The Queensland hotel brought back from the brink
Despite the destructive forces of nature and looters, this tropical hideaway has been miraculously revived.
The rain clouds part as if on cue when I arrive at The Elandra in mid-January, the wet season’s moodiness adding to the sense of drama. A kidney-shaped swimming pool exerts a magnetic force, drawing me through the reception area, with its vaulted ceiling and wooden floorboards, past a curved dusty-pink and gold bar. Palm trees tower above poolside sun lounges, set two by two with gleaming white umbrellas. The pale pool decking amplifies the blue and green beyond. With vistas stretching along Wongaling and South Mission beaches, and across Lugger Bay to Dunk and Bedarra islands, it’s the kind of scene marriage proposals are made of.
Alas, my friend and I are here sans husbands but we have a date with the hottest new restaurant in town. After so many years of uncertainty for this once revered resort on Queensland’s Cassowary Coast, locals were understandably excited about its return. When it was unveiled on December 1, they turned out in droves. “I’ve never seen everyone so dressed up,” our waiter, Heath, says as we take a seat for lunch.
Having resurrected Bedarra Island resort post-Cyclone Yasi, and with a decade of operation under their belt, owners Sam and Kerri-Ann Charlton took on this altogether more colossal project in May 2022. The handing over of the keys was token, given the place had been looted and trashed “to within an inch of its life” following its closure at the beginning of 2019. The previous owners had been operating on an exclusive-hire basis for weddings, conjuring lemonade from lemons after Yasi wreaked havoc in 2011. When they left, the electricity was cut, then the jungle, squatters and rave parties moved in. “They stole everything,” says Kerri-Ann. “We would be standing in there [after taking ownership] and people would just walk past us with a chair.”
While Sam led the clean-up and construction teams, Kerri-Ann managed the aesthetics, designing the interiors in conjunction with CLO Studios in Noosa. The first guestrooms have been rolled out gradually since December, conjured from blocks that have stood since 1978 when the property was known as the Tam O’Shanter Motel. The inventory so far comprises four twin Coral Sea rooms and 16 more elevated ocean-view doubles.
Gated courtyards have been added so guests can leave doors open and enjoy sea breezes in privacy. Step inside and slip off your shoes because the marble-look cork flooring feels heavenly underfoot. The airy space features a curved blond timber minibar, white boucle ottomans and a built-in boomerang-shaped daybed punctuated by Bonnie and Neil retro-print cushions. Handcrafted Hamimi crochet pendants frame the king bed. There’s just the right amount of VJ panelling to confirm I’m in Queensland, but it’s the view from the balcony, where rainforest plunges towards the Coral Sea, that brings it home. The ensuite, with Grown Alchemist amenities and rain shower, delivers more views of Dunk Island from louvres above the vanity. During my stay, finishing touches such as robes, beach bags, a QR code-accessible compendium and room service are imminent.
It’s taken 18 months for the Charltons to get this far, and they’re in for another big year, reclaiming 24 guestrooms from the forest’s grip and transforming them into 12 luxurious villas, six of which will have private plunge pools. The dual-level villas will feature a “wellness level” with daybed, infrared sauna and steam shower below a king bedroom, living space and kitchenette. The property is a step up from its predecessor in many senses but, while The Elandra is achingly chic, from the boutique and the library to the Peloton gym and vibey playlist, this is still laid-back Tropical North Queensland.
“The essence of the place hasn’t really changed,” says Sam. “So many people come through the gates here and have a story (of staying here). When I’m in the supermarket people come and tug on my shirt and say, ‘Thank you so much’.”
Dining is an undeniable highlight. The menu by head chef Heath Weber is concise but with enough delicious hits to negate any desire to stray beyond the resort (we venture out one night but don’t feel tempted again). Weber was at Agnes in Brisbane for just five months after leaving his seven-year tenure at Bedarra when the Charltons convinced him and partner Jessica Razga, who manages front of house, to return north. His refined execution of Southeast Asian flavours and local produce is a boon for the casual restaurant scene here. We happily work our way through the menu, returning twice to the Boomer Bay oysters with finger lime mignonette.
We eat lunch poolside one day between dips, the playlist in sync with the mood. San Diego reggae band SDIB croon while we tuck into soft-shell crab tacos, and later wistful 1980s ballads complement a sunset swim. Slushies with rotating flavours add fun on the cocktail front, but the Southside Mission – a mojito-esque gin concoction – is declared the winner.
Another afternoon, we dodge mud and puddles along the Kennedy Track, a 4km ocean-hugging walkway accessed via wooden stairs from the property. We come face to face with a cassowary that eyes us with much less enthusiasm than we mirror back, and we give it a wide berth.
As the sky bruises purple and fire lanterns flare beside the pool, The Elandra shines like a beacon of renewal. Its revival hints at an elevated level of sophistication seeping into this nature-soaked coast. It’s got the feeling of Bedarra, but on the mainland at a third of the rate. My hunch is it will soon have a waitlist to match.
In the know
The Elandra is at South Mission Beach, a two-hour drive south from Cairns or 45-minute helicopter transfer ($1350 for two, one way). Rooms (16 years +) from $475 a night, including breakfast and use of e-bikes. The Elandra restaurant and bar is open to the public seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A gym with Peloton equipment, day spa and tennis court are also onsite.
Celeste Mitchell was a guest of The Elandra and Tourism and Events Queensland.
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