The voyage from Surfer’s Paradise to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is a long and isolating one. Since we were officially traveling during the off-season, the roads through the Lamington National Park were traffic free, giving us the opportunity to make the best possible time. Unfortunately, the winding turns and proximity to cliff edges made even moderate speeds feel slightly more dangerous than they were. Since, I was still getting used to driving on the left, there were times that I was having trouble staying in the middle of the lane, but the closer we got to the top, the more I felt like I was getting the hang of it.
Because it was the off-season, the people that were on the road were fairly used to the road and needed to drive as fast as they could to get to where they were going. Eventually, we made it most of the way through the mountains before we were confronted with a random traffic light, indicating that there was construction blocking one lane ahead. It felt like we were waiting forever, but eventually we made our way through the light and down the narrow one lane road that was being renovated. Shortly, there after we made it to the parking lot for the Lamington National Park and the random resort that was surround by O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.
O’Reilly’s was one of the rare places in world, where there was someone who settled in the middle of nowhere, then that nowhere became a national park. Then O’Reilly didn’t give up his land to the government and somehow, they managed not to force him out. Then no one else was allowed to build there and it became a luxurious get away. For our room with a view, the cost was only $98, and we would come to find that it was worth every penny. As usual, our only regret was that we hadn’t stayed longer.
As you arrive at the front of the property, you are greeted by an old airplane that looks like it might have been used in World War 2. There was a large lawn in the front and the main building forms sort of an L shape around it. We temporarily parked in front of the entrance and then walked into the front desk where there was a clerk helping a couple checkout. When it was our turn to check in, we asked lots of questions about the different activities that they have through out the day, including hikes, tours, and animal meeting and greets that take place on the grounds.
The desk clerk pointed out a hike that would allow us to see 7-10 waterfalls. While the book said 3-5 hours, she said that it shouldn’t take us more than 2. There was a complimentary afternoon tea that took place around 4 or 5, so we figured, if we left around 2pm, we wouldn’t have any trouble making it back on time.
She pointed out the Birds of Prey show and the fact that you can feed exotic birds by purchasing feed in the gift shop. Then, she gave us our key and told us to park in our designated parking space down the road. We gathered what we needed for the night and then walked to our room. As soon as you walk into the room, the wood panel walls and window frames were stained to make it feel like you are walking into a small cabin. There was a small bathroom to the left and a queen sized bed, in the middle of the room. Also on the left side of the room was a mini refrigerator. Across the room from the door was a patio door, which lead to a private porch overlooking a beautiful view of the valley.
Shortly, after we arrived, we went back to the lobby to attend the Birds of Prey show. When we arrived, they had already left and we hurried to catch up with the group. The lack of tickets or security made it so that you might not have to even purchase the show, but once we watched the show, we knew that it was definitely something that we might not be able to see again. We followed the other guests down to a make shift theater that looked like something that you’d see at a camp. Rows of split logs were lined up with an aisle in the middle and a huge field for the stage.
As we were sitting down a trainer was bringing a white, barn owl in front of the audience. The trainer gave a short lecture about the owl, but the really fascinating thing was watching the owl fly over to you or over your head has he threw cut up pieces of meat for the owl to hunt down. The dynamic between the own and the trainer, was nothing short of amazing. Even though, they probably did the show at least once a day, you felt like they really got on well with one another. There were times that I feel like the owl was actually playing games with the trainer, but it was probably juts trying to get a little more meat.
The next owl was the barking owl…
<<Bird of Prey Show coming soon…>>
After the Birds of Prey show, as we were walking around the grounds, we saw some people nearby feeding wild parrots out of large metal trays. They were on a scheduled tour and a guides was taking them around and telling them about the different birds. We asked them where we could get some seed and the guide pointed us over to the gift show down the sidewalk.
We walked over to the gift shop and purchased a brown lunch bag which was about half way full of seed, then walk back over to the space where we had seen the previous people feeding the parrots. We pulled out a handful of seed and sure enough, without hesitation the parrot came down from the trees and started landing on our arms, hands, and even our heads. The experience was fairly exhilarating and reminded us of a time that we visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. At the Safari Park, we waited in line for our turn to enter the aviary, where hundreds of caged lorikeets, where flying around. We were given cups of sweet juice and the lorikeets would fly over and land on your hand for a little drink. This was just like that, except we were out in the rainforest.
It’s true that these birds were sort of domesticated and we weren’t really out in nature, but we still felt special about the experience. We felt connected in a way that you might see in Snow White, where she is singing to birds perched on her finger. Oddly enough, these birds were a little vicious, as they were digging their talons into the top of my head. It was a fun experience none-the-less and we made sure to get lots of photos and videos of the experience.
It was still only around 2pm and we were planning on taking a high to view some waterfalls. We made sure to spray on lots of bug spray and got appropriate clothing on for a hike in the woods. We started down a nice wooden boardwalk through the trees which was designed for a casual walk through the woods. It took you on a loop that brought you back to the lodge and seemed like it was less than a mile, if you took it twice.
The trail that we thought would be the most interesting, was supposed to take around 2-3 hours on moderate terrain. We would take a main trail down which broke off into a loop, where we would be able to experience Nugurun Falls, Box Log Falls, and Elabana Falls (which had a small swimming hole at the bottom). We passed the Mountain Garden and continue toward the Main Border Track.
This leg of the trail was wide and flat with the occasional vine hanging down from a tree, where we could take a quick swing. A bug or a bird may fly by here are or there, but more or less, it was just the two of us alone in nature. A little more than half a mile in, we arrived at the Main Border Track sign. It wasn’t very descript as to what we would see each way, but from the look of it if we kept walking, we would eventually end up back at this point. My instinct was to head to the left up the hill, but of course, I would find that I probably should’ve headed to the right and gone down the hill instead.
Going up the hill, the trail was significantly more moderate, with roots crossing the train, muddy patches, and the occasion steep incline. We saw a father and son coming down the hill past us, so we were sure that no matter what, we would make it around with no problems. The deeper we continued the more that we immersed in the forest. The sky was completely covered by the trees above, the sounds of birds and insects became louder, and the calmness of the space, brought us peace and tranquility.
Elizabeth had been feeling a little under the weather prior to leaving, but she decided to keep it to herself for the most part, even though she was feeling worse and worse. We were about half way according to my map app and we still hadn’t seen a waterfall. Supposedly, we were going to see three and the monotony of the journey was starting to catch up with Elizabeth and we probably should’ve turned back. We eventually saw the Tristainia Creek and I was confident that we were right around the corner from the waterfalls that we were seeking. I kept looking down at my paper map and saying, “Okay, right around this corner.”
We had hiked over three miles and finally we saw the Nugurun Falls. It was a beautiful sight, but it certainly wasn’t what we were expecting. Of course, it’s the journey and not the destination in these circumstances, but we were hot and sticky. Elizabeth was feeling ill and tired and we were ready to say that we saw it. It was right about at this point that we lost the trail and seemed to be heading down the wrong path. We were veered away from the river and started to loop around before arriving at a dead end. I still don’t remember exactly where we lost the trail, but we ended up looping back around to the same waterfall that we were just at. We were only able to see it from a different angle.
I was still confident that we were on the right path and should continue around the loop to the next waterfall, but Elizabeth had decided that she was going to just stick it out here and wait for me to come back. She was sure that the only way back was the way that we came. In a way, she was right, even if it would go on to add another few miles to our trip. I was bravely going to continue on and meet back up with her. Aside from the river getting further away, instead of being right along side the trail as it appear on the map, I also felt like the light was disappearing and the bright day, was turning into a spooky night.
Suddenly, I heard some birds flying frantically back and forth, then I looked down to my right. In a small ditch maybe five feet away was a long brown snake slithering through the leaves. It was at this point that I freaked out and decided that no matter how beautiful the Box Falls were, I wasn’t going to see them that afternoon. We were lost and we needed to head back the way that we came.
I met up with Elizabeth back at the falls and told her that I had seen a long brown snake and she was more than happen to head back. She was tired and hungry and my persistence had annoyed her to a point where she wasn’t going to talk to me much the entire journey back.
Under the canopy of trees, darkness began to replace light. The sky was becoming less visible. The soothing sounds of the birds tweeting in the trees was becoming replaced with the unsettling sounds of hidden insects as some of the most poisonous spiders in the world crawled up and down the trees surrounding us. I continued to shoot some video, even in the low light, if for no other reason than to keep my mind off of how paranoid I was becoming. A free afternoon tea was schedule from 4pm-5pm, but we were definitely going to miss it. It was already passed 4pm and we still had close to 2 hours ahead of us.
Elizabeth used her frustration to hustle ahead on the trail, going faster that she had on the way down. She pulled out her phone and used it as a flashlight to illuminate the trail ahead. Our once enjoyable exploration of the rainforest was starting to feel like a horror movie about a couple lost in the woods. The only think that we could do was keep powering ahead until we arrived at the end.
The one beautiful thing that was happening was the appearance of fireflies. Growing up in Ohio, there were fireflies every night in the summer, but they are nowhere to be found in Southern California. It was almost if their magic was guiding us forward and bringing us hope to continue on.
Eventually, we made it back to the sign that started the loop, then back up the main trail up to the Mountain Garden gate. One we reached the Tree Tops boardwalk, we were home free. There was no grander sight than the lodge at that moment. In total, we had hiked around 10 miles with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet, in just around 4 hours.
Looking back at the experience, I feel like our time at O’Reilly’s could have been better spent. There are various short walks, such as the Tree Top Walk, which takes you on 9 suspension bridges and is less than 1KM. The hike to the Wishing Tree is 2.4 KM, and Mick’s Tower was only 1KM. There are other hikes listed that were shorter and might have provided a better over all experience, but the endurance side of me took over and I felt like I needed to go on the long hike to prove that I could do it. We only had one day in Lamington National Park and Elizabeth spent what felt like most of the day miserable.
As soon as we made it back to the lodge, we didn’t even go back to our room to change. We went straight to the dining room and tried to get a table. We apologized to the host at the counter for not dressing up and they told us that it was fine. The restaurant was fairly empty, because we were sort of in the off-season (according to the host), so we were able to easily get a table for two near the window.
The dim lighting, candles, and bound menus made us feel a little out of place, as we should’ve at least taken a shower. The prices on the menu were all a little high, but we were out in the middle of a national park. We knew that whatever we ordered would be delicious, especially since it felt like we hadn’t eaten all day. We ended up finding a vegetarian or fish entree and countless glasses of water.
Next to our table was a nocturnal animal in an enclosure. It might have been an opossum or another marsupial, but it was fun to see up close as we thought about all the other animals that were creeping around in the forest as we were walking passed.
After we ate we took our bill up to the counter and then we began talking to the two hosts about our experience on the hike. I told them about the long brown snake that I encountered and they told use that I had seen a King Brown Snake, which is one of the most deadly snakes in Australia. They explained that if you did get by a snake that it’s best to take it easy walking back, because the faster you go that quicker the venom goes through your blood stream, essentially paralyzing you.
The told us about the different spiders that could kill us and other creepy crawlies and we were happen enough to go back to our room to take a full on shower. Before we went to sleep, we had a quick night cap with some whiskey and coke that we had picked up at Woolworth along the way, to continue to ease our minds as we sank into the luxurious bed that had been prepared.
The next morning, we woke to the sun creeping through the curtains and the squawking of tropical birds on our patio. We opened the curtains to see the orange glow of the still rising sun beyond the valley, that our room overlooked. Elizabeth made some coffee in the coffee maker that was provided, then we spent the morning feeding the hungry parrots their breakfast. We still had lots of seed from the day before and the blue and red birds flew right up to us as we sat on the patio chairs and eased into the morning.
The stress of the hike the day before had vanished while we slept and we were once again able to playfully take photos with our fine feathered friends. The sky and trees made the perfect backdrop for us to set up the tripod and take some classic photos that would forever capture the moment.
At the Woolworth’s the day before, I decided to pick up a small jar of Vegemite and a baguette. I had often heard that Australia’s have Vegemite sandwiches for breakfast and I thought that I’d do a taste test reaction video for the documentary. I took a spoon and scooped out a spoonful of the condiment and spread it on a piece of the bread. In so many ways, it looked like I was simply putting chocolate or Nutella on the bread, and I was going to have a delicious treat. But as I slowly put it in my mouth and took a bite, it was the most flavorfully repulsive thing that I had ever tasted. It was like taking a bite of salt water and vegetable paste. It was so bad that I felt like like it had to be an acquired taste that started out as a dare.
I asked Elizabeth to have a taste, but she wasn’t interested. Instead, she decided to go in and have a bit more coffee and get ready for the day. I decided to take the time to walk around the grounds and take some photos of the airplane and the front garden. During my exploring, I happened upon the pool and hot tub, which would’ve been a perfect place to dip after our previous nights adventure. We still had a little time before we had to start heading down the mountain, so I went back to the room to tell Elizabeth. She was so excited to check out the hot tub that she immediately put on her swimwear and we walked down the sidewalk to the entrance.
The pool and the hot tub was designed in a way that made you feel like you had just randomly found these amenities out in the middle of nowhere. There was a small bridge that you crossed over the pool to get to the hot tub, which was partially enclosed by a rocky wall that made you feel like you were in a cave looking out over the rainforest below. It was one of these little moments that really made the trip more perfect. We felt completely secluded except there was a guy laying on a bench in bicycle shorts just around the corner. We took this time to joke around a little and have fun talking about past trips and past hot tubs.
After we had our fill of the hot tub, we went back to the room and packed our bags. We took one last look into the gift shop, where we picked up a few postcards, before checking out at the front desk. As we were leaving, I couldn’t help, but feel like O’Reillys was a multi-day destination, where you could take your time to go on the guided experiences and slowly take everything in. I tend to have this go-go-go attitude about trying to see as much as I can before the whole trip is over, but I really feel like you should spend a few days to do the shorter hikes.