O’Reilly's Rainforest Retreat

Location

For over 100 years, the O’Reilly family has been welcoming visitors to their mountain home. Time was that it took a two-day journey via car, train and horseback to reach the retreat from Brisbane but now, it’s a two-hour scenic drive.

O’Reilly’s is located on the western edge of Lamington Plateau, 930 metres (3,000 feet) above sea level and enjoys spectacular views to the west over the McPherson and Great Dividing Ranges. Surrounded by the rainforests of Lamington National Park, Australia’s largest strand of sub-tropical rainforest and one of Australia’s bio-diverse ‘hot-spots’, the retreat is home to a vast array of bird and wildlife, walking tracks, waterfalls and stunning views.

Accommodation

Designed as a natural extension of their environment, all rooms feature red cedar shutters, hand crafted Queensland Maple furniture and exposed timber struts. The Mountain View Rooms are the retreat’s most popular, with sweeping westerly panoramas from their private balconies. Upgrade to a Canopy Suite for uninterrupted views over the rainforest to the McPherson Ranges and timber king size four-poster beds.

Finally, 700m away from the main building lies O’Reilly’s luxurious, modern villas. Fully self-contained, each two or three bedroom villa boasts contemporary furnishing and an open plan layout. Their best feature, however, is their large decks that play host to barbecue facilities and spa baths with rainforest and valley views.

Dining

Accompanied by wines from O’Reilly’s very own vineyard, The Dining Room serves delicious food in an enviable setting. Breakfast is shared with Regent and Satin Bowerbirds while in the evening, guests can spot possums and sugar gliders through the bay windows. For lunch, head to the Mountain Café for a selection of light meals. Picnic hampers are available on request and are the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of one of Lamington’s pristine waterfalls.

Facilities

Set in 20,000 hectares of rainforest that’s home to 160km of walking trails, 500 waterfalls and 250 species of birds and wildlife, the resort puts on a host of activities to take advantage of its location. From four-wheel drive excursions to interpretive rainforest walks, there’s something for every pace. Back at the resort, there’s an infinity edge lap pool that looks out over the rainforest canopy and a spa that specialises in using all natural products indigenous to Australia. Finish the day in the convivial atmosphere of the Rainforest Bar.