Orpheus Island Lodge & Pelorus Private Island
People & Purpose
Orpheus and Pelorus Islands are located in one of the most precious environments on the planet – the Great Barrier Reef. The natural beauty of the place brings every visitor joy and awe. The lodge team’s top priority is to protect, restore, and preserve this environment so future generations can experience the magic of region too.
“Ensuring the health of one of the world’s most precious ecosystems for future generations is critical to our business. We are proud to collaborate with leading organisations such as Rainforest Rescue, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), and others to drive vital efforts in protecting the reef moving forward.”
Hayley Morris, Morris Family Foundation
The team at Orpheus Island Lodge and Pelorus Private Island are continuously expanding their efforts to tackle key sustainability challenges and opportunities with the backing of funding from the Morris Family Foundation.
The Foundation’s Reef Keepers program supports the health of the ocean and the reef via projects aimed at critical reef research, protecting marine ecosystems, reducing ocean pollution, and improving water quality to reduce sediment run-off. Work is continuously done to eradicate harmful species and replant lost plant species and each year the lodge hosts Deep Dive – an annual event to share best practices in reef preservation.
Orpheus Island Lodge holds Advanced level certification through Ecotourism Australia’s world-leading program, recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The certification emphasises Morris Escapes Group’s commitment to caring for the natural environment, engaging guests with quality interpretation and education, supporting and engaging with local communities, reducing its carbon footprint, protecting unique wildlife and endangered species and contributing to conserving and preserving First Nations cultures.
Since its inception in 2019, the Reef Keepers program has invested over $2.9 million in key initiatives, including reducing plastic pollution and marine debris, projects to improve water quality, advancing reef-based research and local Queensland projects that mitigate human-induced activities causing climate change.
The food philosophy and resulting daily menus at Orpheus and Pelorus celebrate local, organic, free-range, fair trade, biodynamic, and sustainably reared, caught or grown ingredients.
The team is proud to know the story behind every ingredient in every dish served at Orpheus and Pelorus and work with local suppliers in the Far North Queensland region. An onsite veggie patch, orchard and a flock of free-range chickens provide lodge chefs with a diverse seasonal bounty of ingredients, all grown using organic farming principles. There is a lodge-wide commitment to reducing food waste and an onsite composter turns food waste into nutrient fuel for the veggie patch while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Single-use plastics and packaging have been eliminated throughout both properties including the kitchen, restaurant and rooms. Guests are provided with high quality reusable drink bottles and keep cups to minimise waste and single-use in-room amenities have been replaced by refillable amenity dispensers with high-quality Australian made natural botanical products by LaGaia. There are also washable slippers made from recyclable materials.
Following the installation of 810 solar panels on the hill behind the lodge, Orpheus Island Lodge is primarily solar-powered with battery storage and a backup generator on standby for use only when absolutely needed. A water treatment plant has been installed to recycle all water used in the lodge and re-used for irrigation and watering of the gardens.
Orpheus Island Lodge & Pelorus Private Island
CONSERVATION EXPERIENCES
OUR LITTLE WHITE BOOK
The Luxury Lodges of Australia brochure has become a treasured and widely recognisable ‘go to’ for Australian experiential luxury, enjoyed both online and in printed form at our lodges. The brochure is available to view or download in eight languages below.