Cockatoo Hill Retreat

YOU'LL FIND COCKATOO HILL RETREAT where the rainforest of the Daintree sweeps down to meet the Great Barrier Reef. This stylish and wonderfully secluded hilltop retreat is an escapist’s Eden. Set on a ridge over-looking the emerald rainforest canopy, and set in vivid tropical gardens with wrap-around views stretching from the Coral Sea to the heights of Thornton Peak, the setting is hard to beat. We loved it.

Four thatched tree lodges have been beautifully styled with kingsize hand-crafted beds veiled in a swirl of muslin, soft under-bed lighting and polished timber floors. You can watch the ever-changing moods of sun, forest and sea from your pillow or open the full-height windows leading to your private balcony to soak up miles of treetop vistas. A to-die-for romantic getaway? You can say that again.

Dinner at Cockatoo Hill is served at the curving rosewood Python table, where you can chat over a drink to friendly hosts Carmen and Gilles, whose passion for this irresistible pocket of North Queensland is palpable. Enjoy lazy afternoons around the wet-edge pool with its cabana bar or relax in a cane armchair after breakfast and enjoy the scents and sounds of this very special little enclave.

Lush green gardens

Carmen and Gilles enjoy cooking for their guests, and dinner is something to look forward to: we chose our own bottle from the Cockatoo Hill wine cellar to accompany the best of local seasonal produce.

This is a place to simply sit on your balcony with a glass of chilled bubbly at any time of day. We watched frogs hopping through the lush garden, against the orchestra of endless birdsong. Go wildlife-spotting at Cooper Creek, take a 4WD safari to Cooktown, picnic on a deserted beach or snorkel and dive on a Reef cruise.

© Room for Romance