7 must-visit Queensland places to disconnect
Switch off your mobile phone, cut off your work commitments and disconnect from the outside world at these remote Sunshine State retreats, including one beneath the sea. SEE THE FULL LIST.
QWeekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from QWeekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When trying to escape the daily grind, many look to holidays as a way to temporarily disconnect from the world around them.
Cutting all ties to technology, work commitments and even the outside world on remote retreats has become more popular.
However you don’t need to leave your own state to enjoy the full effects of getting away from it all.
Queensland is home to many discreet, often remote escape destinations where disconnection is the aim of the game in the battle for a break from life’s pressures. And if you’re travelling with family or friends, these are perfect retreats for leaving technology behind and working on human connection.
You’ll want to stay at this Sunshine Coast retreat for the $5000 bathtub alone
CAMP ISLAND LODGE
North Queensland’s Whitsundays are home to dozens of unique holiday experiences, including those on landmark islands such as Hamilton, Hayman and Daydream.
But the most northerly island in the Whitsunday group, 3km off Abbot Bay, 50km north of Bowen, is Camp Island, which is a long way from the regular tourist beat with a maximum of eight guests in-house at a time.
The island’s lodge has a central hub including lounge, kitchen and dining areas, while the four Queenslander-style beachfront bungalows come with their own ensuites.
Cape Upstart National Park is a short trip away and island activities include kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkelling over the surrounding coral, fishing charters and hiking.
CRUISE WHITSUNDAYS REEFSUITES
Launched in December last year, two Reefsuites offer a bucket-list sleepover in the first underwater accommodation on the Great Barrier Reef.
Reefworld’s 40m pontoon is moored 40 nautical miles from Airlie Beach on Hardy Reef.
The accommodation lies 4m beneath the sea, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and glass floor panels that showcase the wide variety of sea life.
Guests can also choose to stay on deck in Reefsleep “swags” and all can enjoy the handiwork of a chef who prepares cuisine made from North Queensland produce.
There are options for snorkelling, scuba diving and heli-scenic flights.
DAINTREE ECOLODGE & SPA
For those chasing a tranquil rainforest experience, the Daintree EcoLodge & Spa in North Queensland aims to combine modern accommodation, dining, and creature comforts within the backdrop of the world’s oldest living rainforest.
Just under an hour’s drive north of Port Douglas and a 90-minute drive from Cairns, the accommodation can also be used as a base camp for numerous Daintree activities including Aboriginal cultural tours and riverway cruises.
The Daintree Wellness Spa offers a variety of therapies harnessing ancient traditions and the restaurant menu is a fusion of native bush tucker and modern Australian cuisine.
MOUNT MULLIGAN LODGE
A real feeling of isolation can be enjoyed at Mount Mulligan Lodge 170km west of Cairns.
Set in rugged outback terrain, the lodge is overlooked by the mountain’s dramatic 18km sandstone ridge and is set on the edge of a weir, with accommodation overlooking the water and 400m-high cliff face.
Located within a 28,000ha working property running 1400 cattle, a maximum of 24 guests are able to experience the essence of North Queensland in style.
Guests are also supplied with their own ATVs to explore the area.
GILBERTON OUTBACK RETREAT
Situated 548km west of Cairns via the Kennedy Highway or 459km from Townsville Airport, a stay at Gilberton Outback Retreat is really getting away from it all.
On a bluff overlooking the Gilbert River, the retreat with a king bed and a luxurious bathtub is built from local stone and timber, with views across the 88,000sq km cattle station.
Meals can be enjoyed at the retreat or at the homestead with the family. There’s no phone, TV or internet so it’s a total detox from technology.
Experiences include a four-wheel-drive tour of the original Gilbert gold mining township, fossicking, viewing the property’s Indigenous rock art, kayaking in the homestead dam or just soaking up the tranquillity on the property which has been in the same family for seven generations.
SHANDONVALE STATION
A 45-minute drive from Barcaldine, or just under two hours’ drive from Longreach in the state’s central west, Shandonvale Station is a fully working station that gives guests the quintessential Queensland outback experience.
Visitors are accommodated in recently renovated 100-year-old shearer’s quarters and activities range from enjoying a treetop artesian bath to herding sheep in an ATV, mustering cattle via helicopter or catching crayfish in the dam.
The station offers a true paddock to plate experience with meat from the property and fresh farm-grown vegies, eggs and milk.
WALLAROO OUTBACK RETREAT
With eight glamping tents under eucalypts, firepits and a timber lodge, the retreat is nestled on a 29,000ha property in the Carnarvon Ranges, 55km from Injune and 160km north of Roma towards the Carnarvon Gorge.
Hosts at the retreat are the property’s owners Justin and Pauline MacDonnell.
The land is dotted with cycad-filled gorges, Aboriginal rock art and incredible natural rock formations.
Activities include camp oven cooking, bush walking, fishing and yabby catching.
