TNQ Writer
Pack the mini-break bag and head for the hills for a long weekend of retreat hopping on the Atherton Tablelands.
Go to retreats
The Atherton Tablelands is a quaint, Tropical Northern region that could have been lifted straight from the pages of a storybook. Villages with charming main streets and cutesy vintage stores stocked with enough pretty frocks to curl the wildest of hipster moustaches. Lush, green foliage abounds every direction you look, all against a backdrop of sprawling valleys, windy laneways, densely forested mountains and former volcanoes, making you believe you were Julie Andrews ready to bust out an acapella version of ‘The Hills Are Alive’.
It’s fair to say that the romance of nature can evoke an *ahem* romantic swoon amongst even the most hardened of pirates. So with that in mind, we decided to pack the mini-break bag (with the ‘good’ nightie – nudge, wink) and head for the hills for a long weekend of retreat hopping on the Atherton Tablelands.
Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Spa bath views at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Spa bath views at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Inside your cosy treehouse at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Inside your cosy treehouse at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Enjoy an Atherton Tableland’s country breakfast with the most spectacular sunrise, each morning at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Enjoy an Atherton Tableland’s country breakfast with the most spectacular sunrise, each morning at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat
Yungaburra
Yungaburra
From the moment you arrive at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat, the magic of the property warms you. Six luxury treehouses, truly built out of love when they bought the land 30 years ago, reflect everything the word ‘luxury’ embodies. Each of these timber one-bedroom treehouses have different aspects, either overlooking the crater of an 88,000 year-old volcano or the rolling peaks and valleys of the Tablelands; all feature deck spas, local art and artisan products, and wood stove fireplaces whose bellies can be rotated wherever you are in the room.
Locally sourced breakfast, enough for two days sustenance, is prepped in the fridge, as are chocolates and a decanter of port. If you do decide to leave the cabin, there are a number of bushwalks carved out, to the very top of the Mt Quincan Nature Reserve and all the way around the rim of the ancient sleeping crater. The rainforest sanctuary around Mt Quincan Crater Retreat is home to the Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo so keep an eye out for this beautifully rare animal.
If visiting during the spring months, drop by Shaylee Strawberry Farm for a fix of pick-your-own strawberries – perfectly delicious in a spa bath at sunset. If you happen to be here on the last Saturday of the month, a trip to the Yungaburra Markets is an absolute must. You’ll find the best biscotti you’ve ever eaten, sweet, tropical jams and hand made children’s outfits so delicately made you’ll be mesmerised by the needle work.
The Canopy Treehouses
Arriving to your private cabin in the rainforest at The Canopy Treehouses
Arriving to your private cabin in the rainforest at The Canopy Treehouses
Each treehouse is perched high in the rainforest canopy on the banks of the flowing Ithaca River
Each treehouse is perched high in the rainforest canopy on the banks of the flowing Ithaca River
Possums come to visit you on the balcony of your treehouse
Possums come to visit you on the balcony of your treehouse
Fall asleep to the sounds of the rainforest at Canopy Treehouses
Fall asleep to the sounds of the rainforest at Canopy Treehouses
Romance and rainforests must have more in common than simple alliteration, or maybe it’s just that there’s so many rainforests up this way, which – by proxy – make the locals a pretty romantic lot, ammiright?!
The uber-eco-friendly Canopy Treehouses, located near Malanda, are specifically designed for comfort in the wilderness… well, wilderness if you’re a Real Housewife more so than Bear Grylls. No need for extreme survival tactics here – each treehouse, perched high in the rainforest canopy, has a fully self-contained kitchen, BBQ, spa and an emergency hammock.
Your friendly host will make sure that you’ve got plenty of treats for when the locals stop by in the evening. Leave a little bit of fresh fruit on the balcony at night and you’re sure to get a visit from the friendly possums. Keep your bird feeder full of seeds and tropical birdlife will flutter to your treehouse like something out of Cinderella. Keep en eye out for the majestic Cassowary and his chicks who live in the protected rainforest on the property.
The Tablelands also has a well-deserved reputation for both wellness and adventure, so take advantage of the spa bath in the privacy of your own treehouse, as well as adventures like hot air ballooning, private picnics, waterfalling around either Malanda Falls or the world’s most picturesque waterfall, Millaa Millaa (true story!) and recommended foodie trails.
Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat
Open plan cabins invite the breeze to flow through
Open plan cabins invite the breeze to flow through
Bath views don't get much better
Bath views don't get much better
Enjoy incredible rainforest views
Enjoy incredible rainforest views
Cosy up inside with a pot belly stove in the cooler months
Cosy up inside with a pot belly stove in the cooler months
The romantic notion of a log cabin in the forest doesn’t end just yet. Be careful not to trip because you’ll be swept off your feet upon entering the charming Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat. A private balcony with views over rainforest and mountains opens out from a spacious open-plan interior inviting the breeze to flow through. It’s the perfect place to unwind and relax among the trees listening to the birdlife and cicadas call.
In the morning indulge on a breakfast hamper then head down to the learn about the most primitive species of kangaroo – the musky rat kangaroo – and birdlife at their daily wildlife viewing session at 8.30am. A wander through the walking trails might find you stumble across other unique wildlife of the area including cassowaries, tree kangaroos and platypuses.
