rose gums wilderness retreat

media articles

Postcard From Australia, by Elaine Dutka

Los Angeles Times, Sunday, February 12, 2006

Refreshingly above it all.

Room at the top
Next stop, the Roses Gums Wilderness Retreat, an eco-resort 90 minutes southwest of Cairns. The retreat's entrance, at the end of a nearly two-mile-long dirt road, didn't reward our persistence. A small wooden sign pointed to a barely visible reception area, where guests are handed an oversized key. I was shown to No.2, "Chowchilla" - named after a bird native to the Atherton Tablelands north of Cairns - as are the other four 'pole-and-timber' treehouses.

This is a treehouse?
It's OK, I reassured myself. There's nothing wrong with roughing it. Then I opened the door. "Chowchillla", described as the most 'intimate' of Rose Gum's accommodations, was as sizable and lovely as a studio apartment. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows, cathedral ceilings, a wood-burning stove, a dining area and a leather couch adjoining the king-sized bed.

Comforts and creatures
A triangular-shaped whirlpool tub had a view of Wooroonooran national park, and a sizable balcony overlooking Mt.Bartle Frere, Queensland's tallest mountain. In the kitchen was a hamper filled with eggs, bacon, bread, yogurt - and muesli, of course. It was nature the way I like it..with all the comforts of home. "After driving down the dirt road (guests are) relieved it's no a shack," said Peta Nott, who owns the resort with her husband, Jon.

Dairy farm to tree farm
When the couple bought the old dairy farm in 1994, half the trees on the 230 acre spread had been cleared. (Not until 1988 was World Heritage status bestowed on the rainforest, preserving the terrain.) Aided by government subsidies, the Notts planted 10,000 trees, and then as additional 4,000 on their own. "Rose Gums" refers to a kind of eucalyptus scattered throughout the property. In 1999, the first treehouse was built.

Kookaburras galore
In October, it was springtime in the Southern hemisphere, perfect for strolling around lakes Eacham and Barrine, extinct volcanic crater lakes 10 and 20 minutes away, respectively. Each has an easy, tree-lined walk around the perimeter. At Barrine, a guided wildlife ferry boat cruise departs four times a day.

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A Whirlwind Year Ends In Roses

Tabelander, Tuesday 12th December 2006

MOPPING up after Cyclone Larry was a bitter experience for Peta and Jon Nott, owners and managers of Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat. Huge tree limbs snapped like match sticks with debris and hungry wildlife everywhere.

For business the effect was equally as great with many regular guests staying away believing the beautiful tree houses had been damaged. Nearly ten months on and the “Rose Gums" buds have blossomed. What started as a challenging year has proven worth the effort with Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat winning the Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards, Unique Accommodation category, for the second year in a row.

To top it off the Retreat was recognised as a finalist in the Queensland State Tourism Award, up against the big reef and rail tourism operators. "Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat is a symbol of what a couple can do when they truly believe in making a difference. We built Rose Gums because we wanted to give back to the environment, to create a haven for people to enjoy the rainforest, wildlife and each other. A lot of heart and soul has gone into our creation and we want to share it with everyone." Peta Nott said.

The seven tree houses were built by Jon (of Jon Nott Building Company fame) and have the trademark large balconies with shade sails and gorgeous use of timber throughout.

The property is uniquely located on 230 acres adjacent to World Heritage listed Wooroonooran National Park, with spectacular views over Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest mountain.

Romantic couples and families can enjoy anyone of the tree houses (one or two bedroom), nestled into the rainforest, each with extensive balconies, views, spas and fireplaces. Each tree house is carefully positioned with 200m of bush between then guaranteeing total privacy. Bushwalks to waterfalls and creeks are right at the doorstep. Whilst each tree house is self-contained the retreat offers an excellent restaurant.
Other facilities within the property include a boutique conference centre and tennis court.

So a message to all the "regulars" and "new guests" who are after a break that's unique and soul restoring - Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat is not only open for business, it's a bona fide Award Winning experience to be enjoyed.

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Oglers Flock to Far North, by Roger Dickinson

The Cairns Post, Wednesday 6th December 2006

THEY flap, flutter and fly and bring in millions of dollars under the radar by getting international birdwatchers to flock to the region.

And ornithological oglers are just twitching to get here.

While nobody is quite sure how much money comes into the region courtesy of our feathered friends, Cairns and Tableland experts agree it is considerable.

But former chairman of Birds Australia North Queensland John Nott said with more than 500 species within a 50km radius of Lake Tinaroo there was no reason the Far North could not get a bigger slice of the birdwatching pie.

"In America it's worth $32 billion a year, it's a big thing," he said. "In the United Kingdom the equivalent of Birds Australia has a million members and a budget of$100 million a year."

Mr Nott said international tourists were well informed and knew where the best places were to go to observe or to partake in twitching, the competitive element of birdwatching.

"Cairns is the best birding hotspot in the country," he said.

"In one 'twitchathon' teams battled it out in a 24-hour competition to see how many species they could identify and nearly 250 were.

"That's pretty awesome, there are not many places you can do that."

Trish and Andrew Forsyth, owners of popular birders' bed and breakfast Red Mill House in the Daintree Village, agree that more could be done to promote the region as an international birdwatching hub.

"Birding is important, it's our prime market and it ranges from newcomers to hardcore twitchers," Trish said.

"There's a real opportunity for an organisation like Tourism Tropical North Queensland to work with individual operators to publish and promote birding routes and sell this region as a birdwatching destination, particularly in the UK and US.

"But it's been a bit slow to get off the ground."

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2004 Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards

Tourism industry's shining night

The Cairns Post , Monday November 8 2004

The Cairns region's top tourism operators and businesses were honoured at the Tropical North Queensland Tourism Awards presentation at the Cairns Convention Cente on Saturday night. THE WINNERS' CIRCLE..Jon and Peta Nott from Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat- Unique Accommodation.

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Winners raise service level

The Tablelander, Tuesday, November 23 ,2004

Jon and Peta Nott of Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat received the Unique Accommodation Award.

"There are so many wonderful places to stay in North Queensland, we are thrilled to be chosen for this award," Mrs Nott said.

TTNQ chief executive, Bill Calderwood said the winners were the operators who continually raised the quality of product and the level of service visitors could expect, and their commitment to the industry helped position Tropical North Queensland as a world class destination.

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Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat, By Genine Hiscox-Price

City Life, May 2005

Being a nature buff and a romantic at heart, I love nothing better than to get away for the weekend with my beloved to the Cairns Highlands (formally the Atherton Tablelands for those not aware of the name change). Read More....

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Tremendous Treehouse

The Cairns Post Weekend Extra, Saturday, April 13, 2002

In a canopy of Tableland rainforest, Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat offers luxury with the greenest of views. Marie Low and photographer John Snape basked in its natural beauty. Read More....

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Hassle-Free Escape

The Carins Post Friday - April 27, 2001

Making the great escape can involve nothing more than getting the day off work and jumping in the car, reports Narelle Muller.

"WHERE else could I swim in the nude on my 70th birthday?" quipped the lavender haired visitor to Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat. Read More....