Back to nature
A bush and beach retreat with life’s luxuries
On a rocky headland that juts into the Coral Sea, with the verdant Macalister Range as a backdrop, Thala Beach Nature Reserve lures travellers to Tropical North Queensland. A sophisticated re-imagining of a Robinson Crusoe hideaway, Thala has attracted the attention of eco-conscious tourists the world over for more reasons than its stunning location. But let’s start there.
From Captain Cook Highway, visitors see a fleeting patchwork of towering coconut palms
as they travel between two of Queensland’s most iconic holiday destinations, Port Douglas to the north and Cairns to the south. The plantation is enough to entice photographers – most notably Instagrammers – off course. They take a few snaps of the 700-odd palms to woo friends back home and are quickly gone again, leaving Thala guests none the wiser. And that’s how you want it.
Hidden among 58 hectares of native forest, visitors spend their days flitting between the pools, restaurant and bungalows. Secluded Oak Beach has plenty of pull, too, and it’s easy to find yourself cocooned in a hammock reading a book with no-one else around.
The lazing about is only interrupted when it’s time to cool down in the inviting sea (it’s safe to swim between May and October) or wander the two-kilometre stretch of cream sand.
Another temptation is Osprey’s Restaurant, where chefs follow the seasons, and the modern Australian menu features plenty of seafood.
Expect to be wowed with dishes such as smoked paprika and chilli calamari, line-caught yellowfin tuna, and a coconut seafood laksa with tiger prawns and mussels.
The open-air restaurant is like a giant treehouse – the lodge centrepiece, you could say – with coastal views extending 140 kilometres northward to Cape Tribulation. It complements the environment, as do the bungalows that perch on stilts or hide among eucalypts and casuarinas, ensuring privacy and garden or ocean views.
Inside the bungalows, the furnishings speak of another era, but are far from outdated. Think cane armchairs, glass bowls of shells and plenty of timber.
In the mini bars, guests will find stainless steel and/or bamboo water bottles (which they’re encouraged to take home), as part of a recent commitment to being free of single-use plastic bottles. Other practical measures at the family owned wildlife retreat include the rehabilitation of what was once a sugar cane plantation, and the use of sustainable materials during a low-impact build.
Thala’s conservation focus has seen it granted the highest level of Advanced Eco Certification for simultaneously connecting guests to the landscape, minimising environmental impact and supporting local communities.
It’s easy to find yourself cocooned in a hammock reading a book with no-one else around.
Wildlife experts run nature, garden, bird and butterfly walks throughout the reserve, as well as a stargazing tour and Australia’s only coconut tour, focused on the fruit’s health benefits.
Kuku Yalangi Elders, from the local Aboriginal community, also hold storytelling sessions about their cultural traditions, such as the use of healing plants and the significance of the wooden wind instrument the didgeridoo.
Combine these programs with the private beach, plentiful wildlife – including excited rainbow lorikeets – and more than 10 kilometres of walking trails, and you’ll find it hard to fault the place.
It’s this winning mix that’s seen it become a member of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World, a status recognising the best in sustainable tourism worldwide. As if such accolades and features aren’t enough of a drawcard, let’s talk destination again. Thala holds prime position in one of Australia’s most sought-after locales, with both the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest on its doorstep. Needless to say, Thala is a special place.