Gunning for the great outdoors? A romantic getaway? Or perhaps a rural retreat with the family? Whatever you desire, there’s a big, beautiful country out there waiting to welcome you.
Whether you are looking for quirky artistic gems, relaxing wilderness retreats or island oases, the Sunshine State has it all.
Kayaking at Mt Mulligan Lodge in Thornborough.Credit: Wilson Archer
Mt Mulligan Lodge
449 Thornborough-Kingsborough Rd, Thornborough; (07) 4777 7377; mountmulligan.com
THE LOCATION Built on a 28,000-hectare working cattle station, the lodge is a three-hour drive or 35-minute helicopter flight from Cairns. Flying in over the 18-kilometre sandstone escarpment of Mount Mulligan gives an immediate sense of place.
THE PLACE The newest member of Luxury Lodges of Australia, Mt Mulligan Lodge is laidback luxury meets rugged outback, with a whip-crack of adventure on the side. Part of the Northern Escape Collection of boutique accommodation, the lodge houses a maximum of 16 guests across four stand-alone buildings. The soaring timber, stone and glass dining pavilion overlooking the infinity pool is the social hub.
THE EXPERIENCE Dust off your R.M. Williams boots for an array of included excursions, such as touring the property by all-terrain vehicle, visiting the abandoned town of Mount Mulligan or taking a 4WD tour of Tyrconnell gold mine. Gourmet meals, selected wines and beers, unlimited use of kayaks, paddle boards and fishing gear on the property’s weir, and your own electric buggy are also included. For the full experience, time your visit with a muster.
DON’T MISS Drinks at the Sunset Bar as Mount Mulligan glows as if lit from within.
FROM $1700 a night; two- and three-night minimum stays. - Kerry van der Jagt
The Fantauzzo
5 Boundary St, Brisbane; (07) 3515 0700; artseries.com.au
THE LOCATION Built under the north pylon of Brisbane’s heritage-listed Story Bridge, The Fantauzzo offers sensational views of the river city.
THE PLACE The newest Art Series hotel showcases the portraits of Australian painter Vincent Fantauzzo. The Moran Prize winner’s famous faces adorn the walls of guest rooms as well as the hallways and common areas of the six-storey hotel.
The Fantauzzo showcases the portraits of Australian painter Vincent Fantauzzo.
While it might be initially disconcerting having a photographic-likeness painting of director Baz Luhrmann above your bed, the combination of the art, green velvet lounges, timber floorboards, glass-topped tables and contemporary lighting make it a winning city stay.
THE EXPERIENCE If the art isn’t enough (with complimentary art tours and even in-room art channels available), the rooftop plunge pool and bar is a stunning attraction.
Perhaps a couple of hours’ sunbathing and swimming before a stroll through the boutiques and eats of nearby James Street? Or a run along the river before lunch at the hotel’s Polpetta restaurant, or any of the nearby waterfront dining options.
DON’T MISS A sunset drink at Fiume, the hotel’s rooftop bar. The picturesque location on a balmy Brisbane night is hard to beat.
FROM $289 a night. - Lisa Davies
Nightfall
3009 Christmas Creek Rd, Lamington; (07) 5544 8070; nightfall.com.au
The nearby creek is Nightfall’s unofficial day spa, offering free water massages.
THE LOCATION Drive deep into the Gold Coast Hinterland (two hours from Gold Coast Airport) to the edge of a World Heritage-listed national park, and you’ll discover a site inside the gorges of the Tweed Volcano plateau, just north of the Queensland/NSW border.
THE PLACE There are five tents on-site, pitched on a 104-hectare block of private land (of which less than a hectare has been developed). Gourmet meals are served beside the creek, or in an open-air restaurant beside a log fire.
THE EXPERIENCE You don’t have to be a camper to appreciate Nightfall. How many regular tents come equipped with revolving fireplaces, French vintage bath tubs, brushed hardwood floors and flushable toilets? Explore one of the world’s largest tracts of subtropical rainforest, take hikes into Lamington National Park, or just relax in your tent watching red-necked wallabies and listening to dingoes howl.
DON’T MISS You can book regular spa treatments, but Nightfall’s unofficial day spa is located in hollowed-out rocks within the rapids of the creek dissecting the property, offering free water massages.
FROM $795 per night; two-night minimum stay. - Craig Tansley
Durham House
18 Drury St, West End; 0417 986 647; durhamhouse.com.au
THE LOCATION This restored 1920s worker’s cottage puts the hip bars and cafes of Brisbane’s West End at your doorstep.
Durham House is located in the heart of Brisbane's culture precinct. Credit: Mindi Cooke
THE PLACE The quintessential three-bedroom, two-bathroom Queenslander cottage, Durham House has garnered a swag of accolades for its dynamic renovation. The elegantly crafted interiors include whitewashed walls, timber floors, designer furniture and striking artwork to enhance the building’s character.
THE EXPERIENCE Families will love the house and shady, enclosed garden, as well as its central location at the heart of the city’s cultural precinct. The Brisbane River, parks and ferry terminal are at either end of the street, and the Gallery of Modern Art, Botanic Gardens and South Bank Parklands are all close by. The neighbour’s cat, Fin, can often be found sleeping in the garden, as geckos click and chirp and bats fly over at dusk. Enjoy the outdoor wood fire on the back terrace or a morning cuppa on the front verandah.
DON’T MISS A stroll along the booming Brisbane River precinct, then coffee at Morning After.
FROM $400 a night with breakfast supplies; three-night minimum stay. - Sheriden Rhodes
Elysian Retreat
Long Island, Whitsundays; 1800 765 687; elysianretreat.com.au
The Whitsundays' Elysian Retreat.Credit: Uniqwa
THE LOCATION It’s a 20-minute flight from Proserpine to the ends of the earth. Not literally, of course, but this secluded retreat on the southern tip of Long Island feels distinctly, and wonderfully, isolated.
THE PLACE Ten compact villas face the quiet cove’s too-blue-to-be-true waters, with the bush providing a verdant backdrop.
THE EXPERIENCE Leave the kids and the to-do list at home; here, less is definitely more and Wi-Fi is deliberately limited. The family-run property may have just a handful of staff, but the talented team capably tackles everything from creating elegant three-course meals and prepping homemade kombucha to providing soothing massages. The resort boat, Lotus, can drop you on a deserted stretch of sand for a spot of beachcombing; ask the chef to pack a picnic so you can make an afternoon of it. If that sounds too energetic, park yourself on a hammock beneath the palm trees and finally get stuck into that novel you’ve been meaning to read.
DON’T MISS Waves washing against the shore provide a soothing soundtrack for twice-daily yoga classes.
FROM $880 a night, including all meals and daily yoga lessons. - Ute Junker
Pink Hotel
171 Griffith St, Coolangatta; (07) 5415 0598; thepinkhotelcoolangatta.com
Pink Hotel, Coolangatta.
THE LOCATION Looking out across pandanus-lined Greenmount Beach, just metres from the bars and restaurants of Coolangatta, and a short stroll to the world-famous waves of Snapper Rocks and Kirra.
THE PLACE A cheeky overhaul of this 1950s motel has turned it into a boutique hotel. But it hasn’t lost its mid-century appeal across the 18 rooms, including six luxury suites, all set within a fairy-floss-pink exterior.
THE EXPERIENCE Quentin Tarantino, eat your heart out. A receptionist with facial piercings checks you into a rock-star-ready room, with neon wall art spelling out lines of poetry, garish pink and orange furnishings and a record player loaded with Lou Reed and Jimi Hendrix (there’s also a copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road). Find the secret bar by pushing hard on the janitor’s closet, and take in a cocktail overlooking the surf at its rooftop bar, Santeria.
DON’T MISS Try Eddie’s Grub House: it serves diner-style meals (and room service) with drinks and live music.
FROM $295 a night. - Craig Tansley
InterContinental Hayman Island
Hayman Island; 1800 007 697; haymanisland.intercontinental.com
THE LOCATION This postcard-ready tropical island at the northern end of the Whitsundays is a leisurely one-hour catamaran ride from Hamilton Island Airport.
The Intercontinental Hayman Island is sporting a $135-million renovation.Credit: Will Salkeld Photography
THE PLACE Hayman has been a glittering destination for more than 70 years. After a spell as a One&Only resort, the island has reopened under the InterContinental moniker, sporting a $135-million renovation which has erased all traces of the damage left by 2017’s Hurricane Debbie. Each of the 168 rooms has been stylishly overhauled while maintaining familiar aspects, such as the sloping central compound with direct access to the legendary double pool.
THE EXPERIENCE Guests are on island time from the moment they arrive at the dock. Some 350 on-island staff are eager to please, and there are five restaurants to suit different tastes (pan-Asian lunch spot Bam Bam is our pick). Lazy relaxation is the focus, with a splashy spa, gym, adults-only pool and even an indoor golf simulator open for business. There’s an extensive kids’ club and a host of tropical day trips to explore the nearby Great Barrier Reef.
DON’T MISS The luxury private beachfront villas are sublime, and spectacular three-bedroom residences designed by Kerry Hill are available at $6500 a night.
FROM $750 a night. - Michael Harry
Bon Sol
44 The Esplanade, Burleigh Heads; 0424 674 782; bonsol.com.au
Bon Sol at Burleigh Heads.
THE LOCATION A two-bedroom apartment in the middle of one of the Gold Coast’s most happening ’hoods. It’s across the road from a sweep of pandanus-fringed beach, 15 minutes’ drive from Coolangatta Airport.
THE PLACE Pass through a shared entrance in a 1960s residential block of six apartments to find Pandanus, your designer stay with custom interiors by designer Anna Spiro, the clever creative behind Halcyon House.
THE EXPERIENCE The Bang & Olufsen sound system, Moss River linen and vintage cocktail trolley (stocked to order at extra cost) will have you dreaming of staying forever. Pop the cork off the welcoming bottle of Krug and soak it up from the balcony overlooking the waterfront esplanade. A second apartment, Hibiscus, will open in 2020.
DON’T MISS Order Bon Sol’s “beach club” set with kitsch umbrellas, lounges and an esky filled with drinks ($150). Heading out for dinner? Try Restaurant Labart, the mod-Oz diner from chef Alex Munoz (formerly of Sydney’s Monopole and Cirrus Dining).
FROM $590 a night; minimum three-night stay. - Sheriden Rhodes
TO READ WHILE YOU’RE HERE by Nicole Abadee
Great reads to enjoy in the Sunshine State.Credit:
Trent Dalton burst onto the Australian literary scene with his 2018 blockbuster Boy Swallows Universe. The narrator is 12-year-old Eli Bell, whose beloved mum and stepdad are suburban heroin dealers and whose best friend is a convicted killer. Not the lightest of topics, but Dalton’s fictional debut sucks you in with its raw humanity. If you’re visiting outback Queensland, Thea Astley’s final book Drylands, a 1999 novel which won her a fourth Miles Franklin Literary Award, is an authentic – if dark – portrait of life in a country town.
Astley pulls no punches in exposing the challenges of outback life. Finally, for fresh writing, try Ellen Van Neerven’s award-winning 2014 short-story collection, Heat and Light, which spans love, sexuality, racism, family and displacement.
Looking for escapes further afield? We have you covered: VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS, WA, SA, NT
To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.
Kayaking at Mt Mulligan Lodge in Thornborough.Credit: Jason Ierace