Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat, Atherton Tablelands

Location

Adjoining Wooroonooran National Park in the Atherton Tablelands is Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat. An hour and a half’s drive south from Cairns, the surrounding rainforest contains streams, walking tracks and waterfalls. Try and spot platypuses in the area’s remote creeks. The area, also known as Cairns Highlands, consists of cool, elevated green and brown mountains and swathes of classic Australian outback. With its roots in the 19th century gold-rush, it’s now better known for its abundant wildlife and strong sense of community.

Accommodation

Guests stay in one of nine gorgeous treehouses scattered throughout the forest. Each has been handcrafted with a pole and timber design and features elevated ceilings, four-poster beds, spa baths, wood burning fires, large private balconies and self-contained kitchens. They come in a range of sizes from studios, two bedroom apartments to those that can sleep up to six guests.

Dining

An intimate dinner service in the rainforest canopy can be found at the retreat’s LEAF restaurant. A typical meal consists of seared scallops to start, followed by caramelised pork belly as a main and rounded off with gourmet rhubarb and custard for dessert. The treehouses’ fully equipped kitchens, stocked with crockery, cutlery, utensils and condiments, facilitate self-catering with many guests taking advantage of the private barbecue facilities outside their accommodation. The complimentary breakfast hamper – furnished with eggs, bacon, bread, yoghurt, milk and cereals – provided on your arrival is a nice touch.

Facilities

At Rose Gums, guests come for the verdant habitat and its wildlife population that call it home. Take to the myriad of walking tracks for a chance to spot a range of over 160 birds or simply to enjoy a stroll. To improve your chances, book onto a guided walk to take in musky rat-kangaroos, king parrots and platypuses. To fuel your barbecue ambitions be sure to stock up at nearby Malanda and Yungaburra townships, located about a twenty minutes’ drive away.