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Queensland : Queensland Accommodation
When staying in cities I like to be in walking distance to attractions and restaurants. One of my favourite places to stay is the Cosmo on Park Road. It’s modern, self-contained, excellent value, has 1 or 2 bedrooms and has some excellent restaurants nearby that also have delivery and a charge back service. It’s also a stroll to Suncorp stadium and a few minutes in a cab or a 20-minute walk to the CBD. There are other good properties under the same ownership at West End, Southbank and in the city.
The Gold Coast has so much accommodation on offer it’s daunting - lots of high rise, lots of pools, lots of competition (so the prices can sometimes be good). A downside with some places here, they have a minimum stay, which doesn’t help the person passing through. Nara Seaworld is a good choice for families wanting to have a theme park on the door and the room price includes entry to Seaworld so can be excellent value. A nice resort to get away from it all with wall to wall facilities is Couran Cove. A good property on the beach at Surfers paradise is Imperial Surf Resort Apartments. I’ve stayed at Burleigh Heads a couple of times (less crowded than Surfers with a good beach). Moroccan Resort Apartments has a couple of pools, is self-contained and has terrific ocean views. For those who like a flutter there’s Conrad Jupiters Casino and for golfers, Royal Pines won’t disappoint.
In the hinterland, I can’t go past O’Reilly’s Gueshouse (well, no-one can go past O’Reilly’s because it’s at the end of the road, but…). It’s not cheap, but it is a wonderful place to relax and experience nature and wildlife. It has been owned and run by the O’Reillys for generations and they make you feel like one of the family, too. A couple of romantic options in the hinterland are The Mouses House and Forget-Me-Not Cottages (see, I remembered!).
Sunshine Coast & Fraser Island Lots of choices up the coast. I’ve found excellent accommodation at Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Coolum, Noosa and in the hinterland. Places like the Zanzibar at Mooloolaba are good value for luxury accommodation - self-contained, swimming pools, across the road to the beach, handy to cafes and restaurants etc. It is looking a bit mini-Gold Coast these days with high-rise accommodation but that’s what happens when you have good beaches and attractions like Underwater World. Coolum is more relaxed (although growing markedly) with lots of resorts to choose from. The most recent property I stayed in was Seachange (excellent 2 bedroom self-contained for the family). It’s newish (late 2003) has a good swimming pool, great kitchens and some of the apartments have spas. We met up with friends who were staying at the Endless Summer Resort, which is also nice for families - has a pool, BBQs etc and is closer to the restaurants, shops and beach. At Noosa you’ll find an excellent range of quality places near (or on) Hastings Street and the beach. I like The French Quarter - self-contained luxury at a good price at the end of Hasting Street and Noosa Blue is also lovely. It’s a nice loop to go up the coast and back through the hinterland - and the hinterland is also a great destination for a romantic getaway. Again, lots of charming B & B and cottage style accommodation that suits the village atmosphere. Some of the delightful properties are Falls Cottages in Montville and Rosebrook Cottages in Maleny and Secrets on the Lake, which was once Treetops on the Lake (Montville) On Fraser Island, Kingfisher Bay Resort takes a lot of beating as a base - it has hotel and self-contained villa accommodation, shops, kids’ clubs, swimming pools, restaurants, bars, 4WD hire, fishing, tennis and watersports. More here on Kingfisher Bay.
The Great Barrier Reef & Whitsundays There are islands on the reef to suit all budgets and tastes - in a nutshell, the five star properties aimed at couples are Hayman, Bedarra, Lizard and Orpheus. Great Keppel is still the party island for the 18 to 35s, Lindeman is home to Club Med and popular family islands (that still cater for couples) include Dunk, Hamilton, Brampton, South Molle, Long Island and Daydream Island. Heron Island is also a delight, combining sophistication with relaxation. Some of the above islands are the main reason people head to the Whitsundays (Hayman, Hamilton, Long, Daydream, Lindeman, South Molle), but you may need accommodation in Airlie Beach before heading out - Coral Sea Resort is good value and has a pool with most rooms looking out to the islands, and Airlie Beach Hotel is nice too. If you want to sample the Whitsundays with your accommodation, ProSail has a range of options and is a professional and friendly outfit.
Cairns & Tropical North Queensland There’s an almost overwhelming choice of accommodation up north. Cairns is good if you want to take in some of the local attractions like Kunanda Skyrail, Tjapukai Cultural Centre or perhaps an early morning balloon flight. Cairns Colonial Club and Oasis Resort Cairns are both large resorts with lots of facilities for couples and families. Along the Cairns Esplanade there are several good value self-contained apartment-style properties including Jack & Newell Apartments at the town end, and Waterfront Terraces at the quieter northern end. As an actual holiday destination though, I like to head north or south. A couple of hours south is Mission Beach (apart from relaxing there’s excellent white water rafting on the Tully River or skydiving down to the beach. Horizons is a very good property for couples or families. Another excellent rainforest property is Silky Oaks Lodge at Mossman north of Port Douglas. Heading north from Cairns, Sebel Reef House at Palm Cove is a lovely spot on the beach. The resort choice at Trinity Beach is also pretty good, with Coral Sands and Meridien At Trinity being good choices, however there are also some stunning beach house here for private holiday letting if your budget runs that far! My 2 favourites are Trinity On The Esplanade and Gaia Beach House - haven't stayed there but they have plenty of appeal even standing in the street outside with the other "poor" people. In Port Douglas you can find B & Bs or go the posh end at places like the Sheraton Mirage. I like Pavilions in Macrossan Street - a walk to restaurants, shopping, the beach or the Marina the studio apartments (with spa) are excellent value. Port is a good base for day trips to the Outer Barrier Reef and 4WD trips to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. There are several delightful spots through Daintree and Cape Tribulation (both in setting and price) if you wish to stay overnight. Daintree Village has Tranquility On The Daintree and Red Mill House B&B, Cape Trib has The Beach House, and half way between the two is Cockatoo Hill Retreat near Cow Bay. If you are in the market for total luxury and relaxation up this way, Thala Beach or Kewarra Resort may be for you.
Inland & Other Coastal Properties When I’m travelling I have three levels of criteria for accommodation. If travelling solo, I like good, old-fashioned country pubs - you may have shared bathroom facilities, but they are cheap, friendly and licensed. If staying in a particular place with the family for more than a couple of days, I like self-contained accommodation with a bit of space (separate bedrooms) and if travelling with the family looking for overnight accommodation, I like Best Western properties. While it is a chain, these properties are locally owned, have individual style, are friendly and have amenities like swimming pool, TV, restaurant etc at a good price (many around $100 per room per night). There are Best Western properties in Brisbane, Warwick, Goonawindi, Toowoomba, Dalby, Gin Gin, Maroochydoore, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Airlie Beach, Townsville, Cairns, Trinity Beach, Port Douglas and Mount Isa.
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