O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

17 – 20 October 2024

We’ve stayed at O’Reilly's a couple of times before and really like this little piece of paradise. The birding is fabulous, the accommodation is excellent and the breakfasts are amazing. Add the proximity to the Lamington National Park and all its walks and you have an almost ideal spot to spend a few days – we think so anyway. We managed to book a three night package which included accommodation, breakfast and afternoon tea daily, early morning bird walk every day, and a nocturnal tour.

We set off from Warwick and stopped to look for the bellbirds near Cunningham’s Gap again, before a picnic lunch at Canungra. From there it was up the windy road to O’Reillys. We arrived in time to settle in and join the afternoon welcome talk, which included a glass of sparkling wine. What a lovely way to start our break from camping.

We had already booked the nocturnal tour for the following night and booked the bird walks when we arrived. I nominated for the first morning, but Mick put his name down for all three mornings because the birding was the reason we had come here.

We had packed some picnic type food to be able to have some meals in our room but we decided to have dinner on our first night at the bar. After watching the sun setting over the ranges we wandered over and found a spot near to the open fire. Even though it was October in Queensland, the nights up on the mountain were quite cool. We shared a pizza and had a couple of drinks. There is a restaurant as well for evening meals as well as a café for lunches and snacks.

The view from our room at sunset

We rose early to join the bird walk on our first morning and set off with quite a large group. There was a new guide who was just “learning the ropes” as well as an experienced guide. Most people who come to O’Reillys have at least some interest in birds, and many are complete novices so it is fun to see the excitement when they are introduced to various species they know little or nothing about.

Following the bird walk we headed for the dining room and the best buffet breakfast you could imagine. It seems like all dietary needs and preferences are catered for and there is a huge variety of fresh, baked and cooked items from which to choose, including porridge which was very popular on a cool morning. Eggs can be cooked to your liking and the toast machine is in constant use with a variety of breads on offer.

We spent our time at O’Reillys walking the tracks close to the guesthouse – sometimes together and sometimes Mick went out on his own. He went on the bird walks on the flowing two mornings and wandered off away from the group to get better photos, as many of the more serious birders do. Each morning he spent a bit longer out with the birds while I slept in and waited to join him for breakfast.

Although we had been on the bird walks on previous visits we had never been on the nocturnal tour so this would be a new experience. We waited at the meeting spot and set off with the group for a walk along one of the main easy tracks nearby. We were both a bit disappointed that the guide spotted some creatures but didn’t really ensure all members of the group were able to get a look. He also talked a lot to those closest to him, forgetting there were others there.

After the walk we jumped onto the bus, and things started to look up. We drove down the Duck Creek Road, which is closed to through traffic these days, and made a number of stops along the way. Mick was particularly keen to see a Marbled Frogmouth and he was very excited when our guide indicated one very close by. We had brought our best torch with us and Mick was able to get some excellent photos of it in the spotlight. That made up for our earlier feeling of disappointment. We also stopped to look at frogs and snakes (which were hidden between the rocks).

After a final hearty breakfast and another walk on the nearby tracks we finished packing up and started the journey back down the windy road towards Canungra and then on to Warwick to collect the camper trailer.