Luxury Lodges of Australia Reveals New Tropical North Queensland Trifecta Itinerary
This itinerary embraces Tropical North Queensland’s luxury trifecta, a complementary contrast between rainforest, reef and outback with the ease of access via Cairns, the gateway to northern Queensland. The itinerary features three diverse lodges reflecting the vibrant colours of Queensland, and proximity to irreplaceable World Heritage sites. From the brilliant terracottas of the outback, to the soothing, dense greens of The Daintree rainforest and the intense blues of the ocean and Great Barrier Reef, these three landscapes are seamlessly combined into one very easy to plan journey.
The new itinerary is part of a set of suggested multi-lodge travel guides available on the new-look Luxury Lodges of Australia website.
Silky Oaks Lodge, set adjacent to the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, Mt Mulligan Lodge in Queensland’s outback and Lizard Island, one of the most northerly islands on the Great Barrier Reef combine in an itinerary that expresses the brilliant diversity of the region across landscape, experiences and culture. The three iconic properties are easily connected by road, helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft with Cairns as the gateway to Tropical Northern Queensland.
Suggested as a nine-night itinerary, with a minimum of two nights but ideally at least three, at each lodge. Travellers arriving to the region from domestic or overseas ports into Cairns can join the following suggested itinerary to make the most of inter-lodge connections:
- Arrive in Cairns
- 75-minute road transfer to Silky Oaks Lodge
- Stay Silky Oaks Lodge
- Optional 35-minute direct heli transfer with Nautilus Aviation from Silky Oaks Lodge to Mt Mulligan Lodge OR return to Cairns by road and join a 35-minute Nautilus helicopter transfer to Mt Mulligan Lodge from the General Aviation Terminal
- Stay Mt Mulligan Lodge
- Join a fixed wing Hinterland Aviation flight from Mt Mulligan Lodge direct to Lizard Island OR return to Cairns via 4WD or helicopter transfer and join a Hinterland Aviation flight to Lizard Island from the General Aviation Terminal
- Stay Lizard Island
- Hinterland Aviation flight from Lizard Island to Cairns.
The three luxury lodges together offer a diverse and immersive experience of Queensland’s Tropical North:
Silky Oaks Lodge offers an extraordinary connection to the ancient Daintree Rainforest where it meets the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Guests can join a guide from Walkabout Cultural Adventures or a Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk through Mossman Gorge to discover the culture and traditions of the Kuku Yalanji, the First Nations people of the Daintree. Or, grab a snorkel and fins for a float down the Mossman River with Back Country Bliss to explore the underwater world, home to turtles, fish and the elusive platypus.
Mt Mulligan Lodge offers contemporary, relaxed luxury in the untamed outback environment of Northern Outback Queensland. Set on a 28,000-hectre outback cattle station, the luxury lodge sits among the eucalypts on the banks of the weir in the shadow of majestic Ngarrabullgan – Mount Mulligan. Guests can get behind the wheel of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to explore the landscape and navigate outback tracks before enjoying a chef-prepared gourmet picnic.
The northernmost Great Barrier Reef luxury resort Lizard Island is a beautiful, remote island retreat. Motorised dinghies offer access to Lizard’s secluded beaches all around the island, complete with gourmet picnic hamper. Or guests can enjoy a day’s fishing out on the surrounding reefs and expect to hook anything from Spanish mackerel to tuna, coral trout or red emperor, with the resort chefs happy to prepare and cook the catch.
Tropical North Queensland boasts incredible diversity of landscapes and Australian experiences. This blend of outback, rainforest and reef can be experienced in any order, with easy access from Cairns and direct transfer options between the lodges, maximising time experiencing vs travelling.
To download this itinerary, click here.
