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Mists of the Mountains
The Australian Rainforest
By Susan
G. Sharp-Anderson
Those
visiting Australia will find the country of Lamington National Park and
O’Reilly’s Guesthouse an unforgettable experience. The Rainforest is teeming with wildlife accessible to guests
during walks, hikes and 4WD bus tours.
O’Reilly’s
Guesthouse is for those who love nature, history and adventure.
Started in 1926, it greeted visitors on horseback with a warm bed and
good food. Bernard O’Reilly,
one of the operators of the Guesthouse, was known for his brave rescue of
the survivors of the Stinson airliner, which crashed in 1937 near Mr.
Throakban. This crash was
immortalized in Bernard’s book, Green Mountains.
Today,
the Guesthouse is rustically luxurious, and accommodates different types of
travelers. It is set in the
middle of Lamington National Park where there are miles of trails to
explore. The vistas are
spectacular, with treks for the stout hearted and the more leisurely hiker
alike.
The
different accommodation packages, the traditional and the eco-experience,
are excellent no matter how one designs his visit.
The Bithongabel rooms boast private bath, vaulted ceiling and private
balcony overlooking the McPherson ranges.
For those on a limited budget, the Toolona Rooms are for those
choosing the European fashion with communal bathrooms.
With no television or telephones, one rests in simplicity and peace
far from the rushes of the world.
The
Dining Room serves delicious gourmet cuisine.
The schedule allows for weight gain with teas, meals and late night
snacks, including alternative dining at the Bistro. The atmosphere is distinctively British as Morning and
Afternoon Teas include cakes of some sort.
Following
a cup of tea or coffee in the Dining Room, there are early morning guided
birdwalks, where one looks for Satin and Regent Bowerbirds and hand feeds
the King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas.
These birds are numerous, large (nearly 24 inches high), and colorful
(green/sapphire, black and yellow, orange and green, and crimson and blue,
respectively). The Albert
Lyrebird’s range is restricted to within 90km of O’Reilly’s, and a
treat to see. One might also
see a pademelon, a marsupial, come for some food spread by Michael
O’Reilly, the guide.
For
those who like to sleep in, guided walks or four-wheel drive excursions are
available. Again, Host Michael shows the bus folks the cabin and hillside
meadow where he grew up and farmed, before coming to work with his cousins
at the Guesthouse. At the end
of the road, while gazing at incredible vistas to the border of New South
Wales and Queensland, Michael, makes the “billy” tea over an open fire,
lays out cups and scones, and enlivens the discussions of American movies.
He teaches everyone about the wildlife and plantlife, and to
distinguish between the rainforest and the eucalyptus forest, where the
division is distinct. Michael
is a gentle soul, who has great love for the birds, animals and surrounding
Park. He is a master host
calling the guests by name.
After
dinner, evening excursions take the adventurous on a walk to the Glow Worm
Grotto, where phosphorescent worms glow along the rocks.
The less energetic guest can take in a slide show, movie or talk in
the Audio Visual Room. Or one
can simply relax by the fire in the game room.
O’Reilly’s
Guesthouse, in the Rainforest, surrounded by National Park, is an island of
tranquility, where nature, simplicity and serenity reign.
“Let
the mists of the mountains dissolve the pressures of a busy lifestyle and
open your heart to the warm and friendly mood of O’Reilly’s.”
O’Reilly’s
website (http://www.oreillys.com.au)
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Email: Susan
G. Sharp-Anderson |
