and enjoy a sun-downer as you watch Mount Mulligan escarpment come alive as the sun sets. Only a short 2-minute electric buggy ride from the lodge; bring a camera, grab a drink, meet fellow travellers, enjoy the sunset and take in the magical scenery!

CATTLE MUSTERING
In its current operation, the Mount Mulligan property is a working cattle station named Mt Mulligan Station. The station runs approximately 1,800 Brahman-cross cattle on its 28,000-hectares. The cattle station has a strong presence with the bovine locals seen freely grazing around the property.

Cattle mustering is conducted on the property every quarter – should your stay dates coincide with muster dates, you have the opportunity to witness an Australiam outback spectacle.

BRANCH LOOKOUT ATV TOUR
For those who love adventure, nothing beats getting behind the wheel of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) exploring boulder-strewn creeks, navigating outback tracks and meeting the bovine locals before resting at the picturesque south end of Mount Mulligan, known as The Branch, to delight in a morning tea of freshly made treats. Duration 2 hours, 45 minutes.

PADDLE BOARDING
Mt Mulligan Lodge provides stand-up paddle boards so you can enjoy some light exercise whilst taking in the scenery on the weir. You might even be lucky enough to sight a platypus!

KAYAKING
Experience the beauty of the weir from a kayak! Gently paddling at your own pace, take-in the scenery and silence of the outback. Alternatively, pack a fishing rod and ‘yak angle’ for some Barramundi from the comforts of your kayak.

ADVENTURE HELICOPTER FLIGHT
Take an adventure helicopter flight over the star of the show Mount Mulligan (Ngarrabullgan). Best seen from the sky, nothing quite prepares you for the scale and grandeur of this ancient mountain that’s embedded with cultural significance dating back 37,000 years.

A natural wonder of the outback, the 18km-long conglomerate, and sandstone escarpment is 10 times larger than Uluru (Ayers Rock) and some believe it is the birthplace of the Rainbow Serpent, creator of the world in indigenous mythology.

FOR THE TWITCHERS
Birdwatchers are spoilt for choice at Mount Mulligan with over 126 species of birds being recorded at the property. Many of the species are best observed at dawn, with the help of a Field Guide and a pair of binoculars, when they charm guests with their charismatic and colourful physiques and beautiful song.

The birding spectacle showcases pied currawong, rainbow lorikeets, laughing kookaburras, noisy friarbirds and azure kingfishers, just to name a few.

ATV OUTBACK TRAIL ADVENTURE
Don goggles and a face mask, jump in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and roar away from the lodge along a tawny, dry and rutted track on an exhilarating private ATV adventure.

Red dust flies as you zoom along the property’s extensive outback dirt trails and fence lines, past free-roaming brahman cattle and wild brumbies, through iron bark and river gum forests and over dried up ravines.

Churn through cattle yards and bushland before arriving at a shady spot by the Hodgkinson River for a thirst-quenching drink.

MULLIGAN HILL SUNSET
Mulligan Hill has an expansive vantage of the imposing sandstone mountain that gives the lodge its name, the cinematically rugged landscape, Lake Geraldine below and the abandoned mining township of Mount Mulligan.

As the sky glows like an ember at sunset and the ridges of the escarpment come alive, finish the day in solitude with a gourmet cheeseboard and a chilled sundowner … or two.

GUIDED NATURE WALK
Set off on foot on a guided nature walk around the Mount Mulligan weir. The weir is a refuge for an array of native wildlife including bounding agile wallabies, Freshwater Turtles and many bird species. The Field Guide-led walk amidst the beautiful Australian bushland takes a little over an hour.

GORGE-OUS SUNRISE HIKE
Discover this vast territory by foot on a hike to Mount Mulligan Gorge at sunrise. Not for the faint of heart, this hike takes you scrambling up and down boulders bound by the towering escarpment and through lush vegetation to a picturesque gorge. A refreshing waterhole beckons you to take a dip as a reward for your efforts.

CELESTIAL DREAMS
As darkness falls, the outback sky turns a black velvet and a star-speckled blanket appears over the remote landscape. Our Celestial Dreams experience takes place just after sunset and takes guests on a celestial appreciation tour through the southern night sky.

Let’s float up into the Milky Way and get lost in the varying constellations, stars, and planets seen through the eyes of Indigenous and Greek mythologies. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the galaxy above using our resident telescope and a Mount Mulligan Night Sky Map whilst sipping on an aperitif.

Rooms: 8

Price: from 1.116 EUR per night

Source: www.mountmulligan.com

Wake up with the sun from your eco-luxe safari tent, peeking out to the largest fringing World Heritage-listed coral reef in the world just metres away… with the ancient Western Australian folklore-filled terrain behind you.

The sand’s a welcoming warm, the native birds are in song, and the sun’s inviting golden tone blankets the ground.  This is Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef and it can be your luxury safari style tent home for the next few days… with the Cape Range National Park, kilometres of Indian Ocean and a thousand-star sky all to yourself.

Here, time stretches and slows down. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from responsibilities and routines, to connect with nature, and most importantly, yourself. The Sal Salis experience envelops you. It encourages a new way of being… intentional and exploratory. Of connecting to and living in sync with, the land.

Fill your days however you like. Relax in your tent’s hammock with a book. Laze on the beach and let any worries float away. Kayak, paddle board and snorkel just off your camp, with more than 500 species of colourful fish and 250 coral types. Join the experience that’s made Ningaloo Reef famous worldwide – swimming with magnificent whale sharks and humpback whales.

Out ‘bush’, explore the ancient ranges and canyons, stepped in 30,000-year-old lessons. You never know what you’ll discover. Let the terrain guide and teach you. After a dreamy day out, return to a shared long table, five-star dining experience.

With chefs that celebrate the best in local food and a dash of serendipity… a surprise gin bar on the sand… a skewered shrimp appetiser sprawled out on blankets… or bubbly on the water’s edge, with the sinking sun giving your glass an orange hue.

LOCATION
Never in your wildest dreams will you experience so many astounding contrasts in a uniquely, spectacular location in this utterly Australian eco-luxe holiday. Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is so far out of the ordinary it defies ‘best of both worlds’ and ‘glamping’. It’ll be that trip you always return to in your mind.

An hour’s drive from Exmouth, Sal Salis is best reached by car. Fly into Exmouth’s Learmonth Airport and book a transfer with us or take the drive yourself. Scenic and private charter flights are also available, at an additional cost, for travellers who want to squeeze every bit of adventure from this experience.

WORLD-RENOWNED CORAL REEF
1,200 kilometres north of Perth sits a magical place where words can’t do justice. Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing coral reef, awaits. This 260-kilometres long spectacle is just a few salt-watery steps from the eco-luxe safari tents of Sal Salis. Magical because it’s the rarest of places. Where outback, reef and ranges meet and merge… amidst a spectrum of colour for which, only nature has the palette.

NATURE UNTOUCHED
Between May to October, migrating humpbacks are drawn through Ningaloo Marine Park. Whale sharks, blue whales, southern right whales, orcas, turtles, mantas, and a range of dolphin species are also part of the reef’s oceanic menagerie.

A natural symphony that only happens here. A reminder that this world can still astonish. A world even greater and more beautiful exists. The moment you submerge into the realm of whale sharks and humpback whales… your life changes. The whale shark season runs from mid-March to July.

ANCIENT, GROUNDING CAPE RANGES
Behind the beach dunes, the Cape Range National Park awaits. Rugged limestone ranges, gorges, bays, creeks, deep canyons and trails dominate the park’s 50,581 hectares. Its northern boundary is just 40 kilometres from Exmouth.

It’s the unforgettable, great Australian outback that many wait too long to see… but not you. A haven for birds, emus, euros, red kangaroos, Stuart Desert Peas, Bird Flowers, and unusual flora… let the mystical energy of this scorched, ancient terrain ground you, after a day submerged.

CAVES, CANYONS AND HISTORIES, UNDISCOVERED
Once an isolated island, this ancient Range offers up several species of plants and animals, native to this remarkable area. Lessons lie under the rocks with many caves, still undiscovered.

Trek the red rock, kayak the gorges, and experience the rich biodiversity through your own senses. The layers and cracks in the rocks, like wrinkles, hint at a prehistoric lifeline. A hint, hard to resist.

SLEEP BETWEEN TWO NATURAL WONDERS
Sal Salis’s 16 off-grid, luxury safari tents are as ‘glamping’ as it gets. These smartly equipped wilderness tents are a benchmark in eco-retreat experiences, camouflaged in this strikingly stark landscape. All, just 50 metres from the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo coral reef, in sync with Indian Ocean tides.

A ‘DOWN TO EARTH’ EXPERIENCE
Perched on platforms over the dunes, your wilderness tent offers uninterrupted coastal views enjoyed from your deck or inviting hammock. Inside, tents are spacious, understated and comfortable.

Your ample bed of handcrafted jarrah is dressed in fresh linen, your eco-ensuite bathroom comes with organic shampoo and native herb soap, drinking water and, of course, a daily cleaning service.

DRIFT OFF TO WAVES. WAKE UP TO BIRDS.
Sal Salis provides a sanctuary to explore immediate natural wonders of the world, with comfort at every step. What lies before you is a ‘holiday of all holidays’. Ningaloo Reef ignites something different in everyone.

One day, you’re relaxed out on your tent’s shaded deck, encapsulated in a book, only pausing to count kangaroos. The next, the ocean’s calling you out to swim with… let’s see… how about humpback whales? This is completely your time… in a place like you’ve never imagined.

IT’S ALL-INCLUSIVE
Nightly accommodation in the wilderness tents of Sal Salis include all your meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from your open bar, and national park fees.

Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkel gear, wetsuits and all guided wilderness activities are covered as well. Please note, all activities are tide and weather dependent. You don’t need to pre-book. The Sal Salis staff will help you arrange these upon arrival.

AUSTRALIA’S MOST ROMANTIC SPOT
Located a little way from the 15 wilderness tents is a secluded, intimate love nest. With its private beach access and romantic touches, the honeymoon tent is for newlyweds and couples celebrating their love. Love holidays here.

HONEYMOONS, ANNIVERSARIES & ‘LET’S RECONNECT’ TRIPS
With the extra solitude and a beach to yourselves, nature reveals her perfect romantic setting. Step outside your private eco-luxe safari tent to the gentle waves lapping the shore, whispering come on in.

Emerge from the four-poster bed and onto the spacious double hammock deck – ready for the next evening’s star-filled sky gazing. You ‘cheers’ to the view and clink to another day, celebrating this amazing life.

SHHHH. IT’S AUSTRALIA’S BEST KEPT SECRET.
Sal Salis has a habit of turning special dates into unforgettable experiences. A place you quickly won’t want to leave, because you love who you are here… and how you are as a couple, free from the must dos… only the want to dos.

This is a celebration of your love that’s both luxurious and laidback. Siestas and five-star, inventive menus. Sunrise hikes and no WiFi. You won’t experience anything like Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef anywhere else in the world. Here’s the next chapter of your love story.

THE SAL SALIS ‘MEETING POINT’
The Lodge is the head and heart of Sal Salis. It’s where we come together as a group to share meals, kick back and exchange stories. Time stretches here, unbound by responsibilities and places to be. Here, you have everything, and all the time, you need.

THE LANTERN-LIT GROUP LODGE
As the sun sinks below the horizon, raise your glasses over creative canapes in the recently refurbished, communal Lodge. A delightful entrée to your three-course fare that follows.

The Lodge is the kitchen table for all your meals. It’s everyone’s ‘luxury campfire’, sharing adventures, forging friendships, and filling ravenous stomachs. After a day out at sea or trekking land, this is the place to be. No matter how you relax, you can do it at the Lodge. It’s just like coming home after a long day adventuring.

THE PLACE TO BE AT ANY HOUR
The Lodge sits above the sand and coastal scrub, taking in expansive reef and ocean views. With an adjoining library to peruse with books, board games and a self-service bar, the Lodge is an all-day (and night) affair.

All three meals are served here, where sunset dinners become an event in themselves. A three-course meal is created from a commercial kitchen, that will leave you, and your tastebuds, speechless.

The flickering candlelight enhances the mood. Relax, put your feet up, break bread, and converse… with your new friends, new stories and a new experience of nature.

UNINTERRUPTED STARRY VIEWS
After dinner, it’s out to the deck to get cosy in one of the best places in the hemisphere, under the Milky Way, where your guides have stories to tell under an ethereal night sky.

INDIAN OCEAN VIEWS, FIVE-STAR DINING
Sal Salis ignites all your senses with a five-star menu that celebrates scene and setting. Here, food is taken seriously. It’s just as much part of the experience as swimming with whale sharks and humpback whales.

With acclaimed chefs who love to surprise and delight, your menu evolves daily. Expect contemporary plates featuring fresh, seasonal produce, sourced locally with hints of the bush and ocean.

You’ll discover excellent Western Australian wines, regional beers and spirits, plus juices and soft drinks. Sal Salis honours its family-owned roots with a friendly, personal ‘we know your name’ service.

THE CONSTRUCTION
Sal Salis is constructed above ground to protect the flora, fauna and sand hills, with boardwalks to prevent soil erosion, while the tent and lodge colours blend into the surrounding landscape.

ELECTRICITY & WATER
Almost 100% of the camp’s power is solar-powered generated. There is no internet connection or signal, only a 220-volt power point for guests to charge camera batteries. The site uses gas hot water service. The tents or lodge operate without air conditioners, instead, leveraging naturally cool coastal breezes.

Each en-suite bathroom has a Nature Loo. Each tent is allocated 20 litres of water per person, per day – as well as a three-minute shower time policy. Filtered drinking water is supplied at camp where guests are encouraged to refill personal bottles.

LINEN & AMENITIES
The camps are fitted with organic cottage and chemical-free linen. The composition allows easy air-dry hanging. Soaps are produced locally, incorporating native herbs.

Guests are urged not to use non-eco bathroom products to further protect the environment. Individual solar lanterns provide a safe lighting feature along pathways.

RECYCLING & WASTE
All waste generated is carefully transported back to the Exmouth depot. Used bottles and cans are separated at camp and returned to the Exmouth Recycle Depot.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TOURISM
Sal Salis operates under a lease agreement with Western Australia’s Parks and Wildlife Service. In addition to the park entrance fees, 5% of our turnover goes to Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service to assist in their conservation work directly in the Cape Range National Park.

EXPERIENCES
Choose to fill your days at Sal Salis however you like, from whale shark experiences, to kayaking, hiking and much more. Select from the below options to learn more.

SNORKELLING
Wake up, with the world’s largest fringing reef. Peek out of your camp tent, after the best night’s sleep you’ve had in years, to be greeted by the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef.

Home to over 500 species of colourful fish, 250 varieties of coral formations along with rays, turtles, dugongs, clownfish, harmless reef sharks, and sea birds.

Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, the coral is within swimming distance from your private beach, so there’s no need for boats and time-consuming transfers. Walk on the warm white beach sands, before wading into the clearest turquoise waters you’ve ever seen… and within a few long strokes… there’s the coral.

ALL OF THIS, ALL TO YOURSELF
Swimming underwater is a dance with nature. There’s a vast intelligence, a world that you won’t ever completely get, but certainly feel.

Where every aspect of the ecosystem exists for a reason. The sheer diversity of life, colours, textures, and shapes. Touch it. Honour it. Here, you’re a visitor. A respectful guest, here to learn a different language.

Only 500 metres from camp, a beautiful snorkelling site, Turtle Holes, is calling you. You can’t miss the resident turtles, gliding through the coral or resting on their sandy beds.

Ningaloo Reef is a breeding ground for hawksbill, loggerhead and green turtles, that come ashore to lay and bury their eggs in the dunes at night (between September and December).

EXPLORE STUNNING, ‘SECRET’ BAYS
This area is bursting with stunning drift snorkelling in sheltered bays. Open their minds to huge schools of fish and the special manta rays, who let you into their world. There’s nothing like this pristine reef, and wildlife, anywhere on our planet.

All snorkelling gear and wetsuits will be provided. Our guides are always happy to give you beginner and refresher lessons, or simply share a few tips.

KAYAKING
You, Ningaloo Reef, sunset, and all the feels. Spend the day drifting the Ningaloo Reef, perfecting your stroke under the generous Western Australian sun.

Marvelling at the sparkling crystal-clear turquoise-coloured water, only touched by your oar. This is relaxation nirvana. Time your kayak adventure as the sun sets, seeing and feeling it slowly cascade into an oceanic plane of vibrant orange.

GRAB YOUR FLIPPERS, LIFEJACKET & GO!
As the world’s largest, fringing reef, you’ve got a fun day of kayaking adventure waiting, metres away from your camp. Our guides check the tides and weather to ensure conditions are kayak friendly. Don’t forget to pack your flippers, so you can jump out and swim whenever you want.

With an array of colourful reef residents, you can explore a little farther along the shore with a kayak. There’s beauty waiting to be discovered, from a different perspective.

SHHH… THIS IS THE BEST SNORKELLING SPOT
Prefer to go with a group rather than float in the company of nature? Our guided kayak-snorkels take you further off-shore, where we drop an anchor in the sand and discover deeper lagoons.

These oceanic oasis’s offer a rare experience of the lifecycle of the reef, and all that embodies it. Witnessing soft corals, sponges, wobbegong sharks, and hundreds of marine fish.

Our guides will show you how to interact with this unique ecosystem, without interfering with nature.

KAYAKING BETWEEN AUGUST TO OCTOBER IS EXTRA SPECIAL
Just imagine, gliding gently on the water, in your groove with the infinity sign move pushing you forward… and you see a humpback whale, just metres away from the reef. You’re not just seeing them from a distance, as visitors. You’re in their environment, now. You’re part it.

HUMPBACK WHALE SWIM
An experience transforming lives. Plunge into the pristine Indian Ocean water and prepare to have the experience of a lifetime. Although a mighty 40,000 kilograms in size, humpback whales are gentle, charmingly curious creatures.

Your heart is surging with anticipation, not fear. Never in your life have you seen such a spectacle. If you’re lucky, you might even see a calf and the intimate dynamic between mother and young.

HEAR THEM SING, SEE THEM BREACH & SLAP THE WATER!
Each year, from June to November, approximately 30,000 humpback whales migrant along the Ningaloo Reef on their way to their breeding and birthing grounds in Exmouth Gulf, as far north as the Kimberly.

Then, between August and October, they make the journey back down to their feeding grounds in the Antarctic. Ningaloo Reef is one of only a handful of places you have the opportunity for in-water interactions with these magnificent creatures.

Glide gracefully next to these ocean-going giants, intimately observing their distinctive body shape, from a few metres away… with the males’ in full song, evoking a trance-like state as you swim.

BE OPEN TO NATURE’S LESSONS
Your humpback whale experience begins with a transfer to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, approximately 25 minutes from Sal Salis, where you’re met by your experienced skipper and crew.

With morning tea, served as you motor out into the Indian Ocean, the whales are soon spotted, as they breach, lunge, slap the water and blow. The show is starting, as you get kitted out in wetsuits and snorkel gear on deck.

Swimming confidence is required as the whales are found in open ocean, with currents and swells to contend with. A spotter plane is also on the lookout for whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, dolphins, dugongs, and sea birds to snorkel with.

Depending on the day, you may return to the calm waters of Ningaloo Reef for lunch & snorkelling, with your return to camp in the mid-afternoon. Humpback whale swims are available from August to October. Pre-booking months ahead is advised, as this is a popular experience.

GUIDED GORGE WALKS
The dreamy Cape Range is waiting to be discovered. Sal Salis is perfectly positioned between the Ningaloo Reef and the striking Cape Range National Park, both of which make up the Ningaloo Coast Worls Heritage Area.

Start your day with a guided hike across this unique landscape, where you can get out on foot and explore a different kind of ecosystem; the Australian bush.

Connect with the beating heart of Australia, through the ranges and gorges, steeped in geological history and dreamtime mythology. Let the arid terrain, unique Australian fauna, plants, birds, red kangaroos, rock wallabies, 80 species of reptiles and insects, inspire and teach you.

MANDU MANDU GORGE
Nestled two kilometres behind camp is Mandu Mandu Gorge, our most popular hike. With its fossil bearing, limestone formations and panoramic, colour spectrum of the gorge and Ningaloo Reef, you’ll realise you’ve discovered somewhere special.

Ancient clues of human habitation ignite your wonder. Who knows what you’ll stumble across… artefacts, middens and rock shelters amidst a landscape of Acacia trees, spinifex, kurrajong and rock fig.

History tells us Aboriginal groups occupied the Ningaloo Coast, with over 100 sites identified throughout the Cape Range. Human hair and modified shells have been discovered, believed to be 32,00 years old. Here lies an opportunity to immerse yourself in true Australia.

Walking through the gorge, you’ll likely spot the rare black-footed rock wallaby – who rest on the ledges along the gorge walls during daytime hours and come out to feed in the cool of night.

YARDIE CREEK GORGE
The black-footed rock wallaby is also known to be spotted amongst the honeyeaters and emus at Yardie Creek Gorge. Learn about the flora and fauna’s intuitive skills to adapt and survive in such as barren environment – a gentle reminder of nature’s collective intelligence.

The sheltered waters are a sanctuary for many marine animals like shovelnose rays and turtles. Your guides will leave no stone unturned or questions, unanswered. From its towering rock and limestone enclaves to the contrasting greenery and vibrant burnt orange rock faces, Cape Range brings you back down to earth.

It’s got that ‘I’m in a mini Grand Canyon’ feeling… with an eye-popping, perk: look-outs over one of the world’s best coral reefs.

STARGAZING
Days underwater, nights under stars. After swimming with whale sharks, humpback whales and all of Ningaloo Reef’s colourful creatures, you’re happy to reflect on this soul-filling experience. But the adventure doesn’t end when the sun goes down. At Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, something really special happens at night.

YOU’RE BLANKETED BY THE MILKY WAY
Have you ever seen a truly dark sky? Dark, as in, not one civilised light, in the middle of the desert, dark. You’re in for a surprise… a bucket lister, you didn’t even know existed.

Enjoy dinner with uninterrupted views of the Milky Way. The soft glow of solar-lit lanterns guides your way back to camp, as you soulfully experience the natural illumination of the stars. Sheer beauty that, even after the longest day, will keep you awake and wide-eyed.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN A DARK SKY… UNTIL NOW
Dark sky tourism is a small but growing trend. The majority of city and suburban dwellers hardly see any stars, let alone the Milky Way in majestic hi-resolution. The effects of light pollution are so severe, UNESCO now wants to include the sky at night as part of our human heritage. It’s such a wonder to behold.

APRIL 2023, A SPECIAL DATE FOR SAL SALIS
In April 2023, Sal Salis is in the path of a total solar eclipse. Solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, totally or partly obscuring the sun from our vision.

For a total solar eclipse to happen, the moon’s apparent diameter is larger than the sun’s and all direct sunlight is blocked, turning day into darkness. April 2023… you won’t want to miss it.

WHALE SHARK SWIM
“The most incredible thing I’ve ever done.” Jump off the back of the boat and straight into a bucket-list must-do. Gliding next to the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, feeling its majesty and surprising gentleness.

You’re fearless — intoxicated by life, and something so overwhelmingly beautiful. Breaking the surface, you can’t wait to share your experiences with fellow swimmers. You know you’ve just witnessed something indelibly rare.

WITNESS NATURE’S YEARLY RHYTHM
Each year, between mid-March and July, these slow-moving, filter-feeding whale sharks migrate past Ningaloo Reef. Up to 12 metres long, these giants have a hugely healthy appetite… for plankton and krill.

Taking swimming pool gulps, filtering their microscopic main course, whale sharks love warm tropical oceans, living up to 70 years, and Ningaloo Reef is one of the only places in the world where Whale sharks appear regularly in large numbers, with over 235 individuals recorded.

Scientific photography shows that some whale sharks have visited Ningaloo Reef for 17 years. It seems Sal Salis is a place both humans and whale sharks share a love for.

SWIM WITH ALL LIFE IN THE ECOSYSTEM
Your whale shark experience begins with a transfer to Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, approximately 25 minutes from Sal Salis, meeting your experienced skipper and crew.

Morning tea is served as you cruise out into the Indian Ocean, on your search for these gentle giants. With a spotter aircraft relaying sightings to your skipper too, it’s time to don wetsuits and snorkel gear.

There is usually time to snorkel the back of the reef, amongst turtles, dolphins, dugongs, rays, and sea birds. You’ll refuel during the day with a delicious lunch spread, celebrating the best of West Australian produce.

Whale shark swims are available from mid-March to July and book out months in advance. Pre-booking as early as possible is advised, as this is a very popular experience. Contact Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef to secure your spot.

Website: www.salsalis.com.au

Rooms: 9

Price: from 1.087 EUR per night

Source: www.salsalis.com.au

When you simply do not wish to be found, when you need to escape and unwind, there is no better place to disappear than Bedarra. Bedarra is an all-inclusive, private, tropical haven – Australia’s most unique resort and the ultimate in barefoot luxury.

Bedarra is Australia’s most unique resort, and the ultimate in barefoot luxury. Bedarra comprises just ten private villas hidden amongst 45 hectares of tropical rainforest, offering solitude, privacy and sublime views over the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Accommodating a maximum of 20 other guests, you are guaranteed a sanctuary of seclusion and solace and a personalized island escape like no other. Bedarra offers an unparalelled escape to enjoy rest, relaxation and precious shared time together.We pride ourselves on offering unique experiences without equal.

Enjoy a candlelit dinner for two on your own private beachfront deck, pack a chef-prepared gourmet hamper in your own dinghy for a romantic picnic on one of the nearby deserted islands or simply disappear into a hammock with a book while being serenaded by the soundtrack of swaying palms and gentle waves.

PRIVATE ISLAND VILLA
Bedarra features only eleven guest villas, each hidden amongst the tropical rainforest and enjoying spectacular ocean views. All villas on Bedarra offer their own magical experience, each being slightly different from the others.

Some villas are situated literally a few steps from the beach, several feature private infinity edge plunge pools, some have outdoor rainforest bathrooms and some offer expansive private sundecks and daybeds…

While each of our villas is unique, they all offer a true escape from civilisation, a private sanctuary of solitude and relaxation to revitalise the soul – and the ultimate in barefoot luxury.

THE BEACH HOUSE
The Beach House is situated right on the beach, nestled amongst the fringing coconut palms and rainforest. Featuring a wet-edge plunge pool and oversize deck, the villa offers spectacular beachfront views over the sand and ocean.

The villa is a two-storey design, featuring the custom lounge and bar on the upper level and the bedroom and bathroom on the lower level. The lower level opens out onto the expansive deck creating an inviting indoor/outdoor living experience.

The deck is surrounded by rainforest-clad granite boulders and enjoys a daybed, sun lounges and outdoor seating. The bathroom spills out onto the rainforest deck to the outdoor shower hidden amongst the rainforest. The villa features a work desk, LED televisions, pod espresso machine, mini bar, tablet and ipod. Total area of the villa is 99.5m2 (61.5m2 internal and 38m2 deck).

NAUTILUS VILLA
The Nautilus Villas sit just above the beach and enjoy spectacular rainforest framed views to the beach and stunning views of the headland across the bay. With a large lounge seating in the living area downstairs and cathedral ceiling bedroom upstairs, the villa is a sanctuary of rest and relaxation.

Offering an expansive and private deck with sun lounges and a beautiful outdoor rainforest bathroom with shower and bath at the rear of the Villa, Nautilus is the epitome of what a tropical island villa should be. Total area of the villa is 98m2 (61.5m2 internal and 36.5m2 deck)

THE POINT
The Point is located at the northernmost point of Hernandia Beach and offers seclusion, isolation and absolutely breathtaking views over Hernandia Bay. The villa is split over two levels and designed to maximise the panoramic views with bedroom located on the upper level and living on the lower level.

The sleeping level comprises a King Size bed and built-in robes and the living level offers contemporary lounge seating, LED TV, Ipod, work desk, tablet and bar with a pod espresso machine.

The expansive outdoor deck is designed to offer privacy and provides an amazing sanctuary to enjoy the expansive ocean and reef views. The outdoor area features a private plunge pool, covered outdoor lounge, daybed, sunlounges and an outdoor shower. Total area of the villa is 134.5m2 (56.5m2 internal and 78m2 deck).

DINING
The open terrace restaurant, bar and lounge are the heart and soul of Bedarra, where guests converge to indulge in a delicious and ever-changing menu or to gather at the legendary open bar.

An exquisite menu (that changes daily) is matched only by the sublime beauty of uninhabited beaches fringed by lush rainforest. We pride ourselves on offering unique dining experiences without equal.

Enjoy a candlelit dinner for two on your own private beach deck or have our chefs pack a gourmet hamper in your dinghy for a romantic picnic on one of the nearby deserted islands. Our executive chef Heath Weber and his dedicated team of professionals create a daily menu inspired by the idyllic location and the freshest local produce.

The philospophy of Bedarra’s menu is simple. Fresh high-quality ingredients, locally sourced produce, each dish cooked to perfection and then presented beautifully. Our passionate team of chefs strives to create the style of menu that perfectly matches our tropical island location.

THE RESTAURANT
The Bedarra restaurant sits beautifully within its natural surroundings – overlooking the pool area, our magnificent 300 year old Calophyllum tree and the glorious Hernandia Bay.

All meals are served in the restaurant, with romantic tables for two sprinkled around our alfresco dining terrace. We also offer a number of private dining decks on the beachfront or nestled into the tropical rainforest, providing a memorable location for romantic dining.

DINING EXPERIENCES
Our restaurant terrace provides a beautiful backdrop for dining on Bedarra, offering tranquil views overlooking our pool and front beach. We also pride ourselves on offering unique dining experiences without equal.

Enjoy a candlelit dinner for two on your own private beach or rainforest deck, pack a chef-prepared gourmet hamper in your own dinghy for a romantic picnic on one of the nearby deserted islands or have our restaurant team create your own bespoke menu and private dining experience to celebrate a special occasion.

BAR & LOUNGE
Our legendary open bar is the heart and soul of Bedarra, and is the perfect place to unwind after a day of exploration…or a day of doing nothing at all! Our nightly pre-dinner cocktail hour is a great opportunity to meet other guests and to share stories of the days adventures.

Alternatively, guests can relax in our lounge and choose a book from our extenisve library, or select a boardgame or playing cards from our island collection.

WEDDINGS
Your reception is a chance to celebrate with your family and friends, whether you prefer an elegant, three-course dinner, or a laid-back seafood inspired platter. Dine under the stars, listening to the sound of the waves while sinking your feet into the sand as you indulge in a delicious gourmet feast.

Or enjoy the romantic, intimate setting of our open terrace restaurant, or the warm, natural atmosphere of the deck, taking in panoramic views accross the bay. No matter which location you choose, Bedarra views offer the perfect backdrop for a truly unforgettable day.

Bedarra can cater for intimate weddings of up to 20 guests (10 villas) or for the ultimate indulgence choose to elope on Bedarra and then honeymoon in a truly magical and romantic setting.

HONEYMOONS
Spend your honeymoon in a luxury oceanfront villa, waking each morning to the gentle sound of the Coral Sea outside your window. Sip champagne on a private beach, take romantic walks through the rainforest, or explore the fascinating marine life surrounding the island while snorkelling or kayaking.

The calm beauty of our secluded tropical island is the perfect place to bask in newly wedded glow, indulging in the rare pleasure of being truly carefree.

ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES
Bedarra’s philosophy is centred on relaxation however we also offer a number of less sedentary activities to keep you active during your stay including: Sea Kayaks – Stand-up Paddleboards – Motorised Dinghies – Snorkelling Equipment – Fishing Gear – Tennis – Gym – Self-Guided Rainforest Walks – all included as part of your stay package.

For the more adventurous, outer Great Barrier Reef snorkelling or SCUBA trips, deep sea fishing charters or scenic helicopter charters can be arranged. Massages and spa treatments can also be enjoyed in our beachfront massage pavilion.

SEA KAYAKS
Sea Kayaks are available to explore the bays and reefs surrounding the resort, or for the more adventurous to circumnavigate the island to discover a multitude of private beaches and coves. Allow our chefs to prepare a small hamper to take on your journey to enjoy enroute.

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDS
Stand up paddle boards are an amazing way to explore the fringing reef, and offer a great vantage point to view the abundant marine life around the island.

SNORKELLING AND SCUBA
Snorkelling gear is available from our watersports pavilion to explore the bays, beaches and reefs surrounding the resort. For the more adventurous, half or full-day charters can be arranged to explore the outer Great Barrier Reef.

MOTORISED GUEST DINGHIES
Motorised guest dinghies are available for guests to explore nearby private beaches, or further afield to one of the surrounding uninhabited tropical islands. Best enjoyed in conjunction with one of our chef prepared gourmet picnic hampers, a private island picnic lunch is an experience you will remember forever.

FISHING GEAR
The waters surrounding Bedarra offer some amazing fishing opportunites. Fishing gear is available on the island for guest use and can be enjoyed directly from the beach, granite boulders or from one of our motorised dinghies. For guests more serious about the fishing endeavours, deep sea and outer reef fishing charters can also be arranged from Bedarra.

TENNIS COURT AND GYM
For guests who are feeling active, we have tennis court and gymnasium available for guest use. Tennis racquets and tennis balls are provided, as are yoga mats and towels in the gymnasium.

RAINFOREST WALKS
We have a number of rainforest walking tracks on the island that lead to spectacular lookouts or private beaches. The walks provide a variety of lengths and difficulty levels, and good walking shoes are recommended. Guests are also able to be transferred to nearby Dunk Island for some longer National park rainforest walking tracks.

SPA & MASSAGES
There is no better way to relax on Bedarra than by indulging in a massage or spa treatment with the sound of waves gently lapping on the beach. Treatments can be enjoyed in our beachfront massage pavilion, or in the privacy of your own villa.

LOCATION
Covering 100 hectares of tropical rainforest, Bedarra Island is situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in tropical North Queensland. Part of the Family Group of Islands, Bedarra is located approximately 10 kilometres offshore from the coastal village of Mission Beach, midway between the regional cities of Cairns and Townsville.

Arrival at Bedarra is either by launch or helicopter from Mission Beach – or helicopter directly from Cairns airport. Mission Beach is approximately 2 hours drive south of Cairns and can be reached by either self-drive rental car or limousine service.

GREAT BARRIER REEF
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the great natural wonders of the world. Bedarra is located approximately 20 nautical miles from the spectacular outer Great Barrier Reef, with half and full day charters available departing directly from the island. Guests can enjoy snorkelling or SCUBA charters to the reef, or as an alternative scenic helicopter flights are also available.

MISSION BEACH
Mission Beach is a beautiful coastal village located a scenic two hour drive south of Cairns, and is best reached by self-drive hire car or private vehicle transfer. Helicopter and launch transfers depart from our office at South Mission Beach, where we also have a lounge, amenities, refreshments and off-street parking available.

Our mainland office is located at 2 Commodore Street, South Mission Beach. Our reservations team can arrange private vehicle transfers on your behalf, or can make recommendations for one-way vehicle hire options if required.

HELICOPTER TRANSFERS – CAIRNS
Private helicopter transfers depart from Cairns for a 45 minute scenic flight past Queensland’s highest mountains and over the picturesque Coral Sea before arriving at Bedarra Island.

Flights depart from the General Aviation terminal at Cairns Airport. Please allow 15 minutes for vehicle transfers between Cairns Domestic or International Airport and the General Aviation Terminal after collecting your luggage.

For arriving guests, a friendly member of our team will meet you at the baggage carousel and transfer you to the General Aviation terminal for your flight. For departing guests, we will transfer you back to the Domestic or International terminal after your flight.

For guests making their own way to the General Aviation Terminal the address is Royal Flying Doctor Street, Cairns Airport.

SUSTAINABILITY – A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION
Bedarra is one of the most beautiful places in the world and we are passionate about keeping it this way. We are not just paying lip service to the philosophy of sustainability, we have made real changes to the operation of the resort to significantly reduce our impact on the environment.

Upon taking over the resort, we undertook a Sustainability Analysis of the island to determine the population of guests and staff the resort could reasonably sustain on a long-term basis. A particular emphasis was placed on water resources, power consumption and waste production and recycling.

The major result of our analysis has been the reduction in the number of guest villas from sixteen to only ten, with a similar decrease in the quantum of staff accommodation.

The benefits have been twofold; the consumption of resources has been significantly reduced and our guests share the island with fewer others, further enhancing the feeling of privacy and seclusion for which Bedarra is renowned.

ENERGY
An off-grid hybrid solar system coupled with a battery bank and a back-up generator has replaced the 3 x 185 Kva diesel fuelled generators on the island. Diesel consumption at the resort has reduced by 97% as a direct result of the new off-grid system and the associated re-fit of electrical fittings and appliances with low power alternatives throughout the resort.

A more tangible benefit for our guests is the elimination of the incessant hum and smell of diesel engines operating constantly throughout the day and night.

WATER
The resort’s water supply is provided from several perennial granite filtered freshwater springs located on the island, in conjunction with the collection of tropical rainwater which is collected in our island storage tanks.

Previously, the resort had produced its water supply utilising a diesel-powered desalination plant involving the production of significant greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, in conjunction with a high salt concetration brine by-product which was dispersed directly nto the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

We have also replaced a large amount of older water reticulation infrastructure on the island to reduce the risk of any potential water leaks and have increaed our resort water storage capacity by 50% to over 1,000,000 litres.

WASTE AND RECYCLING
Firstly, the amount of waste arriving at the island has been reduced by giving preference to suppliers that do not use excessive packaging for their produce.

All cardboard and paper waste is composted on the island, as is plant based organic waste which is composted and then used to fertilise our island vegetable gardens. Aluminium and plastic waste is separated and transported to the mainland for recycling.

Unfortunately there are no glass recycling facilities in North Queensland, so most glass ends up as landfill. To counter this, we have invested in a glass crushing machine on the island that reduces all glass to sand. This glass sand is then used by us as aggregate in concreting and landscaping applications throughout the resort.

A bio-cycle septic system has been installed on the island to replace the 25 year old sewerage treatment plant, with all treated effluent being dispersed underground through sand beds or via landscaping irrigation systems without any risk of contact with the ocean or fringing reefs

FUTURE PLANS
Our aim is to consume zero fossil fuels in the operation of Bedarra, while still providing a luxury island experience for our guests.

We are in the process of designing an upgraded off-grid solar system that will increase our energy generation and storage capcity by almost 300% and are planning to instal this system prior to mid-2020, This upgraded system will reduce consumption of diesel at the resort to almost nil.

We are also planning to upgrade our composting systems to further reduce landfill waste, increasing water storage on the island and converting all petrrol fuelled vehicles and garden tools to battery powered alternatives.

We are continually striving to provide a luxury island experience in a more sustainable manner that will truly benefit the environment and this spectacular location. We look forward to welcoming you to Bedarra and sharing with you the natural beauty of the island and our philosophy of sustainability.

Rooms: 11

Price: from 981 EUR per night

Source: www.bedarra.com.au

As you watch a band of morning clouds roll through the mountain peaks, close enough to almost touch, you instantly feel part of nature’s grand scheme.

At 1,100 metres above sea level, Spicers Peak Lodge immerses you in the sights, sounds and spirit of an unspoiled wilderness. At its heart lies the palatial mountain lodge, where guests are enveloped in Spicers’ signature comfort and exquisite luxury, and every wish or whim is attended to with quiet aplomb.

Poised majestically atop a soaring mountain of the imposing Great Dividing Range, Spicers Peak Lodge is surrounded by untouched rainforest, the world heritage listed Main Range National Park and the dramatic volcanic scenery of the fertile Scenic Rim.

With its rarefied position, a distinct sense of solitude and stillness fills the air, whilst the enticingly remote location gives promise to endless adventures. At the top of the long winding country road that delivers you to the lodge, you’re greeted by the retreat’s own herd of curious and hirsute Highland cattle, their splendid locks flowing in the breeze.

Inside, the towering peaks of the main guesthouse reach for the wide sky; imposing wooden beams frame the rooms with intent; and the heavy stones of the striking fireplace connect calmly with the earth.

Tall panes of glass invite the gentle light to stream in, and soft leather couches invite the guest to while away time without care or contrition. The lounge and dining rooms are cavernous and are filled with exceptional and carefully curated artwork and sculptures, punctuated by some of the country’s more significant indigenous pieces.

In The Peak restaurant, a captivating story unfolds daily, celebrating the very best of Australian cuisine and ingredients. With a nod to the narrative of the great Australian battler, and a modern twist applied for intrigue, diners will often find dishes such as Kangaroo Island marron, Abrolhos Island scallops, Red Gum lamb rack and native pepper and white chocolate ganash on the menu.

This inimitable retreat is Australia’s highest non-alpine mountain lodge, and here, every experience is elevated. Myriad adventures await in the sky or on the land. For the active, there’s helicopter scenic flights, nature hikes, 4WD discovery tours and mountain biking.

For those wishing for a gentler pace, there’s sunset picnics, star gazing, a guest library, pool table and tennis court. The peerless infinity pool – with yawning views of the mountains – is a temptation impossible to resist for most, as are the indulgent and restorative powers of the Spa Anise Day Spa.

The ten suites and two private lodges at Spicers Peak Lodge offer the ideal remote hideaway, swathing guests in opulent furnishing and fittings. Bluestone and wooden floorboards accentuate the mountain aesthetic in the Lodge suites, while cosy reading nooks and direct access to the library are a feature of the Loft suites.

In the private standalone lodges, separate lounge rooms, outdoor spas, private verandas and panoramic views create the ultimate remote luxury escape.

THE HISTORY
Spicers signature retreat, Spicers Peak Lodge is where the Spicers Retreats story began. Peak Lodge was built from scratch with love, and a view to sharing the breathtaking, natural scenery of the Scenic Rim with you.

Spicers Founder, Jude Turner and her husband, Graham “Skroo” Turner both grew up in the Scenic Rim region, in Warwick and Stanthorpe respectively, so have always had a soft spot for the area.

The pair met in London working for Skroo’s then fledgling travel business, Topdeck Travel. They later married and returned to Brisbane, Australia, where they started their internationally renowned Flight Centre business, and settled to raise their young family.

Living in a rural suburb in Brisbane’s West, the children attended school and later university. Once the kids had flown the coup, however, Jude and Skroo moved into the inner city, which left them yearning for some country land where they could build a farmhouse for family visits.

They both felt drawn back to the beautiful but relatively undiscovered Scenic Rim region common to their childhoods. In 1999, they bought a mountain-top property called ‘Cedar Mountain’ for around $300k at auction.

The property was known as ‘Cedar Mountain’ because of the wealth of cedar timber that had been taken from the site in the late 1800s-early 1900s. At the time of the sale, the only structures on the property were a few sheds and an old barn. These were retained and used as storage facilities. Beyond that, they would need to start from scratch.

The property is 8,000 acres in size and sits at 1100m above sea level. With a winding 11km driveway the development of the lodge took 2 years to complete.

The more Jude and Skroo visited the Spicers Peak property in those early days, the more the couple realised that if they built a farmhouse solely for their family, they were unlikely to visit often enough for it to be worthwhile. The opportunity to share the experience emerged; ideas started percolating of a boutique style getaway for the public.

Jude and her sister Ros immersed themselves into the design of Peak Lodge, giving life to Jude’s original vision of a boutique accommodation experience. The stone that frames all fireplaces through the lodge was hand hewn in Scotland arriving as ballast on ships bound for Adelaide.

Jude found the stone and had it transported to the mountain taking 17 semi-trailers. Once here it took 55 trips to get the stone up the 11km drive to the plateau. With only one load falling off the truck.

In 2006 Spicers Peak Nature Refuge was established covering 2000ha of the 3000ha property. It has 7km of boundary with the Main Range National Park, meaning the area has significant conservation value and is protected in perpetuity through a Conservation Agreement between the owner and the Queensland Government.

This agreement binds all future owners to conserve the significant natural and cultural resources of the area, and provide for the controlled use of the land’s natural resources for livestock production, eco tourism and adventure activities. Jude is a passionate conservationist and went on to create a further 2 nature refuges at different properties.

ROOMS & SUITES
With a mix of elevated Loft Suites, Lodge Suites featuring bluestone fireplaces, and Private Lodges perched on the escarpment, Spicers Peak Lodge offers the perfect blend of connection and seclusion in luxurious comfort.

TWO BEDROOM PRIVATE LODGE
Positioned at the edge of the escarpment the Two Bedroom Private Lodge is the epitome of privacy and luxury. Surrounded by bushland, the Lodge features an outdoor Jacuzzi with views over Spicers Gap and two spacious bedrooms with king size beds with ensuites. Ideal for a group of friends or family getaway, you will never want to leave.

ONE BEDROOM PRIVATE LODGE 
This Private Lodge is perfect for guests who want to enjoy a more private, luxury getaway whilst still accessing the full use of the main lodge’s facilities. Surrounded by natural bushland with a private outdoor infinity spa and double sided fireplace you will be sure to enjoy your lodge inside and out.

LODGE SPA SUITE
For an indulgent escape we recommend a Lodge Spa Suite. Relax in the spa, enjoy a glass of champagne on the balcony, or unwind with the crackling fire as your soundtrack to a chilly winter night.

LODGE SUITE
Located on the ground floor with expansive views across the valley to the surrounding mountain ranges, the Lodge Suites are tastefully decorated and feature a private balcony to enjoy the vista.

LOFT SUITE
Centrally located adjacent to the guest mezzanine level, the Loft Suites provide a spacious yet private oasis in the main lodge. One Loft Suite features mountain views, while the other features rural farmland views.

ACCESSIBLE LODGE SUITE
Located on the ground floor with expansive views across the valley to the surrounding mountain ranges, the Lodge Suites are tastefully decorated and feature a private balcony to enjoy the vista.

DINING
With such a uniquely Australian setting it’s only fitting that The Peak is an exceptional dining experience using the best of Australian produce, sourced as locally as possible. With a menu that changes daily, this is truly dining at the height of luxury.

In the elegant mountain top haven of Spicers Peak Lodge, you’ll discover a dining experience that scales the dizzying heights of Contemporary Australian cuisine elevated by the finest regional produce.

With the ever-unfolding majesty of the Great Dividing Range serving as a seductive backdrop, The Peak Restaurant embarks daily on a peregrination of the best of Australian flavours, produce, creativity and technique. Like the clouds rolling through the valley below, the menu is electrifying, bold, elegant and thoughtful.

The kitchen raises a triumphant flag to the heart and soul of our country, and the central narrative of celebrating the best Australia has to offer cleverly informs the food experience.

Dishes such as Red Gum Lamb Rack, Kangaroo Island Marron and Abrohlos Island Scallops are illustrative of the approach and style, while classic ingredients such as duck breast, fish, pork and garden vegetables are teamed with native flavours.

Deserts are playful and intoxicating – Bombe Alaska or Native Pepper and White Chocolate Ganache are just two recent creations to feature on the menu. In keeping with the location’s history as a working potato farm, the team works in close partnership with passionate and tireless local producers to ensure the ingredients sourced are fresh, sustainable and in-season.

The dining room is filled with comfortable furnishing and is punctuated by the stone clad open fireplace; whilst the outdoor dining terrace provides a cool, seraphic experience with uninterrupted views of the Scenic Rim mountain ranges. Perfect for friends, romantic evenings and special occasions, the mood is rarefied, yet relaxed.

With its remote location, accomplished menu, attentive service and global wine list, The Peak at Spicers Peak Lodge remains one of Australia’s sought-after culinary destinations.

WEDDINGS
Why just walk down the aisle when you can walk amongst the clouds? Spicers Peak Lodge is one of Australia’s most awarded and luxurious venues, specialising in exclusive destination weddings.

The scene for your perfect day is set 1100 metres above sea level on a stunningly beautiful grassy plateau where a majestic, architecturally designed cedar and bluestone lodge frames your perfect day.

MEETINGS
The unique mountaintop location of Spicers Peak Lodge makes it ideal for board and senior management meetings as well as incentives, executive retreats and exclusive events. Situated just two hours from Brisbane, set in over 8,000 acres of naturally inspiring wilderness, Spicers Peak Lodge is luxury at its finest.

SPA ANISE
Spa Anise at Spicers Peak Lodge is a beautiful, purpose-built mountaintop spa retreat with specially designed single and double treatment rooms, a plunge spa pool on the deck and relaxation lounge with open stone fireplace. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a day spent exploring the natural beauty of the countryside.

• Aromatherapy massage
• Pregnancy massage
• Hot stone massage
• Performance facial
• Full body treatments

CAN-AM ADVENTURES
The wonders of Spicers Peak Lodge are best explored by Can-Am. Discover the rugged terrain with a personal guide as you travel to the very edges of our stunning property. Venture through creek crossings, across extensive farmland and stop for a picnic lunch at Bellbird Weir.

This adventure is ideal for all age groups and fitness levels and will be a highlight of your visit to Peak Lodge. The Can-Am Adventure takes four hours and costs $195 per person. This experience is available for a minimum of two people and a maximum of 5 people and includes a picnic lunch, tea and coffee.

SUNSET 4WD TOUR
This is a chance to experience the true wilderness of Cedar Mountain, the home of Spicers Peak Lodge. Tackle the vast network of mountain property trails by 4×4 vehicle, cruising down one ridgeline then up another.

View wallabies coming out to graze on the fresh plateau grass or bounding through the trees. Listen to the serene call of the Bellbird. If you’re lucky maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of a massive wedge-tailed eagles circling the skies.

Hold on tight as you experience the exhilarating ridgeline rollercoaster ride out to Ryan’s Lookout. Once arriving at the lookout, enjoy the stunning sight of the sun sinking into the western valley whilst enjoying a glass of bubbles and a delicious cheese board.

MOUNT MISTAKE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCE 
Take to the sky with a scenic helicopter flight like no other. As you depart from Spicers Peak Lodge, heading east across the Main Range National Park, take in the sights of Mount Mitchell, Mount Cordeaux and Spicers Peak Saddle.

Winding through the Great Dividing Range, a clearing opens atop your private mountain destination – Mount Mistake, a private property owned and managed by Spicers Retreats.

After your 15 minute journey, you will land to enjoy a gourmet picnic accompanied by your choice of bubbles, beer or wine on the escarpment edge with views east over Mount Beau Brummell and the Lockyer Valley.

Enjoy 30 minutes for your private picnic and photographs, before returning to Spicers Peak Lodge. As you fly south through Maryvale Valley, the lodge will appear with the open plateau on the horizon – truly the most spectacular way to take in the remoteness of Spicers Peak Lodge.

HELICOPTER FISHING EXPERIENCE 
This incredible Aboriginal Fishing Experience will see you arrive by helicopter from Spicers Peak Lodge, with a scenic flight over Brisbane city, across Moreton Bay and along the coastline of South Stradbroke Island with views of the ocean and possible whale sightings, before landing on North Stradbroke Island, Minjerribah.

You’ll be greeted by Quandamooka Traditional Elder Andrew Watego on arrival who has picked the perfect fishing location of the day based on time of year, tides and moon, plus one million years of local knowledge passed down from his ancestors.

Your fishing day with focus on fishing technique and bait collection on the beaches or still waters of the Island. Eugaries (Pipis) cooked over an open fire will be your entree and welcome. The bait is live and fresh and gathered from Minjerribah shores. A truly special and unique experience.

SCENIC RIM WINERY TOUR BY HELICOPTER
This is an unforgettable experience for wine lovers. Departing from Spicers Peak Lodge, take in the stunning views of the Scenic Rim from the sky as you travel to some of the most renowned wineries in the region.

This all-inclusive tour for two people takes you to The Overflow Estate 1895, Bunjurgen Estate and Kooroomba Vineyards and includes wine tastings, a bottle of wine to take home from each winery and a 3-course lunch including beverages. This tour is available from Wednesday-Sunday.

GRANITE BELT WINE TOUR BY HELICOPTER
This is an unforgettable experience for wine lovers. Departing from Spicers Peak Lodge, take in the stunning views of the Granite Belt from the sky as you travel to some of the most renowned wineries in the region.

This all-inclusive tour for two people takes you to Ravens Croft Wines, Savina Lane Wines and Ballandean Estate Wines and includes wine tastings, a bottle of wine to take home from each winery and a 3-course lunch including beverages. This tour is available from Wednesday-Sunday.

BUSHCRAFT
Learn tried and tested skills used by our bushmen and early settlers. We demonstrate a range of methods used to make fire from throughout time, with a focus on techniques used in Australia’s history.

We demonstrate friction methods and explore the flint and steel techniques used by our bushman and early settlers. You’ll have a chance to put these methods to the test throughout the experience. You’ll also learn how to weave lomandra, a plant found throughout our property, into rope.

Complimentary experiences are offered over a set weekly roster. You will be advised of daily experiences upon arrival. Alternatively, please contact reception to enquire about making a private booking.

BILLY TEA & DAMPER
Enjoy an experience that’s steeped in history. Using techniques similar to those used by early settlers and explorers, we make a pot of traditional billy tea over a roaring fire. Sip this traditional brew with a delicious piece of damper with your choice of treacle, malt syrup or honey collected from bees from our property.

While you relax and enjoy your cuppa, our guide shares stories about the history of the region. Complimentary experiences are offered over a set weekly roster. You will be advised of daily experiences upon arrival. Alternatively, please contact reception to enquire about making a private booking.

MILLAR VALE CREEK HIKE 
Embark on a tour to Millar Vale Creek from Spicers Peak Lodge and explore volcanic rock walls which are millions of years old, along with platypus habitat and bat caves. Taking place on our own private property, this is truly an exclusive Spicers’ experience.

The walk ventures along unmarked trail that follows Millar Vale Creek from west to east. It begins on an open, flat area of dry sclerophyll forest before descending into the gorge where we explore the creek system, home to turtles, fresh water mussels and crayfish.

CELLARMASTER WINE & CHEESE TASTING
It has been said that age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.

Let our in-house sommelier at Spicers Peak Lodge take you on an age-old culinary journey as you delight in an interactive education about the nose, notes, palate and profiles of three of our Premium Cellar Master Wines, expertly matched to three of our chef selected cheese varietals.

Each bottle holds a memory of the vineyard, the harvest, the process and the passion. Let us pour you a glass by the warmth of our lodge fire and help you and your loved ones create memories.

PICNIC WITH A VIEW
Imagine feasting on a delicious, gourmet picnic parcel prepared by an award winning restaurant. Now imagine it 1100m above sea level where you feel like you can touch the clouds. Add in breathtaking views of a World Heritage Listed national park and you have an experience that is one for the bucket list.

Explore the 8,000-acre property at Spicers Peak Lodge while enjoying this picnic of a lifetime which comes complete with basket, rug, comfy pillows, cutlery, glasses, drinks, and cuisine that will do crazy things to your tastebuds. With 180 degree views of the Scenic Rim, this is a picnic experience you will never forget.

PEAK TO HIDDEN VALE KOALA
Take a scenic helicopter flight from Spicers Peak Lodge to Spicers Hidden Vale and track koalas in their natural habitat at the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre. Leaving from Peak Lodge, your flight will take you over the Little Liverpool Range before arriving at Spicers Hidden Vale.

Embark upon a guided 2-hour Koala Experience where you will explore parts of the 12,000 acre property to find koala hotspots and assist researchers in checking the welfare of the koala community. You must wear enclosed shoes on the koala experience, and long pants are recommended.

Follow your Koala Experience with an award winning dining experience at Homage Restaurant, including a two course lunch and a glass of wine or beer upon arrival inside the homestead. A portion of the Koala Experience cost goes back into funding the Wildlife Centre’s research projects.

HALF & FULL DAY SPICERS TOURS 
Create your own itinerary! Discuss with your guide what you would like to experience and they will create a unique tailored itinerary just for you.

Options include day hikes from Spicers Peak Lodge to summits or waterfalls in neighbouring Main Range National Park, a visit to the spectacular sights of Queen Mary Falls and Lake Moogerah or a trip down memory lane on a history tour through the local townships of the area. The choice is yours!

Half day and full day itineraries include private guide, bespoke itinerary, vehicle transfers, gourmet picnic hamper and your choice of inclusive drinks.

PRIVATE WHISKY APPRECIATION
The name ‘whisky’ derives from the Gaelic ‘uisge beatha’ meaning ‘water of life’. This fermented grain liquor has a respected presence in Scotland, America, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Japan. Join your Spicers Peak Lodge guide in exploring the flavour profiles and distilling history of three of our Premium Cellar Master drams from around the world.

Unveil the story contained within each bottle and discover how this ‘life water’ has survived thousands of years, whisky rebellions, prohibition and so much more. This 45 minute experience is limited only by how adventurous your taste buds are.

ART APPRECIATION TOUR
The average person spends 17 seconds looking at a work of art in a museum. But understanding it requires slowing down and taking time to see the details. Be guided through the carefully curated art and sculpture of Spicers Peak Lodge during this 30 minute experience.

Discover more about the lives of the artists behind these masterpieces and be taken on a journey as you learn about the balance, harmony, movement and mediums of the subject matters they portray.

Complimentary experiences are offered over a set weekly roster. You will be advised of daily experiences upon arrival. Alternatively, please contact reception to enquire about making a private booking.

YOGA
Settle onto your mat, close your eyes, and connect to your breathing. Leave the distractions of the world behind and gift yourself a moment during this one hour guided yoga and meditation experience at Spicers Peak Lodge.

Hatha yoga offers a gentle series of stretches that connect mind, body and breath through flowing movement. Yoga mats, blocks and other props are provided. Please advise your instructor of injuries or pregnancy within the first trimester. Poses can be modified to suit all levels of fitness.

Complimentary experiences are offered over a set weekly roster. You will be advised of daily experiences upon arrival. Alternatively, please contact reception to enquire about making a private booking. Private classes may be held in the comfort of your suite or outside amongst the sights and sounds of nature.

MOUNTAIN BIKING
This downhill mountain bike track at Spicers Peak Lodge is not for the faint hearted! Ride down the undulating terrain through the surrounding eucalyptus and acacias.

Don’t worry – a pick-up at the trail end can be arranged (depending on staff availability). For adventurous souls, tackle the 7km uphill road to return to the lodge. Bikes and helmets are available to use at your leisure. This track is for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers.

PEAK WALKABOUT
Join your Spicers Peak Lodge guide in a walk around the lodge plateau rim, learning about the history of Cedar Mountain, from its humble potato-growing days to the luxury destination it is today.

Explore the geology, ecology, flora and fauna that make this area of South East Queensland so incredibly unique. Allow yourself to disconnect from your every day and reconnect with nature.

Inhale the serenity of the breathtaking views over Main Range National Park, from one or more of our lookouts and marvel at the silence broken only by the call of the bellbird. Return with your guide to the lodge lounge for a refreshment or perhaps extend your walk further.

Complimentary experiences are offered over a set weekly roster. You will be advised of daily experiences upon arrival. Alternatively, please contact reception to enquire about making a private booking.

Rooms: 12

Price: from 675 EUR per night

Source: www.spicersretreats.com

As the northern most resort on the Great Barrier Reef, and a luxury lodge of Australia, Lizard Island is truly secluded from the rest of the world. This is just one wonderful Lizard Island fact that makes it like nowhere else.

The hour flight from Cairns allows you to take in the true majesty and scale of the reef, and the resort is literally on the reef – no long boat rides are needed to enjoy one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.

Lizard Island is the northern most island resort on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – 240 kilometres north of Cairns. Situated 240 kilometres north of Cairns and 27 kilometres off the Queensland coastline, Lizard Island is a one-hour scenic flight from Cairns, travelling over a 200 kilometres of the Great Barrier Reef.

It is here that you will gain your first glimpse of the beauty, scale and diversity of the reef. It is truly a breathtaking way to arrive at the island. Lizard Island’s amazing location directly on the Great Barrier Reef means that the reef is literally on your door step.

So close and convenient for you to explore straight off the beach or by taking a short boat trip to the inner and outer reefs. This is just one of our natural wonders that makes Lizard Island like nowhere else.

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Lizard Island is on the Great Barrier Reef – meaning the reef and all of its wonders are yours to explore straight off the beach or just a short boat trip away. The Great Barrier Reef spans over 2300 kilometres and is listed as one of the Natural Wonders of the world.

Lizard Island’s unique location on the reef places it at the center of inner and outer reef systems as well as fringing reefs; all forming a critical part of the eco-system that is home to the most diverse, colourful and intriguing marine animal and plant life.

The wonders of Lizard Island’s location means that you have the rare privilege of simply stepping off the beach and snorkelling onto parts of the reef- witnessing the wonders of Giant Clam gardens and schools of tropical fish both big (our resident Groper, Simon, is over 200 kilos and likes to hang about close to shore) and small, manta rays, turtles and coral.

Literally minutes by boat from the inner and outer reef systems with many fringing reefs to stop and explore on the way. No photographs can prepare you for the wonders, colours and diversity of marine and plant life in the waters around Lizard Island – so we invite you to visit us and witness why Lizard Island is like nowhere else.

THE HISTORY
The Dingaal Aboriginal people – Traditional Owners of Lizard Island, Jiigurru, have lived in this area for tens of thousands of years. Lizard Island was known as Dyiigurra to the Dingaal Aboriginal people and was regarded as a sacred place.

It was used by the people for the initiation of young males and for the harvesting of shellfish, turtles, dugongs and fish. The Dingaal believed that the Lizard group of islands had been created in the Dreamtime. They saw it as a stingray, with Lizard Island being the body and the other islands in the group forming the tail.

The islands are rich in cultural meaning for the Dingaal Aboriginal people and contain sacred sites including initiation, ceremonial and story sites. Shell middens, which provide evidence of long-ago feasting on clams, oysters, spider shells and trochus shells, are found on the islands.

Lizard Island also has a rich heritage associated with the earliest European exploration of the coast and subsequent settlement. Lost amongst the labyrinth of reefs, Captain James Cook resolved to visit one of the high islands to chart a course out to sea through the maze of reefs which confronted him.

The name Lizard Island was given to it by Captain Cook when he passed it on 12 August 1770. He commented, “The only land Animals we saw here were Lizards, and these seem’d to be pretty Plenty, which occasioned my naming the Island Lizard Island”.

Cook climbed the island’s summit to find a way through the maze of reefs which has since been called ‘Cook’s Look’. Just over 100 years later the island was inhabited by bêche de mer fisherman. Watson’s Bay on Lizard Island is named after one of these fishermen.

The story of the escape of Watson’s wife through the Great Barrier Reef from Lizard Island while sitting inside the cut-down boiler from a sunken ship has become one the most prominent tales of folklore from the pioneering era of Australia’s history.

Mary Watson (born 17 January 1860 – 1881) migrated to Queensland with her family in 1877. Having accepted a position as a governess with an hotelier’s family, at eighteen Mary travelled from Maryborough to the isolated port of Cooktown, where she met and married bêche de mer fisherman Robert F. Watson in May 1880.

Watson took her with him to set up a fishing station on Lizard Island, then otherwise uninhabited. In September 1880, Watson left his wife and son behind with two Chinese servants known as Ah Sam and Ah Leung, while he and his partner Percy Fuller made an extended fishing trip in their luggers.

A few weeks later a party of mainland Aborigines of the Guugu Yimmidir group made one of their habitual seasonal trips by canoe to the island, where Watson had set up his household in a stone structure close to a small creek, the island’s only supply of fresh water.

Mary had probably also inadvertently trespassed on an indigenous ceremonial ground normally taboo to women and children. The Aborigines attacked Ah Sam, who suffered seven spear wounds, and Ah Leung was killed in a vegetable garden he was tending.

Mary Watson frightened off the group by firing a gun and then, with a small supply of food and water, put to sea in a cut-down ship’s water tank, used for boiling sea slugs. She, with her four-month-old baby, Ferrier, and Ah Sam, drifted for eight days and some forty miles, hoping to be picked up by a passing vessel.

Mary’s final diary entry ended ‘No water. Near dead with thirst.’ Her diary describing their last days was found with their remains in 1882 among the mangroves on No. 5 Island in the Howick Group off Cape Flattery, still in the iron tank.

Ah Sam had died on the beach nearby. A concealed spring existed on the islet, but they had not found it. When the bodies were returned to Cooktown a procession of 650 escorted them to their burial at Two Mile Cemetery, on the road to the Palmer River goldfields.

Mrs Watson became an emblem of pioneer heroism for many Queenslanders. Lizard Island’s beauty and wilderness are distinctive, and Lizard Island was declared a National Park in 1937. The waters surrounding the island were declared a Marine Park in 1974. Today the islands are a popular tourism destination and the base for world-renowned tropical marine research.

THE VILLA
The cliff top location provides you with the ultimate privacy and stunning ocean vistas whilst the Villa’s interior delivers on space and understated elegance- perfect for couples and families.

The Villa’s cliff top location provides you with the ultimate privacy and stunning ocean vistas whilst the interior delivers on space and understated elegance. With two bedrooms, master with an en-suite and free standing bath and the second bathroom with cascading rain head shower – the Villa accommodates up to five guests.

The open plan lounge and dining area is complete with kitchenette where each evening you will be served evening canapés and drinks by a dedicated food and beverage valet while the sun sets over the Coral Sea.

Double doors leading to an expansive balcony with an impressive 8-metre plunge pool – large enough for all the family – and outdoor and dining furniture creates an al fresco room that flows naturally as an extension of the interior.

Subject to availability and for an additional cost of $700, enjoy a beautiful BBQ dinner experience from the comfort of the Villa. Minimum 48 hours notice required. The Villa provides a Lizard Island experience perfect for couples and families.

THE PAVILLON
The Pavilion sits atop a soaring ridge commanding panoramic ocean views. Glass sliding doors opening onto a majestic wrap around deck create a sense of being “as one” with the outdoors.

The separate bedroom is spacious and airy with its interior of neutral tones and natural fabrics and doors that open onto the deck. An adjacent bathroom is luxurious with a deep, standalone bath and separate shower.

The lounge is fully integrated into the outdoor deck through sliding doors. A small kitchenette and bay window with bench and high stools is the perfect location for enjoying a morning cup of tea and the ocean views.

Stepping down from the deck and taking a private pathway, you arrive at the Pavilion’s gazebo and private plunge pool. Subject to availability and for an additional cost of $700, enjoy a beautiful BBQ dinner experience from the comfort of the Pavilion. Minimum 48 hours notice required.

If the Villa is the perfect family accommodation, the Pavilion has been designed as the ultimate in privacy for just two people, who will quickly come to feel that they are the only two people in the world.

BEACHFRONT SUITES
Set in the natural arc of Anchor Bay, the Beachfront Suites are designed to offer uninterrupted beach access. The Beachfront Suites take pride of place in the natural arc of the tropical landscaping and Anchor Bay beach frontage which affords you direct and easy access to the beach.

A large day bed holds court on the expansive outside deck with full, uninterrupted views to the beach and the many yachts and boats anchored in the Bay. It is here, on the deck, that you can leave your snorkel and fins for the duration of your stay – allowing you to swim and snorkel on a whim at anytime of the day or night.

Natural interior tones and fabrics provide a soft backdrop to the richness of the blues and greens of the landscape, sky and sea framed through the soaring double glass doors and day bed.

The luxury bathroom is drenched in natural light and overall ambiance is one of tranquility. Beachfront Suites are loved by those wanting close proximity and access to the beach and wonders of the Anchor Bay waters.

OCEANVIEW PLUNGE POOL VILLAS 
The stunning location provides access to a collection of secluded beaches and the luxury of your own private plunge pool. Oceanview Villas are nestled high along a ridge overlooking the Coral Sea with natural, meandering pathways leading down to some of the Island’s renowned private beaches.

Private deck and plunge pool with uninterrupted ocean views are the first thing to greet you when you arrive. Immediately you know you are in a place like nowhere else. Step inside and the serenity of linen and blue hues create a peaceful oasis that can be closed off from the outside world or with doors wide open, integrated as one with the outside.

A padded box seat sits in a bay alcove with light streaming in and offering breathtaking views over the sea. Oceanview Villas are a small, private oasis with the fun of a private plunge pool for a touch of indulgence.

GARDENVIEW SUITES 
The lush and tropical landscape hugs these suites and offers natural, meandering pathways to guide you directly onto Anchor Bay beach. With a separate bedroom and living room, this suite is spacious and conveniently close to the Lodge where Saltwater Restaurant and Driftwood bar are located; a short distance further is the pool and spa.

Sitting on your private deck surrounded by the naturally wild landscape of the tropics, background sounds from the resident birds mix with the lapping of the ocean to create a natural serenity and ambiance. Gardenview Suites are intimate, warm and welcoming.

DRIFTWOOD BAR & WINE CELLAR 
The private Cellar is a treasure cove of rare and exclusive Australian and International wines. Located in the main lodge, Driftwood Bar serves evening pre-dinner drinks from a menu that is rich in local and international wines and specialty cocktails.

The long bar is the social hub with many reconnecting with others they have meet throughout the day. For those wishing to enjoy a private drink – the lounge seating is perfect or take a short walk out onto the lawns to watch the sun set.

The private Cellar is a visual talking point. Our bar team are well versed and trained in the treasures it holds and would love to assist you if you are wishing to upgrade your wine selections at dinner. Lizard Island wine and beverage list is inclusive, however, if you wish to select from the Cellar or Cocktail list, there will be an additional charge.

SALT WATER RESTAURANT
Salt Water Restaurant’s menu changes daily and is driven by the freshest local produce from the waters around the island and the coast and from the hinterland of the mainland.

Simple and relaxed, Salt Water Restaurant is in an idyllic setting allowing you to take full advantage of the 180-degree ocean views and the blazing evening sunsets in a design that is fully open to the landscaped lawns and gardens that slope down to Anchor Bay.

Here, you will enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout your stay. With a choice of seating right next to the open air verandah or the more relaxed banquette/couch seating – you can select a different seating location and view each time you dine at Salt Water.

One morning it may be looking out to Watson’s Bay and the next to Osprey Island. The menu changes daily and is driven by the freshest local produce from the waters around the island and the coast and from the hinterland of the mainland – much of which arrives on daily flights.

With an accent on fresh seafood combined with the flavours of modern Australian, Asian and European cuisine – our Executive Chef welcomes the opportunity to chat with you about the menu to ensure that the Salt Water Restaurant experience is one to remember.

SUNSET BEACHSIDE DINING 
Your own private degustation dining experience on the beach. Two private beach pavilions sit on Anchor bay – each commanding spectacular views of the nightly sunsets.

Here, you feel as if you are the only people on the island as our staff discretely serve the seven course dinner with complementary wines. Beachside dining is one of our most popular experiences and bookings are essential.

PRIVATE BEACH EXCURSIONS
Take a refreshments pack to a private beach of your choice. Private dinghies can be reserved at the resort. A selection of light food items and beverages are available for you to take on your day of exploration.

On the day of your excursion, one of our Marine Team will meet you and familiarise you with dinghy safety information and select your best beach to explore. The true luxury of this signature Lizard Island experience is that you have your chosen beach to yourselves.

Bookings are essential and order forms must be given to Reception prior to 8pm the night before, allowing time for your morning or afternoon refreshments pack to be prepared.

DEGUSTATION BEACHSIDE DINING
Two private beach pavilions sit on Anchor bay – each commanding spectacular views of the nightly sunsets. Here you will enjoy a 7-course degustation menu with accompanying wines. Be sure to reserve early as these are one of the most popular dining experiences on the island and book out.

MARLIN BAR
When you arrive at the Marlin Bar it is like stepping back in time – as the Bar remains almost untouched from its original rustic style and ambiance that has thrilled sailors, guests and deep sea fishermen since the 1970’s.

One concession to this has been the introduction of a wood fire pizza oven; we invite you to enjoy a stroll down the boardwalk and enjoy authentic pizza and a glass of wine in this iconic location. Marlin Bar is open on Wednesday evenings for pizza night, and Sundays for tapas.

FOOD & WINE EVENTS
Great food and wine is just what we do on Lizard Island – our culinary and cellar teams have a passion for creating events where the food and wine is elevated to new heights. Partnering with guest chefs and boutique and leading vineyards – we invite you to subscribe if you would like us to share with you details of upcoming events.

EXPERIENCES
Experience Lizard Island on the reef, on land or in the tranquility of the spa. Guided and self-guided activities include snorkelling, diving, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, visits to the Research Centre, tennis under night lights, morning yoga on the beach and indulgent spa treatments.

SPA & WELLNESS
We invite you to indulge in signature spa rituals and discover pure, opulent skin care in the sanctuary of nature, the Essentia Day Spa. Rebalance, relax, and rejuvenate while we personalise your spa experience with iKOU skincare.

All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice. We invite you to indulge in signature spa rituals and discover pure, opulent skin care in the sanctuary of nature, the Essentia Day Spa. Rebalance, relax, and rejuvenate while we personalise your spa experience with exclusive iKOU skincare.

We are proud to bring you our menu of iKOU Spa Treatments. iKOU is based in the Blue Mountains Australia and creates spa journeys inspired by nature, with sensory details of global spa culture infused into every experience.

Where body and mind are transformed, organic is high performance and eco is synonymous with luxury… Be inspired to rest, relax, restore, and become the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.

Enter the world of iKOU, brought to you from the pristine World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains, Australia. Be indulged with Australian fruit & flower extracts and ancient traditions and immerse yourself in a skillfully crafted fusion of global spa culture.

Download the Essentia Day Spa Menu for the full list of packages and treatments on offer. From massage, to special treatments for the face, hands, feet and body as well as water therapy and Essentia Signature Treatments, you will emerge from the sanctity of Essentia, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Enjoy a full-body relaxation massage combining rhythmic movements and gentle massage manipulation with the art of the senses. Create your own journey with your choice of one of five iKOU organic aromatherapy plant oil blends. Intuitively guide your mind and body to greater relaxation and energy balance.

iKOU Rituals are a head-to-toe degustation of treatments designed to create a sensory full body experience. Relax and de-stress the mind, balance the body and restore hydration with these soothing rejuvenation rituals featuring body scrubs, massage, and facial treatments.

Showcasing all signature techniques and sensory surprises from the full menu of iKOU Facials, this journey of treatments deliver high-performance, visible anti-ageing results. Enjoy a blissful experience featuring organic and wild-harvested Australian fruit and flower extracts to brighten and balance skin.

DIVING
Lizard Island is located on the Great Barrier Reef with world famous dive sites, such as the Cod Hole, only 45 minutes from shore. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather and may change without notice.

Lizard Island’s location on the Great Barrier Reef means more time exploring its natural wonders and less time on the boat. Stops along the way at diverse fringing reefs set up the backdrop for the wonders of the deeper waters.

We offer half-day dive and snorkel excursions to the Inner Reef and full-day dive and snorkel excursions to the Outer Reef. Your excursion will be aboard our luxury yacht, which adds a little extra comfort as you head to and from the reef.

FISHING
One of the greatest joys of fishing in and around Lizard Island is the ease of access to some of the world’s greatest fishing spots. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

One of the greatest joys of fishing in and around Lizard Island is the ease of access to some of the world’s greatest fishing spots. Just 15 minutes by boat and you will arrive at the inner reef and a further 35 minutes and you will be at the outer reef. Whether you’re a seasoned big game fisherman, or it’s your first time in the chair, our Marine team will create a fishing experience that meets your wildest dreams.

The waters around Lizard Island are rich in a variety of fish including Mackerel, Queenfish, Trevally and other species of fish that live in the pelagic zone of the ocean, your crew will know the perfect spots for your success. Meanwhile, our Executive Chef will be waiting to take the catch off your hands and prepare it for you dinner in the evening.

SNORKELLING
Experience the most picturesque reef and marine life by simply stepping off the beach. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

Experience some of the most picturesque reef and marine life by simply stepping off the beach – this is one of the major attractions that makes Lizard Island like nowhere else. The “Clam Garden” is only a short swim from the beach at Watson’s Bay, and excellent sites are also located at Anchor Bay, and Sunset Beach.

Equipment and lessons are complimentary and our qualified marine staff will ensure you are fitted with all the gear. Keep your snorkel gear with you and head out anytime you like.

Discover and understand more about the amazing fish, coral and other marine creatures that call Lizard Island and its surrounds, home. If you are planning to take yourself off on lots of snorkelling outings – this is a great foundation to understand what to look for and what you are looking at.

Explore our magnificent nearby reefs on a guided local snorkel tour with our expert marine and dive team. Try our extremely popular Reef in the middle of Watson’s Bay, the Clam Gardens. There are many different species of clams as far the eye can see!

Or just around the corner is the sheltered Mermaid Cove, where you will see an abundance of marine life, from Cuttlefish to swarms of Fusiliers and many Bommies with a variety of hard and soft corals.

Snorkel with our resident green turtles in Casuarina Beach, watch them grazing in the shallows and see Hawaiian Triggerfish hiding in their little coral homes. There are a range of stunning reefs to explore – our guides will discuss the best ones to visit with you prior to your excursion.

If you have never snorkelled before, or it has been a while and your confidence is lacking, we recommend that you participate in a complimentary 30-minute lesson. Please collect your snorkelling equipment from the Beach Club and let the marine and dive team know you’d like a lesson.

VESSELS & PRIVATE CHARTERS 
Lizard Island’s 51ft Riviera Cruise Vessel awaits you, with a cruise speed of 20 knots and a capacity for just 8 passengers. A private charter for fishing, snorkelling and diving excursions will elevate your Lizard Island experience to a sublime, new level and leave you with no doubt as to why Lizard Island is like nowhere else.

When you emerge from the water or put down your rod, our crew will be on hand to serve a menu of local produce and refreshments. Bring a dive or snorkel guide along to show you some of the reefs away from the island, or if you just want to catch yourself some dinner, our deckhand will help you out – no guide necessary.

Bookings are essential and we recommend these are made when confirming your accommodation and dates with our reservations team.

BELLA
Bella carries 6 passengers and one crew member operates the vessel for beach excursion drop-offs, fishing, diving and snorkelling. Bella is our faster, more punchy vessel, surveyed for the outer reef, making her an ideal vessel to access some of the fantastic reefs away from the island.

Even though she is an open vessel, on a calm day she can make it out to the outer reef. Our house reef tours or fishing tours are on Bella and are usually a 3 hour trip.

NEMO
Nemo was built specifically for Lizard Island and she carries up to 18 passengers and one crew member, operating as a drop-off, dive and snorkelling vessel.

She has a very shallow draft so can comfortably access some of the beaches that are often inaccessible to our guests. She can only operate very close to the island, making her the crowd favourite for beach drop-offs and short tours.

RESORT ACTIVITIES
The wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, walking tracks that take you to the highest point on the island, indulgent spa treatments – there is something for everyone on Lizard Island, making it a place like nowhere else.

All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

PADDLE BOARDING
Paddle Boarding is a serene and self-paced way to navigate the waters of Anchor Bay. Paddle Boards are available at the Beach House and provide a fun, self-paced way to explore the waters of Anchor Bay and you get to exercise while you do it!

MOTORSIDE DINGHIES 
Take your own private dinghy to a secluded beach and explore the local waters. Our private dinghies are a signature experience of Lizard Island. The most popular activity is to take a morning or afternoon refreshments pack, your snorkel gear and motor to a private beach for a day of tranquillity and exploring.

You select the items for your refreshments pack the night before and head down to the Beach Club the next morning where your boat and refreshments await. For those who wish to enjoy a private beach excursion but would rather not take a dinghy – a member of our Marine team will personally take you and pick you up.

GLASS BOTTOM SEA KAYAK
Get up close to the marine and plant life in the waters off Anchor Bay in a glass bottom sea kayak. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

Taking a glass bottom kayak out into the waters of Anchor Bay opens up an underwater treasure trove. At a leisurely pace and stopping to hover over coral, schools of fish and giant clams – this is a beautiful way to explore the reef. Kayaks are available from the Beach Club and our team is happy to assist you if you have not kayaked previously to help you get the most out of this activity.

WALK TO COOK’S LOOK
Hike in the footsteps of Captain Cook to the highest point on the island and take in the panoramic views that can only be enjoyed from this vantage point. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

Follow in the footsteps of Captain James Cook as he hiked to the top of this mountain to get an understanding of how to navigate the Endeavour back into open waters. History tells us that Cook was astounded to see his ship was on a coral reef and had somehow not become grounded.

As it is believed he was the first European to trek the mountain – it was fondly given his name and it has stuck. The Cook’s Look hike can be guided or self-guided. It covers 4 kilometres and at times is very steep so we recommend medium to high fitness and agility is required to safely undertake this hike.

Due to the time it takes to hike and the heat of the day – it is recommended that you hike early morning and if going unguided you must register with Reception upon leaving and returning.

NATURE WALK & TALKS
Resident Naturalists share their knowledge and passion of local flora and fauna with guided walks across the island and at pre-dinner video and talk presentations. All Lizard Island activities and pricing are subject to availability, weather conditions and may change without notice.

Each month the flora and fauna in and around the island changes with the migration of animals and the blooming of plants. Our resident Naturalists know and love every corner of the island and every seasonal nuance. A guided tour provides you with a greater understanding and knowledge of the treasured natural wonders, history and eco-systems of Lizard Island.

Evening presentations by our Naturalists offer wonderful insights into Lizard Island – after which we see many of our guests selecting to head out the next day on a guided tour to learn more.

NATURE
Lizard Island is one of Australia’s most remote and breathtaking locations and boasts amazing natural wonders all year round.

Lizard Island is made up of Granite rock which formed deep below the earth’s surface about 300 million years ago. Slow cooling underground caused the molten rock to solidify, exposing the granite hills and beautiful island paradise you see today.

LIZARD ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Its beauty and wilderness are distinctive, and Lizard Island was declared a National Park in 1937, while its surrounding water was declared a Marine Park in 1974.

Experience the natural island wonders on a guided interpretive walk or view our marine and terrestrial presentations, scheduled throughout the week, with our naturalist. Learn more about this fascinating reef and island environment, and the unique creatures that call it home…

LIZARD ISLAND RESEARCH STATION
The secrets and mysteries of the island are unveiled at the Lizard Island Research Station. A facility of the Australian Museum, the research station is dedicated to supporting the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the Great Barrier Reef. Tours to the research station are conducted twice a week and available for all Lizard Island guests.

SUSTAINABILITY
Everything we do on Lizard Island takes into account our prime position on the Great Barrier Reef. We’re respectful of the truly remarkable environment we operate in, and maintaining, protecting and nurturing the diverse ecosystem of Lizard Island and its surrounding waters underpins our every effort.

PROTECTION OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 
Lizard Island was declared a National Park in 1937, with the waters surrounding the Island recognised as a Marine Park in 1974.

To ensure our guests are exposed to and educated about the challenges and the opportunities faced by the Great Barrier Reef, we work closely with the Lizard Island Research Station, a world-leader in coral reef education and research, to protect and preserve the Great Barrier Reef and most recently pioneering successful techniques to combat the spread of one of the reef biggest predators, the Crown of Thorns.

We offer guests tours of the Research Station where they have the opportunity to speak to marine staff who live and work in the surrounds, who can provide insights on the day to day health of the marine environment as well as advances in reef conservation and research breakthroughs.

Lizard Island is also a founding member of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, further emphasising our dedication to protecting our natural and cultural surrounds to ensure it remains for generations to come.

PROTECTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE 
We are respectful of Lizard Island’s history, and committed to preserving its place in the minds of our staff and guests well into the future. Our work with Lizard Island’s onsite naturalist, and our relationship with the Traditional Owners of the land, Jiogurru of the Dingaal Aboriginal people, are central to upholding this commitment.

We share the island’s cultural heritage with our guests through guided walks with our naturalist. On these walks, historical sites are observed, and guests have the opportunity to hike to the highest point on the island in the footsteps of Captain Cook, to the aptly named Cook’s Look.

EENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRACTICES
On Lizard Island, we also do our best to recycle what we use with seven main streams: co-mingled recycling, organics, compostable, cardboard, paper, batteries and toner cartridges. We’re also pleased to have removed all plastic straws and bottles from use on Lizard Island as of 1 September 2018.

Our dedication to the environment is reflected through our waste and recycling handling. Approximately 60 per cent of all waste from the resort operation on Lizard Island is either recycled or deployed for alternative use.

All waste on the island is separated and removed on the fortnightly barge, to limit any cross contamination with the natural balance of the flora and fauna.

SUPPORT FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
We’re always looking for ways to support the local community while also protecting the environment that surrounds us. To ensure the minimal amount of waste from the property ends up as landfill, we work with a local waste provider to recycle or deploy waste in other channels.

Through innovative practices, we’re able to ensure our footprint on the environment is minimal, like reusing oil for bio-fuel and coffee granules. Additionally, 90 per cent of all food and beverage supplied on-island is purchased from local suppliers, echoing our commitment to supporting the businesses that operate in our region.

Rooms: 40

Price: from 1.015 EUR per night

Source: www.lizardisland.com.au

Join us at Elysian Luxury Eco Island Retreat | The most secluded all-inclusive island retreat in the Whitsundays and the first 100% solar powered resort on the Great Barrier Reef.

Elysian is nestled into a private cove with a mostly rocky beach, surrounded by national park rainforest and the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef. A blissful escape from the hustle and bustle of every-day life where our small personable team passionately deliver 5 star award winning service.

With just 10 free standing private villas and a maximum of 20 guests (Adults Only), your needs are catered for from the moment you step off the stunning 10 minute helicopter transfer from Hamilton Island or Airlie Beach or a 30 minute boat ride from Hamilton Island and Shute Harbour.

THE HISTORY
Australian family owned, Elysian Retreat is a boutique experience with emphasis on giving people the opportunity to disconnect from their busy lives, and reconnect with the natural environment. Our goal is to provide an exceptional guest experience, ideal for families, couples and friends, along the coast of the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.

Elysian Retreat switched over to 100% solar power on the 16th of April 2019, becoming the first 100% solar powered island resort on the Great Barrier Reef. The switch to solar power saves an estimated 39,420 litres of diesel from being burnt per year plus the additional fuel it would have used to transport the 39,420 litres of diesel to the island via barge.

Considering the burning of fossil fuels is arguably the largest contributor to climate change, we felt that this was one of the biggest impacts we could make in terms of innovation in climate change action.

This translates to 112 tonnes of carbon emissions for the fuel alone, excluding the transport of the fuel, which could easily need four 14 tonnes barges. The roll on effect of transporting this amount of fuel to an island is incredibly hard to determine, but quite substantial in terms of the logistics.

The accomplishment of an eco luxe resort run purely on battery and solar power with clean, quiet, sustainable energy proves that luxuries need not be sacrificed in the search for sustainability.

Over the past 16 years, our dedication to outstanding service, and you, our customer has ultimately seen our ever expanding group grow to include this unique collection of exquisite self catering seaside properties. Our future, also reliant on our staff and our unique properties, will continue to see expansion as demand for tranquil escapes increases.

ROOMS & SUITES
Our accommodation consists of just 10 beautifully appointed air-conditioned oceanfront island villas with both ocean and mountain and rainforest views. Crafted from solid Australian hardwood with high cathedral ceilings. Large windows and private balconies, with uninterrupted water views.

En-suites with shower and organic amenities. Outdoor hammocks, day beds and outdoor showers provide ample opportunity for relaxation. The gentle mineral resort pool water relieves stress and anxiety, detoxifies the body, reduces aches and pains, and induce a peaceful sleep. Elysian caters to children 16 years old and over.

OCEANFRONT VILLA WITH PRIVATE PLUNGE POOL
Our most secluded villa is located furthest from the lounge area and therefore most private, boasting a stunning front and back deck and complete with it’s own private plunge pool. Perfect to hideaway in your own little nestled piece of paradise.

OCEANFRONT VILLA WITH OUTDOOR RAIN SHOWER
Bigger in floorspace, our Villas with Outdoor Showers also have sweeping views of the ocean and the Conway National Park to the west and rainforest & Long Island National Park mountain to the east.

Complete with an additional back deck featuring outdoor shower, the Oceanfront Villas are the epitome of a laid-back barefoot escape in the Whitsundays and can be booked with one king bed or twin beds.

OCEANFRONT VILLA
With sweeping views of the ocean and the Conway National Park to the west and rainforest & Long Island National Park mountain to the east, the Oceanfront Villa are the entry level rooms, yet still the epitome of a laid-back barefoot escape in the Whitsundays and can be booked with one king bed or twin beds.

DINING
On arrival guests will meet with our host to discuss their taste preferences and dietary requirements. Each meal is an event within itself, with gourmet breakfasts, al fresco or picnic lunches and memorable 3 course dinners.

BREAKFAST
Elysian Eco Retreat’s Breakfast is a daily changing menu starting at 8am, guests can make their way at leisure. Paired with fresh juice or coffee, breakfast is laid-back and a taste of what real island life is all about, with fresh seasonal produce from the garden to your plate.

LUNCH
A delicious al fresco lunch is prepared for guests who choose to spend their day relaxing at Elysian. Alternatively, you can request a picnic hamper to take as you venture out on a day trip.

SUNSET COCKTAIL & CANAPES
Enjoy a beautiful sunset over Conway National Park with complimentary canapes from 6pm on the deck next to the resort pool or around the firepit. Non alcoholic drinks are complimentary.

DINNER
Served from 6pm onwards. The 3 course dinner is hosted in the main pavilion dining room overlooking the ocean and Conway National Park. The dining experience is described as refined, in a relaxed atmosphere and comprises 3 courses. If you are lucky enough to catch something while out fishing our Chef will be happy to prepare the catch for your dinner that night.

Please kindly note that Elysian Retreat is a licensed property and we therefore can not allow any liquor being brought onto the premises. Our manager can store any liquor on your person until departure day.

FROM THE GARDEN
Our chefs daily changing menu is inspired by the natural surroundings of Long Island and the Whitsundays, using the freshest seasonal produce sometimes sourced from the Island’s own vegetable and herb garden and then from nearby surrounding farming regions.

Nearby Bowen is arguably the food bowl of Australia. Fresh prawns, Moreton Bay bugs and wild caught fish are just some of the local seafoods sourced from local fisherman or suppliers.

FRESH & ORGANIC
As much as possible, ingredients are fresh, local, seasonal, sustainable, free range and organic to ensure your dining experience is wholesome, nourishing and comforting.

SPA & WELLNESS
Awaken the senses, rebalance the mind and body and rejuvenate your spirit at our island Ayurveda inspired day spa called Jala. Serenity guides every element of the spa while each treatment aims to restore balance and wellness.

‘JALA’ – ELEMENT OF WATER
Our treatments are designed to reflect the tranquillity and uninterrupted beauty of the Whitsundays and its ocean treasures. Decadent spa treatments utilise organic range Edible Beauty & Subtle Energies spa product ranges.

Edible Beauty Australia uses the highest quality pure, botanical and wildcrafted ingredients to create a range of beauty products that is both therapeutic and luxurious. Created by naturopath and nutritionist Anna Mitsios, this range is an evolution of her love of herbal and natural ingredients.

Subtle Energies creates results-based aromatherapy, natural skincare and wellness solutions founded on authentic Ayurveda principles. All products are made in Australia following European standards of natural skincare, to create safe, ethical and effective products.

STRETCH & CONDITIONING CLASSES 
Your days on the island can include complimentary gentle stretch & conditioning morning sessions on the deck, daily between 7am to 8am. Wake up with a relaxing session on the deck by the pool, gently move your body while peacefully taking in the morning light. Speak to your host the night before and book your morning activity with our incredible instructor.

Stretching & body conditioning is known to have many health benefits and at Elysian retreat we will offer you the opportunity to deeply relax, take away the stress from your daily life and be more in the present. All level welcome to the class.

WELLNESS RETREATS
Elysian will be hosting wellness, yoga and corporate retreats throughout the year. A secluded island hideaway surrounded by rainforest, wildlife and ocean; an ideal place for hosting a wide variety of programs and gatherings with flexible venue hire options.

Elysian encourage others to use the facilities to offer self-directed events or integrated events incorporating yoga classes, deep relaxation, wellness and corporate retreats. The island is ideal for groups of up to 20 people and offer full board accommodation with share or private accommodation.

Elysian has an abundant organic vegetable garden with a passionate chef who creates nourishing, comforting meals with fresh local, seasonal and organic produce. A zen, meditation garden provides opportunity for reflection and relaxation. A magnesium resort pool soothes the body and provides restful sleep.

If you were looking at hosting your Wellness retreat, please contact Elysian Luxury Eco Island Retreat event specialist. Our professional team will answer all your question and help you to organise the private transfer(s) from Airlie Beach or Hamilton island.

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 
The Whitsundays are made up of 74 Island Wonders, on the beautiful tropical coast of Queensland, Australia. Right in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, a visit to the Whitsundays is a feast for the senses. The stunning natural landscapes of coast and islands are dotted with secluded beaches and friendly towns.

The Whitsundays is world-famous for its clear aqua waters and iconic landscapes including Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, and the perfectly shaped natural formation of Heart Reef. Whitehaven Beach is a pristine, award winning beach on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74 islands.

Whitehaven Beach stretches over seven kilometres and boasts brilliant white silica sand that is among the purest in the world. Sink your feet into the sand and wade into the warm waves that gently lap the shore and you’ll soon realise why people come here from all over the world.

At the northern end of Whitehaven Beach is Hill Inlet, a stunning inlet where the tide shifts the sand and water to create a beautiful fusion of colours. Many people claim Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach are the most beautiful places they’ve ever seen.

The lookout at Tongue Point is the best spot from which to view the swirling sands of Hill Inlet, so if you don’t mind a short bushwalk, book your Whitehaven tour with an operator that visits the lookout. Elysian’s dedicated resort vessel can take guests to Whitehaven Beach to explore and enjoy a beach picnic freshly prepared by the chef.

Swim, snorkel and scuba dive with thousands of brightly coloured fish and the diverse corals of the Great Barrier Reef and fringing reefs around islands such as Blue Pearl Bay and Fairey Reef. See the local wildlife it its natural habitat and witness diverse marine life including humpback whales, dolphins, turtles and dugongs.

SNORKELLING & DIVING 
Swim & snorkel and scuba dive with thousands of brightly coloured fish and the diverse corals of the outer Great Barrier Reef, and witness diverse marine life including humpback whales, dolphins, turtles and dugongs.

You can even see marine wildlife like turtles and stingray while snorkelling off the beach at the fringing reefs which surround most of the 74 islands of the Whitsundays.

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Whitsundays provide a multitude of opportunity for stunning nature photography. If this is your passion, you will be delighted by the offerings.

The Whitsundays has many high quality experiences in natural areas that showcase unique Australian environment and wildlife. If you are lucky enough to visit during whale season, you might capture these gentle giants swimming past Elysian and Long Island.

HIKING
For anyone who enjoys hiking, the Whitsunday Islands offer awe-inspiring trails in the midst of scenic national parks, filled with everything from thick, lush rainforests and pristine white sand beaches to ancient caves and rock formations that date back centuries.

Walking trails range from as just one or two kilometres to as long as seven and contain some of the most beautiful scenery found anywhere in Australia.

SAILING
A true sailing experience through the Whitsunday Islands on board the rare Australian classic yacht Lady Enid. Become involved as much or as little as you like, help set the sails, take a turn at the helm or lean back and relax and enjoy the uninterrupted beauty of the Whitsunday Islands.

Barefoot luxury at it’s best, sailing to one of the world’s best beaches – Whitehaven Beach and visiting Hill Inlet and Betty’s Beach. Snorkelling the Island reef’s is also a highlight of this experience.

WEDDINGS & ELOPEMENTS 
Elysian Eco Retreat provides a relaxing natural island setting for your intimate wedding or renewal of vows, offering an experience of romance, beauty and celebration in the Whitsundays, Heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

Elysian provides a range of settings, from beautiful beach weddings or renewals of vows with vistas of the Conway National Park and surrounds to a lush garden setting. With a maximum of 20 guests staying on the island, it will feel like the island is yours.

During your stay Elysian Luxury Eco Island Retreat will give you the option to incorporate yoga classes, deep relaxation, wellness treatments for all guests. Moreover, our amazing team can help you to book extra activities to do in the Whitsunday Islands such as visiting Whitehaven Beach or fly over the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

The island is ideal for groups of up to 20 people and offers 10 fully air-conditioned oceanfront villas. Wake up in the morning with a tropical view from your private deck. A custom wedding or elopement package with options to choose a truly bespoke, and unforgettable experience suited to your personal taste.

Then, select your menu from a creative assortment of delicacies, which will be personally tailored by award winning chefs. Our passionate chefs will create nourishing and comforting meals with fresh local, seasonal and organic produce just for you and your guests.

HONEYMOON
Elysian Eco Retreat is an idyllic setting for a honeymoon and romantic getaway. The beauty of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed by just the two of you. Time at Elysian is time to be savoured and we can help you add the intimate touches needed to make your stay an unforgettable one.

BUSINESS RETREATS
A secluded island hideaway surrounded by rainforest, wildlife and ocean; an ideal place for hosting a wide variety of programs and gatherings with flexible venue hire options. Elysian encourages others to use the facilities to offer self-directed events or integrated events incorporating yoga classes, deep relaxation, wellness and corporate retreats.

The island is ideal for groups of up to 20 people and offers full board accommodation with share or private accommodation. Elysian has an abundant organic vegetable garden with a passionate chef who creates nourishing, comforting meals with fresh local, seasonal and organic produce.

A zen, meditation garden provides opportunity for reflection and relaxation. A magnesium resort pool soothes the body and provides restful sleep.

Website: www.elysianretreat.com.au

Rooms: 20

Price: from 777 EUR per night

Halcyon House, Australia’s award-winning beachside hotel is located in Cabarita Beach on the Tweed Coast of northern New South Wales. With a spectacular beachfront location, you’ll spend Halcyon days poolside sipping cocktails, dining in our hatted restaurant Paper Daisy and relaxing at Halcyon Spa.

Each guest room and suite at Halcyon House has been individually designed by interior designer Anna Spiro in her signature eclectic style. Halcyon House rooms and suites feature antique furniture, fabric upholstered walls, luxurious king size beds and a private balcony or terrace.

Enjoy seaside dining at our award winning hatted restaurant, Paper Daisy. Executive Chef Jason Barratt and team produce dishes using the freshest of ingredients from our local region and surrounds to provide you with a deeply memorably dining experience.

Relax in ultimate luxury at Halcyon Spa. From soul-soothing treatments to restorative facial therapies, a bespoke steam room and tranquil lounging area, our Spa offers guests the perfect sanctuary for relaxation and renewal.

Make the most of your stay and explore the beautiful northern NSW surrounds. From nature walks, boutique shopping, scenic drives and distillery tours our unique region is the perfect playground for nature lovers and foodies alike.

THE HISTORY
The story of Halcyon House is a tale of family, innovation and premier Australian design. When sisters Siobhan and Elisha Bickle purchased the former surfing motel (The Hideaway) in 2011, they had the intention of creating a refuge to house their families on holidays. It wasn’t long before the sisters decided to alter their holiday plans, allowing others to share the experience of their beachside treasure.

Opening in 2015, Halcyon House took two years of planning and 15 months to build. The extensive renovations were led by Sydney-based architect Virginia Kerridge, while the properties boutique rooms were each uniquely designed by Brisbane-based interior designer Anna Spiro.

Many of the vintage pieces and furnishings, such as John Derian sofas, Madeline Weinrib rugs and drawings by Wayne Pate, were personally sourced by Anna, Siobhan and Elisha. This is the first hotel development for Siobhan and Elisha, who spearheaded the highly successful ‘Bunk’ backpackers hostel and Victoria Park Complex.

ROOMS & SUITES
Halcyon House features 19 rooms, 2 two-bedroom suites and 1 one-bedroom suite. Each guest room and suite at Halcyon House has been individually designed by interior designer Anna Spiro in her signature eclectic style. Halcyon House rooms feature antique furniture, fabric upholstered walls, luxurious king size beds and a private balcony or terrace.

TWO BEDROOM SUITE
The two bedroom Suite is a luxurious, light filled and individually designed two bedroom, 2 bathroom suite complete with separate living and dining areas.

Each bedroom features a deluxe king bed (or twin beds on request) and private bathroom with English tapware, marble vanities and a deep bath for ultimate relaxation. The Suite’s private balcony offers the perfect aspect to appreciate pool and garden views while enjoying the complimentary mini-bar.

ONE BEDROOM SUITE
Spacious, luxurious and light filled, Halcyon’s One Bedroom suite features a deluxe king bed, full ensuite bathroom with a double shower, dual marble vanity, deep free-standing bath and a walk-in-robe.

Complete with its own kitchenette and guest bathroom, the Suite’s separate living and dining area opens onto an outdoor patio offering garden views and direct beach and pool access. Additional bedding can be arranged on request to accommodate families.

MASTER ROOM
Our Master Rooms are generous, individually designed suites featuring a deluxe king size bed (or twin beds on request), spacious lounging area and a luxurious bathroom compete with English tapware, marble vanity and a deep bath for ultimate relaxation.

Each Master Suite features a large private balcony with expansive ocean views, offering the perfect aspect to enjoy the complimentary mini bar.

OCEAN SUPERIOR ROOM
Individually designed Ocean Superior rooms feature a deluxe king size bed (or twin beds on request) with a luxurious bathroom complete with English tapware, marble vanity and handmade floor tiles. Each Ocean Superior room offers a large private balcony with expansive ocean views, providing the perfect aspect to enjoy the complimentary mini bar.

DELUXE ROOM
Deluxe Rooms are light and spacious with a deluxe king size bed (or twin beds on request) and luxurious bathroom fitted with beautiful English tapware, marble vanity, handmade floor tiles and a deep bath for ultimate relaxation. Each Deluxe room offers a large private balcony with pool and garden views, providing the perfect aspect to enjoy the complimentary mini bar.

DINING
The dining experience at award winning restaurant Paper Daisy is a celebration of our unique part of the world. Paper Daisy has received many accolades including; One Hat (Good Food Guide 2023), 3 Glasses (Wine List Of the Year Awards 2022), #35 Most Delicious Restaurants in NSW (Delicious, 2022), Best Hotel Breakfast (Gourmet Traveller 2018), and Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants (Australian Financial Review 2018).

Paper Daisy restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner by reservation. Paper Daisy bar is open daily from 3pm. No reservation required.

DINE BY THE SEA
With Jason Barratt leading the kitchen, the ethos that drives Paper Daisy is one of sophisticated simplicity, producing dishes that are satisfying, thoughtful and deeply memorable.

MEET JASON BARRATT
Executive Chef, Jason Barratt grew up on the south-east coast of Victoria, beginning his career at the Stokehouse in St Kilda and has held senior roles at Circa The Prince and the 3 Hatted Attica. Jason also owned cult sandwich shop, Hector’s Deli, in Richmond.

Most recently, Jason was Head Chef at Raes on Wategos before taking the helm as Executive Chef at award-wining hatted Paper Daisy. Jason is passionate about flavour and dedicated to using quality local produce and sustainably sourced seafood.

GROUP DINING
With its unique beachside location, Paper Daisy is the perfect destination for group dining and intimate celebrations. For lunch we can accommodate groups of up to 20 guests on a Four Course Share Style Menu and for dinner we can accommodate up to 12 guests on a Four Course Share Style Menu.

PAPER DAISY BAR
Relax and enjoy our curated beverage and casual dining menu at the Paper Daisy bar. With Australia’s largest selection of Australian made gins, award-winning wine menu and drool worthy cocktails, the Paper Daisy bar is the ideal venue for a post-beach or pre-dinner drink. Open daily from 3pm.

THE SPA
Set against the luminous Pacific Ocean on the northern coast of NSW, we invite you to experience the divine spa sanctuary that is Halcyon Spa. Offering a holistic approach to uniting mind, body and spirit, we personalise spa journeys using products from iconic Australian skin care brand Sodashi.

Featuring stunningly appointed treatment rooms, a tranquil relaxation area, full amenity change facilities and a unique dome-shaped steam room, Halcyon Spa is the perfect location for your next boutique spa getaway.

At Halcyon Spa, we focus on your inner and outer well-being with a holistic approach to uniting mind, body and spirit. From soul-soothing treatment rituals to restorative facial therapy, along with traditional beautifying services, Halcyon Spa offers guests relaxation, retreat and renewal in a tranquil seaside environment.

Harnessing the power of nature with Sodashi products, our customised treatments will deliver a balance of inner bliss and ultimate therapeutic benefits.

EXPLORE NEW SOUTH WALES
Uniquely nestled in northern New South Wales, our region is home to some of the best kept scenic, culinary and cultural secrets of Australia. Enhance your stay by exploring Cabarita Beach and its surrounds on a self-guided tour or with one of our exclusive experiences tailored for you by our lifestyle concierge.

CABARITA BEACH & THE TWEED COAST 
Uniquely nestled in Northern New South Wales, The Tweed Region is home to some of the best kept culinary and natural secrets of Australia.

With Cabarita Beach named ‘Australia’s Best Beach, 2020’ you’ll enjoy the pristine coastline, world class surf break and picturesque headland on the doorstep of Halcyon House. Should you want to explore further, The Tweed and its surrounds offers an array of options including nature walks, gallery visits, distillery tours and scenic drives.

BYRON BAY LIGHTHOUSE, BYRON BAY
Take the scenic stroll along the Cape Bryon walking track to Cape Byron Lighthouse located at the easternmost point of Australia.

THE FARM, BYRON BAY
The Farm’s 86 acres plays host to The Three Blue Ducks Restaurant and The Bread Social. Take a tour or walk around the fully functioning farm, home to several resident animals.

TWEED REGIONAL GALLERY, MURWILLUMBAH
Surrounded by beautiful gardens and lawns and offering panoramic views of the Tweed River, the Tweed Regional Gallery is the perfect place to visit and view acclaimed exhibitions.

M-ARTS PRECINCT, MURWILLUMBAH
This huge industrial warehouse and classic art deco building in Murwillumbah has been recently transformed into a vibrant art precinct. Perfect to add on to your visit to Tweed Regional Gallery.

MINYON FALLS, WHIAN WHIAN
Located in Nightcap National Park, Minyon Falls is a stunning plunge waterfall that drops more than 100 metres into a deep gorge. Take the 7.5km track through beautiful sub tropical rainforest to reach the bottom of the falls.

NATURAL BRIDGE, SPRINGBROOK
Located in Springbrook National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, the Natural Bridge is a picturesque rock formation formed by the force of the waterfall over a basalt cave.

NORRIES HEADLAND, CABARITA BEACH
We may be bias, but Norries Headland offers what we think is one of the regions best coastal views. Stroll from Halcyon House along Cabraita Beach and meander up the path to the headland. Let us organise a picnic so you can make the most of the stunning vista.

TROPICAL FRUIT WORLD, DURANBAH
This Family Plantation Farm grows tropical fruits from around the world, with mini golf, an animal park & kids rides, there is something for everyone.

Website: www.halcyonhouse.com.au

Rooms: 19

Price: from 668 EUR per night