The Unexpected Romantic Getaway that’ll make you see the Outback in a Whole New Light
28 Feb, 2024
Skip the rose petals on the bed and surprise your significant other with a long weekend at a Luxury Lodge of Australia in the outback instead. Just a few hours from Cairns, you can revel in understated luxury pared back with overwhelming landscapes, expansive vistas, and blissfully, no phone service.
Fusing nature, history, adventure and fine dining, a romantic getaway at Mt. Mulligan Lodge is a ticket to turning up the heat or rekindling the relationship flame.
Check-in, cool drink in hand, and wind down – there’s 28,000-hectares to take in on this private heritage site and you’ve got days ahead of you to do it in.
Take a kayak on the weir, see if you can snag a barra (chef will even cook it for you for dinner), then head to the Sunset Bar for a tipple served with the shifting patinas of Ngarrabullgan (Mount Mulligan) at golden hour.
Dinner here is a romantic getaway in and of itself. Sourcing the best produce from the pastures of the Atherton Tablelands to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, if your love of fine food and wine comes a close second to the person you’re locking eyes with, you’re in the right place.
Breakfast in bed is nice, but breakfast with views over this majestic landscape will shake you out of any Groundhog Day routines you’ve fallen into back home.
This morning is all about diving into the history of the Mount Mulligan old township, coal mine and cemetery. Not the first thing you’d call to mind on a romantic getaway, perhaps? But through understanding the tragedy that underpins this special place, you’ll likely feel more connected and grateful (and that’s a great predecessor to romance).
After an à la carte lunch, spend your afternoon paddling on the weir, fishing from its banks, or soaking in your romantic outdoor bathtub.
Cocktails are served in the Lodge’s Main Pavilion tonight as stars frost the night sky – a fitting warm-up act to a romantic dinner for two.
After a leisurely breakfast, spice things up by taking the wheel of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to explore boulder-strewn creeks and outback tracks, and learn about the culture of Traditional Owners, the Djungan people, dating back some 37,000 years. Your final destination is the picturesque south end of Ngarrabullgan (Mount Mulligan), known as The Branch – apt for a #couplegoals selfie.
Return to the lodge for lunch and an afternoon of reverie before drinks by the firepit and another intimate dinner.
Tomorrow morning the romantic getaway may be over, but reconnection is the best kind of souvenir to be taking home with you.
Start off with one of the most recognisable constellations. Orion the Hunter, which contains the three stars forming Orion’s Belt, is a quick find during summer in north QLD. The Yolngu people of Northern Australia believe the three stars represent three brothers punished for eating forbidden fish. Keep an eye out for the Betelgeuse star, the constellation’s very own red giant.
Between May to November, keep your eyes on Scorpius, the constellation that represents a scorpion. Also described as a coat hanger hook with an anchor, legend has it the constellation rose up as a scorpion to chase Orion across the sky. Though from the naked eye it looks like a small cluster of stars, these clusters are really hundreds and hundreds of stars.
Look to the Southern Cross, then above to spot Centaurus whose feet make up the Pointers. This mythical creature is half man, half horse and contains eight named stars. When you’re in north Queensland, Spring and Summer are the best times of year to see this beast in all its glory.
More commonly known by its Latin translation, The Great Dog, Canis Major sits tucked in next to Orion as his ‘Greater Dog’. The Canis Minor, little dog, is nearby. The constellation clusters around Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and also contains a Dwarf galaxy, a Messier 41, and Thor’s Helmet, which is an emission nebula. Spot it during winter when you’re in north Queensland.
Pavo, aka The Peacock, has one blue-white subgiant star, also named The Peacock and is best seen in Summer from north Queensland. It’s believed the constellation is named for the peacocks who drew Hera’s chariot in Greek mythology, though some also believe it is named after Java green peacocks Dutch navigators spotted in the East Indies.
Whether it’s with the Mt Mulligan Lodge telescope and a wine in hand, or when sitting by the crackling outback fireplace, you’ll have plenty to spot when you go stargazing.
Forget staging and set up; when outback Queensland is your backdrop, you don’t need anything else to set the scene. With the mighty Ngarrabullgan (Mount Mulligan) escarpment as your backdrop, Mt Mulligan Lodge sits on a 28,000 ha cattle station. You’ve got 28,000 ha of photo opportunities but even better, there’s no bad angles when you’re surrounded by raw beauty at every turn.
Throw out the run sheets and military precision timings, life at Mt Mulligan Lodge slows down to your pace. Elope in the early morning, with sunrise and bird song to walk you down the aisle, before a picnic lunch and a float at the Ah Bowers waterhole. Say I do at the Sunset bar, before celebrating under the stars with a private dinner by the weir. There’s ATV tours, walking trails, scenic helicopter flights – and plenty more ways to celebrate in your own special style. With the staff happy to be witnesses, the rest is up to you.
The secret is out. When you elope, you go straight to the good part. Your honeymoon starts now. Fine dining, a fabulous room, pampering, pool time; maybe it’s even just free time – luxury comes in all shapes and sizes. At Mt Mulligan Lodge, you’ve got plenty of types of luxury to choose from. Fill the iron corrugated bathtub on the verandah of your Outback Room or Outback Suite for a soak for two, or sip French champagne on the deck of your glamping tent. Dress up, or down, for dinner, where Head Chef Rene Moebius and his team will work wonders with the local Atherton Tablelands produce. Pair dishes with Australian wines, included in your stay, and settle in for a game of chess and a nightcap before bed.
When you elope at Mt Mulligan Lodge, each day, night, and moment can be all about you.
