Outback luxury awaits at Mt Mulligan Lodge

Mount Mulligan might just be the most magnificent place in Australia you’d never heard of.

Explorer James Venture Mulligan described Mt Mulligan as “a mountain once seen, never to be forgotten" when he chanced upon the escarpment on a gold-prospecting expedition to Tropical North Queensland in the late 1800s.

A quick flick through the guestbook at the eponymously named Mt Mulligan Lodge suggests the magnificent conglomerate and sandstone tabletop mountain still has the power to inspire awe. The property is one of three key Luxury Lodges of Australia in Tropical North Queensland. What surprises a lot of visitors to Ngarrabullgan (Mt Mulligan) is the fact it almost 10 times the size of Uluru. And while visitors are forbidden from climbing the mountain, guests at the lodge can seek refuge here to do as little or as much as they like. Yes, the location is remote, but that’s part of the appeal. Get amongst it.

Exquisite Mount Mulligan views from the weir. (Image: Wilson Archer)

Location

The lodge sits in the shadow of the vast monolith, known as Ngarrabullgan, in the heart of Djungan country in the Tropical North Queensland outback. As well as being a place of great significance to the Traditional Owners, Mt Mulligan is the site of Queensland’s worst mining disaster, a tragic event that blew the heart out of the local community in 1921. The former mining town is about 160 kilometres north-west of Cairns in the Shire of Mareeba.

Mount Mulligan Lodge with the Mount Mulligan backdrop. — Mount Mulligan Lodge blends into the mountain backdrop. (Image: Jason Lerace)

Style and character

Building design and interior architecture firm dubois: has brought a look and feel that will wear and weather as beautifully as nature’s palette. Built around an existing weir on a 28,000-hectare working cattle station, the expansive property is rugged and rural and brings visitors in touch with the elements.

Mt Mulligan Lodge design — The design exudes an elevated ranch-style aesthetic. (Image: The Rambler Co.)

Facilities

The lodge features four different types of accommodation: two Outback Retreats, six Outback Rooms, two Outback Suites, and four Outback Tents.

In addition, there’s a beautifully designed main Pavilion with a dramatic exposed stone feature wall, an infinity pool and Sunset Bar designed in the Australian vernacular – all timber and tin – which dates back to our pioneering past.

Each guest is assigned an electric buggy so you can zip to and from the Main Pavilion or Sunset Bar. The all-inclusive lodge sleeps just 28 guests, including children of all ages. The low-set building surrounded by gums is exceptionally chic and a top spot to join fellow guests for a chat around the open bar of beer, wine and spirits.

Mount Mulligan Lodge sitting area — Unwind and get cosy by the fire. (Image: Courtney Atkinson)

Rooms

Wood, wool, leather, linen, timber stone. It makes sense for Mt Mulligan Lodge to feature natural materials, fibres and recycled timbers that bind us to our past. Forget the chintzy excesses of a city hotel. The rooms are resplendent with considered artworks and floor-to-ceiling doors that open to the greenery of a tropical garden reflected in the mirrored surface of the weir.

Mount Mulligan Lodge room — The eight guest rooms have a dark and earthy colour palette. (Image: Lee Besser)

Each room allows glimpses of Mt Mulligan beyond. Bunker down in the corrugated outdoor tub on the vast deck in order to admire the generous folds of the monolith as it changes in the light. All the rooms are dotted along a grassy shoulder of land overlooking the weir.

The rooms are fitted out with iPod docks, Bose Bluetooth speakers, LaGaia bath products, a desk, air con, minibar, free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making facilities and a working fireplace (in the Outback Retreats and Outback Suites only). Want to elope? There’s a package designed for your private outback wedding.

Modern bathroom at Mount Mulligan Lodge — The modern bathrooms open out onto decks. (Image: Elise Hassey)

What is the food and drink offering at Mt Mulligan Lodge?

Take a seat on custom-designed canvas folding camp chairs around a solid timber table to enjoy a superb set menu on the verandah of the Main Pavilion while overlooking the infinity pool and surrounding landscape.

Mt Mulligan Lodge dining — Relax and diner by the outdoor swimming pool. (Image: Mt Mulligan Lodge)

Request a bespoke Dining under the Stars experience or enjoy the daily-changing menu, which pays respect to the diverse producers of the Atherton Tablelands and rich Indigenous history of using native ingredients.

Listen to the chorus of cicadas over linguine carbonara with barramundi pancetta followed by a dessert of wattleseed, coffee and banana. Dining is all-inclusive and there’s the option to pair lunches and dinners with Australian wines.

Flamed red claw at Mount Mulligan Lodge — Food is served with a nose-to-tail philosophy. (Image: Elise Hassey)

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.